Collage ~ Poland

Baśnie (1991)

---3/9/10

In the much maligned genre of neo prog, Collage's Basnie is for me the single greatest achievement in the style. Compact, energetic, tight, melodic, intricate, and exceptionally well played. Even the Polish vocals seem to fit perfectly. They took what IQ started on The Wake and improved upon it. 

---10/22/26

And now we enter Collage into the UMR for the first time, as I revisit the title. Basnie is a special album for me for a number of reasons. Some personal, which I won't detail here. From a more objective perspective, I credit this work as to the reason why I embrace neo prog as a genre, even though there are so many lemons within. I absolutely loved the English scene of the early to mid 80s, and many of those albums are favorites of mine to this day. Then the protagonists all seemed to lose their way, embracing commercial oriented AOR / FM styles of music. One could hardly blame them for reaching for the stars, but I was young and impressionable and felt a certain kind of betrayal. That kind of music was everywhere, why did you all have to follow suit too? As I pleaded to no one in particular. Today I can even appreciate the type of music they all made a go of. 

When Basnie arrived at my doorstep, and into the changer, a light bulb went on. A 200 watt light bulb. It seemed everything that was great about 1982-1984 progressive rock was distilled into this one album. All sung in Polish no less. To my ears, Basnie is a completely flawless album. That energy combined with the melodicism is so infectious. One of the rare albums where I'd prefer to hear it with cheapy digital synthesizers rather than big ol' woody analog gear.

A time and place treasure if there ever was one. This one goes to the grave with me.

Ownership: 1991 Inter Sonus (CD). Acquired in 1992.

1992; 3/9/10 (review); 10/22/26 (update)

Previously owned: Moonshine; Safe. Need to hear both again.

10/22/26 (new entry)