LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

• Format: 180-gram black vinyl LP
• Edition: Official deluxe remastered reissue
• Audio: Newly improved remastered sound
• Packaging: Original gatefold artwork reproduced on heavy cardboard
• Extras: Replica eight-page full-colour booklet and an insert with extensive liner notes

2023 is Barış Manço’s visionary 1975 masterpiece and one of the defining albums of Anatolian psychedelic and progressive rock. Working with Kurtalan Ekspres, Manço fused traditional Turkish melodies and instruments with cosmic synthesisers, electric guitar, funk rhythms and ambitious progressive arrangements.

The album opens with the playful folk-psych of “Acıh’da Bağa Vir!” before moving into the spoken and atmospheric “Kayaların Oğlu.” This introduction leads directly towards the futuristic title piece, an expansive instrumental journey filled with electronic textures, saxophone, guitar and sweeping keyboard arrangements.

“Yol Verin Ağalar Beyler!” introduces a danceable mixture of Turkish folk melody, funk and psychedelic rock, while “Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım” transforms the traditional song associated with Âşık Veysel into a spacious and reflective progressive arrangement.

The second side begins with the melodic “Yine Yol Göründü Gurbete” before entering the album’s central work, the thirteen-minute “Baykoca Destanı.” Divided into five connected movements, the suite moves through folk melodies, electronic passages, psychedelic guitar, dramatic vocals and energetic rhythmic changes.

The humorous “Tavuklara Kişşşt De!” returns to a more direct folk-based sound, while the extended “Kol Bastı!” closes the album with prominent guitar, driving percussion and a powerful mixture of traditional and modern influences.

Originally issued in Turkey in 1975, 2023 remains an essential example of Barış Manço’s ability to combine Anatolian musical heritage with the experimental possibilities of 1970s rock. This authorised Guerssen edition presents the album with remastered sound and a detailed reproduction of its elaborate original presentation.

Track listing:

Side A
1. Acıh’da Bağa Vir!
2. Kayaların Oğlu
3. 2023
4. Yol Verin Ağalar Beyler!
5. Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım!

Side B
1. Yine Yol Göründü Gurbete
2. Baykoca Destanı
   a. Gülme Ha, Gülme
   b. Gelinlik Kızların Dansı
   c. Kara Haber – Turnanın Ölümü
   d. Vur Ha, Vur!
   e. Durma Ha, Durma!
3. Tavuklara Kişşşt De!
4. Kol Bastı!