SABRANO

After successful collaboration with producer Tinnie Varga on his previous album "Tako lako", Drago Mlinarec logically decided not to change his winning team.

Backed by a group of local session musicians and under the studio direction of Varga, he chose to collect a handful of his earlier songs and to re-record them in Varga's studio in Sweden. Therefore, the album title "Sabrano" (Collected Works), although suggests a compilation release, actually contains new studio recording of these tracks.

Mlinarec combined both his solo tracks and those he did with GRUPA 220 in late 1960 in order to present a refreshed version of his entire career up to this point. Music style is similar to that of the previous album "Tako lako" - a more or less straightforward "mainstream" rock, with hints of British pub rock, American "heartland" folk rock and a crisp "new wave" production, which is especially evident in rhythm section treatment.

This is a very accessible and easy-going rock music, but not an "easy listening" pop, which is quite a different thing. Highlights include a reggae re-work of evergreen GRUPA 220 hit of 1967, "Osmijeh" (The Smile), "Trkaliste" (The Racing Field) and a slightly condensed prog masterpiece "Pjesme s planine" (Songs From the Mountain) from the namesake album of 1972 - for this occassion slightly harder and with more compact arrangement. "Trkaliste" was previously released only as single in 1974, and Mlinarec performed it as a representative of TV Zagreb during the then federal all-Yugoslavian contest for Eurovision competition.

Although with very little progressive rock elements, "Sabrano" is good album in its own right. It can serve as a decent introduction to Mlinarec's classic period, however, listeners who don't like the "synthesized" production of early 1980s may opt for later, more comprehensive CD compilations.