Detailed Review [SBB in 2006 - Overall Review]

Prolusion. SBB (abbreviation of Search Break Build) is one of the oldest and internationally best known Progressive Rock units to have come out of Poland, whose history dates as far back as 1971. During the first decade of their activity the trio of Jozef Skrzek, Apostolis Anthimos and Jerzy Piotrowski recorded several studio albums and played hundreds of gigs all around Europe, sharing the stage with such legends as The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Soft Machine, Jack Bruce Group, Thin Lizzy, Canned Heat, Omega, Klaus Szultze, Bob Marley and Elton John. They returned to the fold in the very beginning of the '90s (after a 10-year hiatus), and played a series of concerts in the USA. In 2000 Jerzy Piotrowski left the group and was replaced with the cult American drummer Paul Wertico, who previously played in the Pat Metheny Group (for the whole 18 years!). The discography of SBB is too large to list it here, so those interested should check the band's website for it. This overall review covers the three outings that the band released this year.

2006 - "New Century" (57 min, Metal Mind)

TRACK LIST:

1.  Golden Harp 5:50
2.  Music is My Life 4:54
3.  New Century 6:06
4.  Stary Czlowiek (Old Man) 4:51
5.  Wojownicy Itaki (Ithaka Warriors) 5:35
6.  Duch Pokolen (Spirit of a Generation) 5:29
7.  When Was the Last Time 4:01
8.  Carry Me Away 15:52
9.  PAJO 3:22
10. Rock for Mack 1:45

PERSONNEL:

Jozef Skrzek - vocals; bass; keyboards 
Apostolis Anthimos - guitars
Paul Wertico - drums 
With:
Mack - guitars; backing vocals

Analysis. The first Polish CD released in a DVD Audio format, "New Century" is the newest studio album by SBB, produced and engineered by Mack, the illustrious producer who worked with Queen, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and some other bands known to everyone who was lucky enough to meet true Rock music. The hand of the craftsman whose principal purpose lies in putting a gloss (OK, the finishing touches) on recordings is felt on most tracks, but especially on those forming the CD's first half, which can hardly be viewed otherwise than as a collection of slow ballads, of which only the largely instrumental title track reveals some genuinely progressive features. Whether accidentally or not, but those done in a symphonic key (Golden Harp, Stary Czlowiek and Wojownicy Itaki) have a dramatic feeling, while the Jazz-Fusion-stylized ones (Music is My Life and New Century) are affirmative in character. Now I have to make some reservations. Inasmuch as Apostolis Anthimos is a guitarist of a Blues school, each of the tracks featuring his performance has at least a slight quasi-improvisational feel regardless of its general genre category. Back to the said songs: If the band's purpose regarding them was nothing more than to create a specific emotional atmosphere, they have succeeded in that. What makes these more or less attractive from any standpoint is their nostalgic sound, kudos to both Jozef, who is still faithful to Hammond, Mini-Moog and Grand Piano, and Anthimos, whose usage of vintage guitar pedals helps him to reproduce typically '70s quaking solos. The vocals are either in English or Polish, depending on the language that the songs' initial titles are done in, save Music is My Life, whose lyrics combine both languages, and Duch Pokolen, an instrumental featuring a narration in English. (I have translated the Polish titles into English since Polish and Russian have quite a lot in common.) If I were in Mack's shoes I would have necessarily intermixed the first and the next five tracks, especially since four of those below the album's equator are instrumental pieces, and the remaining one, Carry Me Away, contains vocals only in its introductory section. Distinctive Mini-Moog solos are attributes of Duch Pokolen and When Was the Last Time. Although both are without singing, the latter featuring no other instruments apart from keyboards, the overall atmosphere of each reminds me of that on Angels At My Gate or Belle of the Earth - songs from the repertoire of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, whereas the 16-minute Carry Me Away evokes manifest associations with the said ensemble, in particular with Time Is Right from their "Nightingales & Bombers". Although the storyline developed by SBB evolves at a snail's pace into a rapid jam, is much more large-scaled in general and is another story almost entirely, Anthimos's guitar technique (and his guitar is a primary driving force on the epic) has much common ground with the one Mick Rogers was notable for at the time he shared the leadership in the Earth Band with Manfred Mann, and even the guitar sound is nearly the same. In any event, Carry Me Away is definitely the most progressive composition on the CD and is a gem of dynamic Jazz Rock. The last two tracks are relatively short - PAJO is a duel-extravaganza between drums and harmonica, and while Rock for Mack is orthodox Rock & Roll, it isn't boring either. All in all, "New Century" is a good album, as long as it is viewed as a work of Rock music, not otherwise.

