Once again I'm in Greece at the end of the holiday season, posting from my drafts folder. It's almost worth it to be the last to leave, so that you can post photos from your holidays while everyone else is back at work. Well, not everyone apparently, the beaches here in Naxos are still full. I guess, like most of my foreign friends, you're thinking "Naxos? Why does that name sound familiar?" Well, I don't know. To us Greeks, it's mostly known for the nice beaches and some local products, especially cheeses (graviera, arseniko, xinomizithra etc). Naxian potatoes are also quite famous. The old emery mines, and some mentions in ancient history and mythology are also interesting, even if not as well known. But, judging from the number of tourists (lots of French, but also Germans and Italians) this late in the season, Naxos doesn't need any more advertising. Nevertheless it is a big island, so next to the popular places there are always some quiet beaches to be found, if you don't mind the lack of amenities. And the food is usually amazing!
It was only a few days after Greek
websites reported the death of Socrates' guitarist Yannis Spathas, that I came across
this LP at a Dutch record store. I took it as a sign, and bought the album although it isn't generally considered to be among their best. Despite never becoming a household name -not even in Greece- Spathas was one of the forefathers of the Greek rock scene, and a legendary guitarist often compared to Ritchie Blackmore and Jimmy Page, although his single biggest influence was Jimi Hendrix. After recording a couple of garage rock singles with Piraeus'
Persons (1966-1969) he formed Socrates Drank The Conium (later shortened to Socrates), a progressive/hard rock band which released 7 historic albums, and came close to having international success. As it happened, the only Greek rock band that achieved that goal was Aphrodite's Child, whose keyboardist Vangelis produced and played in Socrates'
Phos (1976). That LP received a U.S. release and serious college radio play, prompting the band to seek an international career.
Plaza was their last effort to that effect. They had been contracted by Virgin Records, which brought them to London to record with
Vic Coppersmith-Heaven (producer of Τhe Jam, but also engineer in The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed and Black Sabbath's Volume 4). For the English lyrics they enlisted the help of Elton John's lyricist Gary Osborne, while the core trio (Spathas, singer/bassist Tourkogiorgis and drummer Antypas) were augmented by top studio musicians and backup vocalists. As a result, it is the band's most professional-sounding LP, sporting a shiny commercial AOR sound similar to contemporary albums by, say, Asia or Toto. Like most albums of that age, though, it hasn't aged well and doesn't hold the cult status of their earlier work. The synths and backing vocals are especially outdated, while the production is ultra clean and lacks punch. Nevertheless Tourkogiorgis lays some of his best vocals ever, and Spathas' solos are excellent as always, although he's holding back which is a pity. The compositions are pleasant but ordinary. Probably the nadir of the record is new wave closer "F F F F F Fashion" and the "funky" "Living in a hot town" which reminds me of the worst Rolling Stones tracks of the 80's. "Sky Ride" reminds me of 80's Eric Burdon - similarly the artist's low point, but at least this one rocks. "Love like dynamite" is another rocker, which sticks out because of some Latin-tinged percussion and nice chorus. Other nice tunes include the ballad "
For every clown" and three semi-hard rockers, "Backroom baby", the Journey-like "
Baby I'm leaving", and "Stray dogs" which is a bit like Joe Lynn Turner-era Rainbow. Billed as
Plaza, Socrates toured the album in support to headliners UFO, gaining sympathetic reviews. They got the desired offer for an international contract, but it meant relocating to the U.S. with conditions more suited to young up-and-comers than to veterans with a 10+ years of discography behind them. So they decided to dissolve the band and follow a more relaxed and lucrative career as session musicians for the elite of Greek singers and composers, especially of the
éntekhno variety. They reunited for a live album and sporadic concerts, and are always fondly remembered as pioneers of Greek rock.
Plaza has a strange place in their discography: on one hand it's their most accessible and technically best produced LP, while on the other the move from underground blues and prog towards the mainstream alienated fans and sacrificed some of the band's originality. If nevertheless 80's AOR with a touch of prog is your kind of thing, you'll find a lot to like in this half-forgotten LP. Interesting note: although it remains the band's only album never to have been re-released and never to see a CD release, original vinyl copies can still be found for reasonable prices.
the discography of the band can be downloaded here: https://murodoclassicrock4.blogspot.com/2012/08/socrates-drank-conium-discografia.html
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