JURICA PADJEN & AERODROM: LIVE AT TVORNICA - HITOVI I LEGENDE

This live set subtitled "Hits and Legends" was recorded at Zagreb's club "Tvornica" and presents AERODROM as a strong concert group. Bandleader Jurica Padjen is accompanied by second guitarist Ivan Havidic, bassist/vocalist Tomislav Sojat and, as a guest, drummer/vocalist Boris Leiner of AZRA fame. The repertory consists of their well-known hits from across their 40 years career along with several covers of their Zagreb companion bands FILM, AZRA, PARNI VALJAK and HAUSTOR, which were enormous hits all over ex Yugoslavia during the 1980s. Among these, excellent renditions of AZRA songs "Usne vrele Visnje" ("Lily of the West" cover) and "A sta da radim" are the best sounding. Also rewarding listen is a sped-up ska version of HAUSTOR's "Moja prva ljubav". Padjen's own material is fairly performed, to say the least, although none songs from their prog-inclined debut album were included. There is an extended 6,5 minute version of "Obicna ljubavna pjesma" that could have been excellent without Padjen's unnecessary rapping instead of singing. Overall, this is a good live rock (not prog!) album that should have ended after the 15th track. "Suzama" is quite a boring semi-ballad, while two following studio bonus tracks do not add anything valid to the set. MY RATING: 3/5