Review: Plastic People of the Universe

RECOMMENDED

 Communist Czechoslovakia, 1968: within a month of a Soviet invasion that squashed the reforms and rights introduced during the Prague Spring, the underground scene sees the formation of its new non-conformist symbol, the Plastic People of the Universe, an avant-garde group of rockers with a Frank Zappa and Velvet Underground-influenced sound. After a plethora of arrests, jail time and deportations, the Plastic People are now widely thought to be the greatest Czech band of all-time, and if you’re looking for proof that these guys are badasses, consider that they have a song called “The Song Of Fafejta Bird About Two Unearthly Worlds” and another called “The Universe Symphony And Melody About Plastic Doctor (Part 1),” that’s twelve minutes long. A bizarre rock concoction unafraid to use clarinet, contrabass and the Czech language, the Plastic People are a post-modern experience unto themselves, before you even realize this music not only challenged the man, but actually defeated it. (Andy Seifert)