3 Hur-El - 1972 - 3 Hur-El

3 Hur-El

1972

3 Hur-El

01. Ask Davasi

02. Ve Olum

03. Haram

04. Gurbet Turkusu

05. Anadolu Danci

06. Lazoglu

07. Madalyonun Ters Yuzu

08. Diday Dom

09. Kara Yazi

10. Gul'e Ninni

11. Olum Al Beni

12. Pembelikler

Feridun Hürel:guitar

Haldun Hürel: drums

Onur Hürel: bass

The first album by trippy Turkish trio 3 Hur El -- a great blend of Eastern sounds and western styles -- all coming together with a slightly progressive feel! The instrumentation often includes some heavy basslines underneath lighter lines on acoustic strings -- a blend of folksy and modern that's topped by passionate vocals and often underscored by some great heavy percussion -- all in a style that's a bit otherworldly, but oddly quite compelling! The set's definitely the kind that makes you say "I don't know what's going on here -- but I sure like it anyway.

3 HÜR-EL was one of Turkey’s most popular Anatolian rock bands in the early 1970s and consisted of three brothers: Onur Hürel (bass guitar), Haldun Hürel (drums) and Feridun Hürel (vocals, guitar, saz). Like most Anatolian rock bands of the era, 3 HÜR-EL mined its Turkish folk music heritage and applied the scales, melodies and rhythms and placed them in a rock context.

This trio of brothers were born in the northeastern city of Trabzon but relocated to Istanbul for better business opportunities. Having started as as Yankilar, the name was later changed to Istanbul Dörtlüsü and then were employed in a number of local orchestras before forming this particular band in 1970. While the trio stuck it out for seven years, only two releases emerged during that timeframe although the brothers would reconvene for a set of albums in the 90s.

This self-titled debut album arrived in 1972 but carried a lot of the 60s zeitgeist of psychedelic folk mixed with traditional percussion-rich Turkish folk music wrapped up in rock regalia. Feridun’s fragile vocal style reminds me a bit of some of the Arabic traditional styles only with a bit more reservation that actually reminds me a bit of some of the ways female singers of places like Indonesia and Thailand performed in the 60s.

In addition to the standard rock instruments that include the guitar, bass and drums, 3 HÜR-EL employ a generous use of the saz, a stringed instrument native to the Turkey in the baglama family of instruments resembling a small lute and quite popular all across the Middle East. Another prominent feature is the use of high octane acoustic percussion very much in the vein of local traditional folk styles.

Despite a 70s appearance, the album sounds much more 60s to my ears but then again many of the Middle Eastern countries were on a completely different timeline during those decades of the 20th century when places like Turkey were still quite exotic. Overall this album sounds more like an amplified example of local Turkish folk music with no Western influences to be heard whatsoever. While the lyrics are all in the Turkish language, the brothers were peaceniks with themes covering liberty, freedom and justice.

As a complete addict of the addictive rhythmic lure of Middle Eastern rhythms and music scales, i do have to say that this is a decent slice of Turkish Anatolian rock however the vocals sound a bit cheesy to my ears and in many ways i keep thinking that this is Turkey’s equivalent to Bollywood music. It’s not really bad at all it’s just that i’ve heard better and 3 HÜR-EL would indeed improve on the following “Hürel Arsivi.” For what it is, it’s OK but everything is a bit too smooth and poppy for its own good. Needs a little more grit.