ZABRANJENO PRISLUSKIVANJE!

After the break-up of TAKO in 1981 their leader, composer and keyboard/flute player Đorđe Ilijin worked as archaeologist, music teacher and occasional producer. In 1983 he decided to record a solo album where he played all the instruments with a help from drummer Vladimir Furduj (ex KORNI GRUPA). The title of the album translates as "Eavesdropping Forbidden" and is accompanied with cover art by Jugoslav Vlahović (famous graphic artist, cover designer and former leader of acid folk group PORODIČNA MANUFAKTURA CRNOG HLEBA) showing a back of a man's head closing his ears. I suppose this was meant to suggest serene, whisper-like ambient-meditative nature of the music.

Indeed, the lovers of PINK FLOYD (especially the albums "Atom Heart Mother" or "Wish You Were Here") Mike Oldfield or TANGERINE DREAM will certainly enjoy this record, a piece loaded with orchestral arrangements, lots of organ, piano, synths and flutes. Compositions are mainly done in slow tempo with meditative, almost "new age" atmosphere. This is particularly true about the best tracks on the album, "Lako putovanje na druge planete" ("Easy Journey to Other Planets") and "Balkanska meditacija" ("The Balkan Meditation"), which come close to the better works of TAKO. The opener "Mojim učenicima" ("To My Students") is obviously dedicated to Ilijin's music students with introducing noise of teenage kids murmuring in the classroom. Too bad its melody sounds oddly similar to GALIJA's "Da li postoji put" released the previous year on album "Ipak verujem u sebe". "Natasi" ("A Song for Natasa") contains heavier piano riff and vocal whispers in the space rock style of IGRA STAKLENIH PERLI.

The second side of the album is much weaker with only blues harmonica-driven "Putovanje" ("The Voyage") and jazzy Tull-esque "Podzemni prolaz" ("The Underground Passage") with excellent flute solo are worthy listening. Album ends with poor, pathetic and naïve ballad "Pesma miru" ("Song for Peace") where kids' choir sings "we want peace/we need peace/all kids to have their mothers." bah!

If this were all, I would have given only 3 stars for being good, pleasant and somewhat easy-listening but not too essential record. Still, having checked the CD re-issue, I must say that four instrumental bonus tracks (particularly "Waiting" and "Leo Rising") are very good pieces of minimalist ambient music combining electronic instruments with classical strings. Therefore I opt for a higher mark.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,5/5

P.A. RATING: 4/5