Kalemegdan Disk - ROCK FROM EASTERN EUROPE

Supraphon Release Information

Two years after the highly successful comeback album Dobrý časy (Good Times), Václav Neckář is sure to delight his fans with a new CD, his very first Christmas album to boot! But don’t expect carols or other traditional Yuletide fare. The new disc, titled Mezi svými (Among My People) and recorded at the Sono and Gui-Tón studios, features exclusively original material! Much of its nature is revealed by the fact that a plethora of leading Czech musicians participated in its creation.

“The album’s title may give the impression that it is merely the work of my stalwart musicians, such as Eda Krečmar or my brother Honza. Regrettably, Zdeněk Rytíř did not live to write anything for me, but the lyrics for one of the songs were supplied by his daughter, Alenka Rytířová. Honza Fischer, son of Ivo Fischer, penned two texts, while Václav Kopta, son of Pavel Kopta, wrote two as well; and so I am actually still among my people, even though this is the first time I have worked with these writers,” says Václav Neckář.

Over the past three years, Václav’s “family” of musicians has, owing to the Dobrý časy album, expanded to include a new generation of artists. Hence, besides the aforementioned, those who worked on the present disc include entirely unexpected figures, among them Jiří Hradil (Tata Bojs, Lesní Zvěř), Márdi (Vypsaná FiXa), Filip Rácz (Fíha), David Dvořák (Kašpárek v Rohlíku), Marek Doubrava (Hm...), Petr Kotouš and Luděk Špilauer. What’s more, the CD features Neckář’s very first duet with Marta Kubišová, singing the extremely emotional song Noc.

Naturally, those participating at the album Mezi svými also include Jaromír Švejdík and Dušan Neuwerth, a duo that also collaborated at the previous disc, Dobrý časy: Švejdík as lyricist and composer, Neuwerth as producer.

Although Christmas is the new Neckář album’s theme, it is not the one and only subject. Mezi svými is also a recording with songs brooding over “ordinary” human relationships, solitude, faith and hope.

At last, a Christmas album without the usual kitschy trimmings yet still abounding in faith and hope!

Tracklist

1. Jsou s námi 4:33
2. Tak mi ruku dej 3:39
3. Hlídá je Bůh 4:48
4. Noc 3:19
5. Nebe modrý dostal jsem darem 4:07
6. Mezi svými 4:04
7. Andělé strážní 4:21
8. Hvězda 3:44
9. Pomíjivá 3:48
10. Ježíšku z dávných dní 3:55
11. Zpověď 3:06
12. Za všechny blízké 4:49