Various – Surfbeat Behind the Iron Curtain Vol.1 60s Surf/Instrumental Eastern European Rock Music Album Compilation
Label: AIP Records – AIPCD1057
Series: Planetary Pebbles – Vol. 1
Format: CD, Compilation, Unofficial Release
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul
Style: Surf, Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Beat, Instrumental
Tracklist
1 –Sincron Pe Linga Plopii Fara Sot 00:00
2 –Capras Beginning Of Autumn 02:54
3 –T. Terauchi & The Bunnys Theme From Unfinished Symphony 05:14
4 –Niebiesko-Czarni Komandosi 07:58
5 –Eliminators The Saint 11:21
6 –Mefistos Return Of Gemini 14:10
7 –Die Sputniks Sputniks Thema 16:17
8 –Thunderbirds African Guitars 18:15
9 –Niebiesko-Czarni Nocny Alarm 21:02
10 –Boomerangs Crazy Guitars 23:19
11 –Trocadero Sextett Leicht Verdreht 25:56
12 –Orchester Charles Blackwell The Bumble Beat 28:00
13 –Klaus Lenz Sextett Corso 30:00
14 –Slava Kunst Orchestra Lucifer In Coelis 32:27
15 –Thunderbirds Twistin Safari 37:10
16 –Theo Schumann Combo Aladin 39:20
17 –Niebiesko-Czarni Take Blya Moja 41:28
18 –Sincron In Gara La Leordeni 44:19
19 –Gisha Brothers Wewo’s Rock 47:08
20 –The Constellations Colorado 49:35
21 –Javalins Javalins Rock 51:52
22 –Franke Echo Quintett Melodie Für Barbara 54:22
23 –Eliminators Wipe Out! 56:57
24 –Karel Duba & His Guitar Men The Coach 01:00:24
Compiled By, Liner Notes – Harry Vee
Notes
#4, 17 artist as Black ‘N’ Whites
#9 artist as Alarm
1, 18 – Romania
2, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19 – West Germany (FRG)
3 – Japan
4, 9, 17 – Poland
5, 23 – UK
6, 14, 24 – Czechoslovakia
7, 11, 13, 16, 22 – East Germany (DDR)
20 – Italy
21 – Netherlands
The compilation contains several errors in the liner notes, especially for the Polish releases that are credited to “Black ‘N’ Whites” and “Alarm”, which are in fact album titles. The sound quality is very poor which maybe comes from taking the songs from original mono 7inches without licensing them.
Track 12 actually from the UK
Track 22 originally issued as Franke-Echo-Quartett
8
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, along comes this compilation of ’60s surf/instrumental rock from behind the Iron Curtain — a scene that was barely even known to have existed, and whose bands were rarely given the opportunity to even record. Actually, the title is a bit of a misnomer, as 11 of the 24 tracks are actually from non-Communist countries, including West Germany, Japan, Italy, Holland, and the U.K. It’s all still damn rare stuff, and surprisingly good, especially when you consider that when the Iron Curtain bands recorded, they usually had to do so on state-owned labels. This nonetheless holds up pretty well against the better instrumental guitar rock from the era, and is not so much influenced by surf music as by the Ventures, the Shadows, and the Tornados. The production (particularly for the Eastern European bands) can be primitive, but the playing can be hot, especially from the Japanese T. Terauchi, the East German Die Sputniks, and the Romanian Sincron. Acts from Poland and Czechoslovakia are also represented; the Czech Slava Kunst Orchestra has to be the weirdest (and most ridiculous) of the lot, with their berserk hybrid of twist rock, nonsense vocals, and wedding dance-band music. That track aside, this is actually a respectable compilation that’s not solely of novelty value.
Review by Richie Unterberger