2006 - "Live in Spodek" (44 min, Metal Mind)

TRACK LIST: 

1.  Memento z Banalnym Tryptykiem 8:39 
2.  New Century 8:23 
3.  Odlot 9:48 
4.  Rainbow Man 5:54
5.  Calkiem Spokojne Zmeczenie 5:26 
6.  Drums Battle 1:52 
7.  Walking Around The Stormy Bay 3:35

LINEUP:

Jozef Skrzek - vocals; bass guitar; keyboards
Apostolis Anthimos - guitar; drums
S?awomir Piwowar - guitar
Irek Glyk - drums

Analysis. Katowice is a true 'Rock capital' of Poland, being the area for the annual international Rock / Prog festival MetalMania and the hometown of Metal Mind Records. This album was also recorded in Katowice, at the concert on which SBB were a supporting act for the Hard Rock legend Deep Purple, playing as a 4-piece this time around. The ovation and the scansion of the band's name that the CD begins with suggest SBB still have a huge fan base in their motherland. The recording is a set of seven songs, of which two, New Century and Odlot (Polish version of Carry Me Away), are already familiar to me, as both are part of the group's new studio output. None is a replica of its studio counterpart, partly due to the sound, which is quite edgy throughout. The point is that Jozef Skrzek plays bass guitar, never switching over to keyboards, which is also typical of all tracks excepting the first and the last. As a result, the presented rendering of New Century least of all reminds me of a ballad. The central instrumental section is widely expanded, and generally, the piece well suits the album's overall design. Odlot follows and sounds much like a logical continuation. Although it's notably shorter than Carry Me Away, nothing significant seems to be missed. The group just accelerate their pace more quickly, therefore reaching the highest level of the music's intensity sooner, while still revealing some of the best bluesy Jazz Rock I've heard in recent years. Calkiem Spokojne Zmeczenie is a kindred composition, beginning with a vocal-laden theme, but later on steadily evolving so as to finally transform into a fast instrumental jam. Memento z Banalnym Tryptykiem displays some moving instrumental arrangements, but mainly only in its second half, whereas preceding events develop slowly, the instrumental parts being laidback and atmospheric, serving exclusively as backgrounds for Jozef's singing. At least rhythmically and vocally, Rainbow Man has much in common with Reggae: well, for the most part, because the finale is heavy Rock & Roll, the singing being correspondingly 'rocking' too. Just as its title suggests, Drums Battle is a series of drum solos, which yet seem to be more pacific than many of those accompanying the battles between two guitars and bass, typical of the tracks with a full-band sound. Walking Around The Stormy Bay concludes the material and is one of its highlights - along with Ca?kiem Spokojne Zmeczenie, Odlot and New Century. It starts off with a slow atmospheric interplay between guitar and keyboards, but soon gets the outlines of symphonic Art-Rock with a dark, low-tone Mini-Moog solo at the fore. Although its progressive value still isn't too high, I find "Live in Spodek" to be musically a more cohesive and integral album than "New Century", which in turn finds its reflection in the rating. Relatively related outfit: Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

2006 - "Live in Theatre" (145 min DVD + 75 min CD, Metal Mind)

                                                               
TRACK LIST: 

1.  Stary Czlowiek 5:50 
2.  Carry Me Away 14:05 
3.  Wolnosc z Nami 7:35 
4.  W Kolysce Dloni Twych 8:00 
5.  New Century 11:25 
6.  Wojownicy Itaki 6:00 
7.  Calkiem Spokojne Zmeczenie 5:35 
8.  Paul's Drum Solo 6:05 
9.  Memento z Banalnym Tryptykiem 9:20 
10. Golden Harp 5:40 
11. Z Ktãrych Kkrwi Krew Moja 7:30 
12. Music Is My Life 4:55 
13. Walking Around the Stormy Bay 9:10 
14. Piesn Stojacego w Bramie 5:15 
15. Rainbow Man 7:10 

