Psí Vojáci

The Czech rock group Psí Vojáci is one of the major acts that started in the underground during the Communist regime and became successful after its fall in 1989. The group is dominated by songwriter, singer and pianist Filip Topol, a charismatic character who shares similarities with English singer Peter Hammill, both in his writing of literate yet powerful art songs and in his stage delivery. Drummer David Skála and bassist Jan Hazuka formed the core of the group from its beginnings up to the early ‘90s, when the latter left and was replaced by Ludek Horky. Guitarists and saxophonists came and went. The name Psí Vojáci means "Dog Soldiers." Two explanations, both of a literary nature, circulate about its origins. Some say it comes from the title of Robert Stone's 1974 novel. Others attribute it to the name of a Cheyenne tribe in Thomas Berger's book Little Big Men. In any case, there is a connection to Native American history, a favorite source of inspiration for the singer. Topol, born 1965, made his first professional appearance at a concert by The Plastic People of the Universe in 1978. Soon after he formed Psí Vojáci with schoolmates Skála and Hazuka. Big brother Jáchym Topol, who would become an important Czech poet, fuelled the group with lyrics. They gave their first performance at the ninth Prague Jazz Days the following year. At first, the group's sound had something of a punk attitude, even though the repertoire consisted of complex pieces steeped in the romantic music of latter-half 18th century. Its name and its harsh lyrics against the State (sung with conviction by a 14-year old) soon earned the group an interdiction to perform -- it gave its last authorized concert on June 23, 1980. For the next few years Psí Vojáci laid low, recording three albums...