Knoflíky lásky - 2 LP

This double-vinyl compilation presents Iveta Bartošová’s most famous and beautiful songs. It would be much more cheerful to celebrate what would have been her 60th birthday in April with new recordings, but fate decided otherwise. Around 8 April, the often painful turns of her artistic and personal life will probably be widely discussed in the media; this anniversary release instead brings together some of the finest music she left behind. The 24 songs were selected by Pavel Vaculík, one of the people who discovered her and the author of several hits, including the title song. Her exceptional talent was recognised by many of the finest composers of Czech popular music, including Karel Svoboda, Ladislav Štaidl, Pavel Krejča and Ondřej Soukup. The compilation captures her many stylistic changes, from a gentle eighteen-year-old girl from the Beskydy mountains through a confident interpreter of powerful melodies, an attentive follower of dance trends and a shining pop princess, to a convincing guardian of folk influences, a successful reviver of older film themes, a capable musical-theatre performer and a discreet singer with chanson qualities. Her unique voice, natural musicality, appealing appearance and often excellent repertoire gave her a special gift: men liked her as a charmingly elegant woman, while their non-jealous wives saw her almost as a possible daughter. Her tragic death in 2014 came far too soon, but her musical legacy remains strong. The accompanying text by M. Skalka and recollections from people who knew her explore this story, while the most important part can be discovered by listening to the selection itself, symbolically ranging from “Knoflíky lásky” to “Noc je království”. The tracklist includes “Červenám”, “To mě nenapadá”, “Medové dny”, “Hej, pane diskžokej”, “Léto”, “Tichá píseň”, “Málo mě zná”, “Víš, lásko”, “Útoč láskou”, “Dej mi ruku”, “Dva roky prázdnin”, “Jen já vím, kdy žena pláče (When a Man Loves a Woman)”, “Čekám svůj den”, “Můžeš lhát”, “Tři oříšky”, “Vím, že jsi se mnou”, “Nekonečná”, “Láska má je zákon”, “Bílý kámen”, “Z pekla štěstí”, “Rozvíjej se poupátko”, “Znám jednu starou zahradu” and the remaining title songs.