LINEUP:

Jozef Skrzek - vocals; bass; keyboards
Apostolis Anthimos - guitars; drums
Paul Wertico - drums

Analysis. Just accidentally, I set about seeing / reviewing this DVD, "Live in Theatre", after I had acquainted myself with the latest two CDs by SBB. For some reason, I was sure it was recorded (and filmed of course) after those. In reality the release was conceived:-) on November 15, 2005. Shot by seven cameramen from a wide variety of various angles, the concert is a luxuriant sight visually. The color get-up of the show is excellent, the scene being illuminated with smaller copies of those multi-lamp floodlights that we can see on a stadium, just changing their color spectrum each time it is necessary, which seems to be depending on the mood of any particular song. The lanterns illuminating the act from beneath are candle-like in both construction and the effect they modulate. The screen behind the scene displays fantastical pictures remotely resembling those in the kaleidoscope - a sort of refined abstract art in my understanding. The concert itself runs about 115 minutes and includes 15 numbers, many finishing to loud cheers regardless of their true artistic value. Just for instance, the trivial anthem-like ballad Music is My Life was greeted with the wildest applause. Thankfully this is the only really straightforward song in the set. By the way, the number that follows it isn't featured in the DVD track list, while this is nothing else but Drums Battle mentioned in the previous review - a 'double' drum solo from Paul Vertico and Anthimos Apostolis, just being prolonged here. Paul's Drum Solo divides the concert into two approximately equal parts and is much more eventful. All four of the tracks that I haven't heard previously, Z Ktãrych Kkrwi Krew Moja, Wolnosc z Nami, W Kolysce Dloni Twych and Piesn Stojacego w Bramie, are mainly vocals- and keyboards-laden ballads, only the finale of the former having a full-band sound. In other words, these can be regarded as Jozef's benefit performances with insignificant contributions from his partners. Wojownicy Itaki, the fifth (and not the sixth as is stated in the CD booklet) track from the band's new studio album, falls in the same category, although there is a memorable theme that is rooted in Greek folk music and runs all through the song. In this particular rendition of Carry Me Away, Mr. Skrzek works wonders while soloing on bass guitar, via the Distortion pedal. Generally, Jozef's bass work at this concert is highly impressive, often better fitting my personal taste than his keyboard playing, regardless of how blasphemous this may sound. Walking Around the Stormy Bay is the only piece on which Jozef shines as a really virtuosi keyboardist, playing two instruments simultaneously. That said, this is one of the biggest surprises here: it's thrice as long as the original and is almost unrecognizable in general. Paul and Apostolis both are behind the drum kits again, but there is much more fire in their joint performance this time around. The present combined sound, consisting of two drum and two keyboard solos, is unique in all senses, and while the music defies any categorization, this is a gem from any standpoint. Memento z Banalnym Tryptykiem and New Century continue the line of highlights, although the Moog-driven introductory theme of the former is somewhat overextended. The remaining pieces, Stary Czlowiek, Golden Harp, Rainbow Man and Calkiem Spokojne Zmeczenie are almost undistinguishable from their studio versions and/or those presented at the concert in Spodek; hence only the latter is interesting in its entirety. The Extra section includes a video clip of Music is My Life (the pictures of the trio playing in their studio alternating with those of nature sceneries and some documentary footage), the band's interview (in Polish, except for Paul Wertico's answers), their photo gallery and discography. The limited edition of "Live in Theatre" includes also a 75-minute audio CD, which features ten songs repeating those from the DVD. The DVD parameters: NTSC, all regions, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.

Conclusion. This paragraph will convey almost nothing to you in the event you haven't read the reviews as such. Surely, the material described above much better depicts SBB than the CD releases and is richer in, say, everything the band can boast about. Those interested in their work can hardly go wrong if they opt for the DVD.

VM: July 11, 12 & 13, 2006

Related Links:

Metal Mind Records
SBB