NASE DOBA/STO JE PRAZAN CITAV SVIJET

The second EP of the renowned Yugoslav/Bosnian band was released in September 1967, following major changes in their line-up. The previous ensemble, known primarily for their instrumental renditions of the Shadows hits, split up during 1965-66, leaving only drummer Đ. Kisić, guitarist and founder I. Arnautalić and vocalist D. Popović in the fold. They were joined by ex-Lutalice lead guitarist S. A. Kovačević and bassist F. Red?ić. The five-piece Indexi, temporarily without a keyboard player, began to rely on their own, original songwriting, instead of the then customary practice among Yugoslav bands of copying and translating the Western pop hits.

This record contains four tracks recorded in the period from October 1966 to June 1967. The title track "Na?e doba" (Our Days) opening the A-side of the vinyl is the most recent, being recorded in early June 1967. Penned by I. Arnautalić, the song starts in a typical beat style along with Beatlesque harmony vocals arranged by newcomer K. Kovač, who had just joined the band as keyboardist before its recording session. The sound of the guitar in the background is enriched with a tasty fuzz effect. However, the bridge is done using studio manipulations such as randomised "avant-garde" piano playing and especially reversed tapes, showing the influence of contemporary psychedelic experiments. During the bridge, a short spoken word section of a local Sarajevo theatre actor is intermixed thus representing the voice of the older generation who is reluctant to accept the novelties of the youth but benevolently thinks "nobody should prevent them from doing that, for it is a part of being young". In a way, "Na?e doba" was the Yugoslav answer to the Who's "My Generation", a universal concept of lack of understanding between generations. Rock critics of the Yugoslav music magazine D?uboks praised the song and only noticed a minor technical inconsistency during the mixing of the above tape experiment.

"Za?to je prazan čitav svijet" ("Why Is the Whole World So Blank?") continues in a fashion atypical for beat music. Recorded in late December 1966, in time when the Beatles started recording sessions for their seminal "Sgt. Pepper" album, it was composed by S.A. Kovačević on the lyrics written by N. Borota, another Sarajevo's music enthusiast later famous for fusing Balkan folk with pop with his own Kaman na kamen project. The song is of unusual structure (at least for contemporary Yugoslav pop music) and varied time signatures. Short introduction on acoustic guitar is in odd time, the verse is in even time, while the chorus is in both, so despite a catchy melody and wonderfully composed harmony vocals, it is not very danceable. Indexi here play with inserting a pause and instrumental bridge having baroque-like feel - slow tempo, acoustic guitar, electric organ, flute-like sounds and high-pitched percussion-like xylophone. Paired with a convincing Popović's vocals singing about romantic daydreaming of a lonely boy, we get a very dark, melancholic and even psychedelic atmosphere, not unlike the style Moody Blues or Zombies were known for. Actively following then-recent developments in popular music production abroad, complete with their vivid-coloured robes visible on the front sleeve as if taken directly from London's Carnaby Street, Indexi were skilful enough to transfer them into their local context, thus creating a strong link between the local Yugoslav beat scene and the growing psychedelic movement in the West.

Opening the flip-side of the record is "Pru?am ruke" ("My Hands Are Reaching Out") which was to become a major hit in Yugoslavia. It was also written by the Kovačević-Borota team and was recorded in February 1967, before its participation at the Yugoslav selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. It was also one of the first pop songs in Yugoslavia for which a video clip was recorded and premiered on TV in late 1966. Done in a lavish arrangement by famous producer and mentor of the band E. Arnautalić, including a symphony orchestra, with strong melody and catchy lyrics, "Pru?am ruke" thus became a symbol of the moment when the young Yugoslav audience started in great numbers singing rock 'n' roll song in the native tongue. This song is often proclaimed one of the most important compositions of the entire Yugoslav pop and rock scene.

Since the whole sound of Indexi in this period was under the strong influence of the Beatles, it was quite proper to include the cover of Lennon-McCartney's "Nowhere Man" to close this excellent EP. It was recorded back in October 1966 and it shows that Indexi are on their turf when it comes to the interpretation of the Fab Four. Actually, I. Arnautalić wrote new Serbo-Croat lyrics, unrelated to the original song, and it was titled "Jednom smo se svađali" (Once We Quarreled). Indexi here stick to their usual romantic love theme, despite the English original suggested more introspective even philosophical musings. Other than that, Indexi are in perfect command of beat style, including well-arranged harmonies.

To sum up, this EP successfully combines progressive tendencies of studio experimentation on the A-side with orchestral pop and beat on the B-side. According to long-time A&R editor of Jugoton record label and prolific author S. ?karica, "Na?e doba" EP by Indexi is one of three most important Yugoslav releases showing potentials of domestic rock'n'roll songwriting issued in 1967. The other two are EPs "Osmijeh" by Grupa 220 and "Sjaj izgubljene ljubavi" by Kameleoni. If you are looking to hear what was the best of Yugoslav beat or early rock sound that surpassed imitating and copying foreign idols, look no further.