Light Up Your Fire - CD

This album combines blues, hard rock and southern rock in an original collaboration between singer and keyboard player Honza Holeček and guitarist and recording engineer Pavel Marcel. Drawing on their experience with numerous bands, including international acts, as well as playing with Luboš Andršt and Michal Prokop, the musicians explore new directions while presenting a strong original repertoire. Four of the nine tracks are original compositions, while five are surprising cover versions that are not limited strictly to blues. The original songs include the forceful opener The Beast, the title track and video song Light Up Your Fire, the fine ballad Circles and the majestic closing number Nothing’s Gonna Bring Us Down. Holeček’s expressive vocal style, with its distinctive shriek, can also settle into the convincing voice of a rock storyteller. Electric guitar drive and acoustic clarity are joined by Hammond organ and distinguished guest contributions on drums, vibraphone, harmonica and double bass. Covers of songs by Cat Stevens, Peter Hammill and Murray Head, along with the folk-rooted Gallows Pole and Scarborough Fair, reflect the musicians’ long-standing affection for these well-known themes. The CD is packaged in the style of the strange westerns associated with Quentin Tarantino’s films. The tracklist is: The Beast, Light Up Your Fire, Gallows Pole, Circles, Wild World, Afterwards, Scarborough Fair, Say It Ain’t So Joe and Nothing’s Gonna Bring Us Down.