KORNELYANS: NOT AN ORDINARY LIFE

Sophisticated prog rock from the Serbian portion of the former Yugoslavia. I can see why this band is considered one of, if note the, greatest rock/prog bands ever to come out of that nation state.

1. "Rising" (2:14) quite lovely, well produced, keyboard-led instrumental proggy Jazz-Rock. (4.625/5)

2. "Not an Ordinary Life" (10:16) sounding very much like a cross between early QUEEN, RARE EARTH, and early URIAH HEEP. I'm quite surprised to hear the excellent command of English spoken/sung throughout this song. Great change to an adventurous, theatric RARE EARTH-like motif around the three-minute mark. Some truly excellent drumming, guitar, and keyboard play during the extended solo patch in the middle. In the seventh minute the music switches into a very prog-rock focus with its CHRIS SQUIRE "Close to the Edge" bass line and dynamic (if also circus-like) keyboard play. A rather surprisingly mature and sophisticated composition pulled off with excellent musicianship and excellent sound quality! At 8:45 the music then moves into a grooving Jazz-Rock motif over which guitarist Josip Bocek shreds (in two tracks!) while lead singer Zlatko Pejakovic takes us out with his theatric vocal performance. (19.125/20)

3. "Generation 1942" (6:32) here exhibiting a style more similar to bands like CHICAGO and STYX (and Starcastle and, yes, Yes), the music is so pleasant, well-composed, and creatively rendered I find in total shock. I don't particularly like this style of music (it's now rather dated) but I definitely appreciate the skill and creative genius that went into its creation and production. (9/10)

4. "Fall of the Land of Women" (5:30) employing a distortion-making effect to Zlatko's voice gives this heavy prog song an Arthur Brown-like quality--but it's also in the forcefulness of his vocal delivery. The hard-driving MUSEO ROSENBACH/LE ORME-like music is quite complex with high-quality rock solos from multiple keys and electric guitar as well as solid tracks contributed by bass, drums, percussion, and acoustic guitars. Bassist Bojan Hreljac and keyboard wiz Kornelije Kovac are particularly awesome. (8.875/10)

5. "Temporary Parting" (3:58) solo piano and organ play from Kornelije opens this one before the arrival of a Jon Camp-like bass and syncopated drumming from Vladimir Furduj expose what is obviously a RENAISSANCE-like effort. Even the motif change at 3:00 is in full compliance with the Renaissance approach to making prog out of classically- inspired pieces. (9/10)

6. "Man with a White Flag" (11:43) another heavy rock motif opens this (sounding like a heavier GRAND FUNK RAILROAD or maybe URIAH HEEP) while Zlatko and his background singers sing in quite the GRAND FUNK style. There's a little Gentle Giant and Thin Lizzy in the instrumental passage between the first vocal section and the second. The vocal excellence really rises to the top in the second vocal section, even successfully transforming to monastery- like male choir in the fifth minute. Nice doubled-up synth solo in the sixth minute. The stylistic switch at the end of the seventh minute into a more high-powered-blues-rock motif--for Kornelije's piano solo--is awesome. Then the softer synth and organ-founded motif over which Zltako's voice sings so tenderly is equally impressive. Pulsing bass at the austere nine-minute mark gradually form into another dramatic motif: where Zlatko's URIAH HEEP-like treated voice performs as if from a cage. This culminates in a rising pitch bridge to a more cruising rock motif over which Kornelije returns to his bluesy piano soloing--during which the music is slowly faded out over the course of about 25 seconds. Though, again, this is not particularly my favorite kind of musical style--even in the prog rock form it is in--I cannot help but admire and appreciate the skill and maturity it took to put this together and perform it so flawlessly. (18/20)

Total Time 40:13

Considering that this band's 1972 debut album was only the fourth full-length studio album released in Yugoslavia of a rock band, the production here (in 1974) is incredible. The band had had six or seven years to work together before the recording of this album and it shows in both the skill level of the musicians but also in the sophistication of the compositions. The fact of the band's desire to make its mark in both the radio-friendly pop culture and the more instrumentally-lauded world of progressive rock music is also markedly present here.

A-/five stars; though I would never call this music "Jazz-Rock Fusion" I am over-the-moon impressed with every aspect of it. Quite entertaining (theatric) and excellent progressive rock music. Highly recommended for any and all progheads--especially if you like the spirit and styles of prog's "Classic Era" best.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to BrufordFreak
• Report this review (#3181426)
• Buy KORNI GRUPA (KORNELYANS) music online with PA partners
• Show all KORNI GRUPA (KORNELYANS) MP3/Stream
• Go to KORNI GRUPA (KORNELYANS) page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Kornelyans: Not an Ordinary Life page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for KORNI GRUPA (KORNELYANS) related discussions