Program:

W. Obrecht: Guy, Won't You Play Your Accordion?
D. Garland: The VCR Polka
J. King: Solidarity-Polka Song
F. Frith: The Disinformation Polka
P. Zumo: (The) Who Stole the Polka
B. Ruyle: (Do The) Lurk - Part 2 - Polka
G. Klucevsek: Some of that "Old Time Soul" Polka
L. Vierk/A. Stidfole: Attack Cat Polka
P. Johnston: Pontius Pilate Polka
T. Albert: The Devil's Polka
C. Stone: Fuddle The Shux
M.J. Leach: Guy De Polka
D. Mahler: The Twenty-Second Street Accordion Band
E. Sharp: Happy Chappie Polka
A. Leroy: Wild Goose

total time: 47:41
released: 1995

label: Evva Recording Company no. 33009

Order from: The Classical Free-Reed, Inc. Online Gift Store

Review by Robert Karl Berta:

I first met Guy about 2 years ago when he gave a concert for the San Francisco Bay Area Accordion Club. I was truly impressed! Here was an accordionist who was a virtuoso and had the composing and arranging skills to take the accordion to a new level! Guy's musical style is Alternative but when hearing his recordings you will constantly be thinking, "That tune or rhythm sounds vaguely familiar." This is because he takes other musical styles and steals ideas and phrases to create his own unique musical styles. Having heard his concert and purchased his Transylvanian Sofwear CD, I thought I knew what to expect on this CD. Was I wrong! In the three Klucevsek CDs I have I hear snips of classical themes, Bulgarian folk music, polkas, a Tango and other music and rhythms morphed into amazing compositions and arrangements. Again he takes his creative genius to new territory that is very different than what I had expected from my previous listening. In these days of rubber stamp pop music I am most appreciative of somebody who constantly pushes the envelope. While all the tunes here are "Polkas" there are only a select few that will fit somewhat comfortably into this mold. Don't expect another Beer Barrel Polka!

Is this CD for everybody? Well, to be honest you may spend a while getting past the constraints of your familiar "comfortable" music styles. But after repeated listening you will become more and more appreciative of the breath of fresh air he is bringing to music. I should also mention that all the musicians on the recording were outstanding there is some fine playing in there.

The audio quality of this recording is excellent. I do have one negative comment though regarding the CD liner notes. While there was lots of information for European and Japanese distribution, I had a very difficult time finding any information as to how one could order additional copies here in the US. Fortunately, you can order it from Guy directly.

Editor's Note:

I just wanted to add a few comments about ?Who Stole the Polka? -- the CD is absolutely ridiculously funny! I cracked up listening to the first track, Guy, Won't You Play Your Accordion? (Guy's Dream), written by William Obrecht and sung by David Garland. The lyrics are:

I had a lovely dream last night
Lots of folks were gathered around
On my back they hung a robe of purple
On my head they stuck a golden crown

Then they let me know both verbally and gesticularly
What they wanted
Most particularly

They said please:

Guy, won't you play your accordion?
It's your accordion we want to hear
We wait with great expectation now
We are so glad 'cause your accordion is near

Maybe you'll play us a rhumba
Sure a waltz or a foxtrot would do
But Guy, if you'll make it a Polka

We will be your fans both strong and true

And when you're squeezing the bellows
Squeezing them gently just right
We'll pick you of all of the fellows
To be squeezing us sweetly
We're ready completely
Tonight

The Polka they say is the Dance of Love
And you bet that sure is true
Guy, when you pump out a polka
You know that we'll fall right in love with you.

And I hope my dream comes true!

Actually, I busted up laughing not only with Guy, Won't You Play Your Accordion, but with many of the other polkas as well. I mean, with titles like Attack Cat Polka and The Pontius Pilate Polka, how can anyone keep a straight face?

The lyrics to the songs are printed in the CD booklet (actually a bellows-shaped fold-out insert with text printed in English, French and German). The musical styles run the gamut from minimalistic repetition of Do the Lurk - Part 2 - Polka to the atonal introduction of Who Stole the Polka? (was that a twelve-tone row?) to the old-fashioned polka sound of Some of That "Old Time Soul" Polka.

I LOVE this CD! Practically every track makes me laugh.

Mr. Klucevsek, himself, alludes to the schizophrenic character of the CD. He wrote in the CD booklet:

"Who Stole the Polka? features eight songs and seven instrumental pieces from Polka From The Fringe, a collection of 32 post-modern two steps, which I began commissioning in 1986. The idea was to bring together two parts of my schizophrenic musical background: growing up in a Slovenian-American community in western Pennsylvania, where I played polkas and waltzes for picnics, weddings and club dates, while at the same time studying classical accordion with Walter Grabowski, who introduced me to original classic music for the accordion by Paul Creston, Virgil Thomson, Alan Hovhaness and Henry Cowell."

(endnotes by Henry Doktorski)