Magyar Albummm! #5 – Hungaria: Hotel Menthol, guest: Novai Gábor

This programme is held in Hungarian.

In the Hungarian Albummm! series, we listen to records in the presence of the composer or performer who created them and who will share his or her experiences in the library of the House of Music Hungary, the ever-expanding archives of which allow us to select the wonderful albums that will be at the heart of this marvellous musical playground. This instalment brings Hungaria’s 1981 release Hotel Menthol to the turntable, with host Gergely Horváth joined by bassist/singer/songwriter Gábor Novai.

In the early ’80s, HUNGARIA’s rock’n’roll party was hurtling through the merriest barracks at express speed, and everyone got on board. The rock and roll era that had never really existed in Hungary was suddenly rescored with an instant collection of classic hits. Lacking the genre’s socially critical edge but sizzling with all of its energy, this magnificent neon parade proved an explosive success. Twelve years after Csavard fel a szőnyeget (‘Roll Up the Carpet’), the red carpet was instead rolled out before the feet of Miklós Fenyő and his band full of characters – a fact that became the true twist in the story. This evocation of nostalgia, however, became – in original fashion – its own separate milestone in the history of Hungarian pop music. Listening to the music together, we will recollect this journey along the Istanbul – Hotel Menthol – Randi Andi line. The conductor: Gábor Novai.

Those of us who still remember how we used to listen to music back when Little Richard sang from shiny black vinyl discs also know what playing records gave music fans: time dedicated to listening to the music with deep absorption, printed lyrics to browse and memorable album covers. And there was even more, because the medium itself influenced the songwriting: the very designation of sides A and B of singles raised the question of the priority and order of the songs, which brought with it the genesis and application of the musical or ideological concept that served as the organising principle behind an entire album. A record is a tangible object that powerfully shapes the personal connection one has with both the composers and performers. Our aim is to revive the ritual of listening to records by together playing albums by Hungarian artists whose contribution to our country’s pop music history has been extraordinary in some way.