Yehuda Poliker's first solo album was released in 1985. Yaakov Gilaad whom he met during his Benzene days translated Greek Folk songs into Hebrew, and Poliker composed some of the melodies.
It's labeled ''these eyes of mine'' in English, but the actual translation of the Hebrew title is simply ''My eyes'', referencing a cute, pet-name one can give to one's lover : my eyes, to whom the narrator pleads his lover not to be angry at him as he leaves her, and, heading to another country, another city, from which he (just) might come back one day on a birds' wings, he asks her not to wait for him for many years...
This first track is haunting with its electric keyboard, and Poliker's bouzouki is just exquisitely played. I love it very much with its slow building melody.
Next, Sunday Morning can confuse if you don't actually know what Yehuda sings all about as the rhythm of this song picks up a bit ; but, it's not a happy tune at all: the narrator wishes not to see the world around him, as war breaks out, not far from him, whilst Asia's starving and Africa's thirsty... the lyrics are powerful and evidently political.
This topic continues with the third track, Winds of War, which can confuse even more with his much faster bouzouki pace, and even drums. However, as the title suggest, it's an anti-war statement as the narrator speaks of the eve of war, and how the guys, the soldiers, the heroes, march towards the next war and give their lives up - until the next war, and the next one after that...
Although heavy, I love these songs and Poliker's stand against wars, right from the early days of his long career, and which explains the huge respect he garnered over the years for his creativity and boldness * his ''Hutzpa''..
The fourth track breaks away from these political, heavy messages and here, the narrator asks his girlfriend to ''hold me tight'' so he wouldn't leave her and stay under her spell...The drums and bouzouki are even faster than the previous two songs and aren't contrasting with the topic. It's a lovely love song which leads into the fifth song ''Jealousy'' and how it was a poison, drove him mad and cost his love...
Mediterranean sunset, the sixth track is a short instrumental piece where the bouzouki shines and exhilarates straight into the seventh song, Aleko, which is a first name, about a man who's poor in the material sense, but actually rich as he has a heart of gold...again, the drums add some beats to the bouzouki and electronic keyboard.
The eighth track ''Clapping'' is a very fast paced, albeit short song like many others on this record, and depicts a classic and merry Greek party, with clapping - the drums and bouzouki here are quite insisting and mimic very well, in their rhythms, hand clapping.
''Curse of the sea'' makes a parallel between a fisherman lost at sea, and a his love is just as cursed and lost. The lyrics are quite poetic and lovely.
''Yellowtown'', or if we translate more precisely '' a town in the Autumn, depicting the fall of leaves. Again, writen quite poetically, the narrator tells of his waiting for his lover, as the leaves fall in the city... and he's left to a bed of loneliness...This song breaks the rhythms down, and is actually a slow ballad.
Closing this wonderful album, ''Into the night'''s melody is even more haunting than ''the curse of the sea'' and the lyrics are again very poetic as the narrator adresses god, asking him for the right to sleep in silence, into the night... and greet him in heaven after a long, difficult life.
This album moves greatly, and has very inspired lyrics. Like I said, they were translated from folk Greek songs, but I couldn't find the English names of all the authors as of yet.
I love all the melodies greatly, and I must rate this first solo album as a perfect score 10/10.
Instruments in this album :
Acoustic guitar, Baglama, Bass, Bouzouki, Drums, Electric Guitar, Keyboard, Percussion, Synthesizer.
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