Türküola 1983 / Pharaway Sounds 2017
Embracing his pop aspect, Anatolian nightingale gets into the groove.
KURTALAN EKSPRES –
Estagfurullah… Ne Haddimize !
An established superstar in Turkey, Bariş Manço approached the ’80s trying to conceptualize as many musical strands as possible, and if 1981’s "Sözüm Meclisten Disari" was primed for prog, its successor trod a simpler path. Not that it gets in the way of this album’s infectiousness.
With a well-calculated zip, “Halil Ibrahim Sofrasi” may weave its mental magic unhurriedly, yet there’s something arresting in the piece’s hard-cut chorus contrasting the verses’ soft funk of Eastern variety that’s as catchy as “Kazma” whose groove runs from arabesque disco to a rock-minded guitar solo. So while some of the tracks on display seem to outstay their welcome,”Aman Yavas! Aheste” crossing over to the “Superfreak” territory, but that’s mostly because of the Westerners’ inability to understand Turkish lyrics.
Still, when baroque organ and futuristic synthesizer conspire in “Geçti Dost Kervani” to create a cosmic scene, the depth of it all is impossible to miss. So whereas”Balsultan” maintains its charm for more than six minutes, before the number’s spicy rhythm is brought to the fore to rule the game, the transparent ripples of “Eski Bir Fincan” tend to be ultimately danceable. There’s more than one dance, though, in the fantastically titled instrumental “Selahaddin Eyyubi’nin Yegeni Aslan Yürekli Risar’in Kiz Kardesine Karsi” which, incorporating military march and prog meandering, is transcending its jam origin, yet a new version of Baris’ 1967 hit “Kol Düğmeleri” takes the trip closer to home. Not for everyone, this aural abode still has a lot of charm.
***3/4
