BETONSKA BRANA

In the early 1980s, Indexi struggled to function as a cohesive band. Since all members had other, more stable jobs (the instrumentalists were on the payroll of RTV Sarajevo, and Davor Popovic owned a cafe in addition to singing), they would only occasionally gather for special performances at pop music festivals. They rarely recorded new material, and their discography inevitably neared its end. At that time, singles, as Indexi's primary phonographic format, gradually lost significance in Yugoslavia, with albums and audio cassettes largely dominating the market. Nevertheless, in 1981, Indexi recorded a new single for Jugoton. This was to be their last vinyl record for the Zagreb- based label, and overall, their penultimate, twenty-sixth 7-inch record of their career. It was released on April 13, 1981 (the vinyl master was cut on April 2). The record brings two compositions previously performed at festivals, and during this period, they also changed a keyboardist. Instead of Neno Jurin, who was serving in the military, Sinan Alimanovic joined Indexi as his replacement. Nowadays esteemed as an excellent jazz pianist and composer, Sinan's first tenure with Indexi was short-lived, lasting only until Neno's return to civilian life. However, he would rejoin the group much later, in 1997, and remain a reliable member until the band's dissolution in 2001. Besides him, the lineup on this single consisted of the standard members: guitarist Bodo Kovacevic, bassist Fadil Redzic, drummer Djordje Kisic, and vocalist Davor.

The single's cover features a photograph showing the members of Indexi posing with a Suzuki GS 1000S motorcycle. Since the 1950s, motorcycles have been inextricably linked to rock and roll, forming an indispensable part of the "rocker lifestyle" iconography in popular culture. However, in this case, appearances are certainly deceiving, because if you thought Indexi recorded a rock single in their mid-life age, you were sorely mistaken! Moreover, it's one of Indexi's most non-rock releases ever! As someone who most appreciates their rock output until 1973, I must admit that upon first listen, these songs didn't particularly impress me. They are lighter, slower- tempo songs, ballad-type, where the rhythm section is significantly muted, and the electric guitar is almost absent. So, there's nothing of the typical rock sound. Both tracks are dominated by acoustic guitar, electric piano, orchestral strings, and female choral backing vocals. They aren't even classic pop-hits with dynamic rhythms and catchy choruses, but rather slow and boring easy listening songs that are so undemanding they can always be played in the background while reading the newspaper (or, as one would say today, while scrolling through Facebook). So much for the first impression. However, it often takes multiple listens to some music to discover its many layers, interesting details, and the beauty of an occasional solo instrument, all of which are missed on the first listen. What becomes apparent after just a second or third listen are the amazing arrangements and the extremely clean and sophisticated production by Fadil (who in those years was increasingly appearing as a music producer for many Sarajevo bands). Indexi, of course, had always paid attention to meticulously composed instrumental parts and superb performance, but on this record, it all sounds somehow better and clearer than before. Studio production likely played a role in this. Although I haven't found reliable sources, I assume the single was recorded in a Zagreb studio that serves Jugoton.

In "Betonska brana" (Concrete Dam), jointly composed by Bodo and Sinan with lyrics by Vlado Dijak (known as the lyricist of Bijelo Dugme's famous "Selma"), Davor's gentle vocals are accompanied by, in addition to the instruments mentioned above, a strong bass and organ, while soulful backing vocals complement a saxophone, an instrument rarely heard in Indexi's work. The instrumental bridge brings something of the pop-jazz-soul atmosphere of Steely Dan (especially from their esteemed albums "Aja" and "Gaucho"), with an effective bluesy guitar lick from Bodo, and the overall style of the track also evokes "blue-eyed soul" crooner Michael McDonald (an occasional member of the aforementioned band). For this excellent arrangement, Sinan also received the first prize at the "Vas slager sezone '81" festival, where the song was performed in early April. "Da l' oblak zna" (Does the Cloud Know?) is Fadil's song, arranged by Ranko Rihtman for a festival performance at "Opatija '81" during March 1981. It is similar in style to the previous track, but here, the slide guitar stands out, as does Davor's singing in an uncharacteristically high register bordering on falsetto, and a wonderful soprano saxophone solo. Only the choral backing vocals with somewhat more pronounced gospel influences in intonation are not quite to my taste, as they occasionally sound too cheesy. All in all, at the end of their discographic career, when it comes to vinyl records with original recordings, Indexi released a very good single of light and sophisticated music (at the time usually called "adult-oriented") that significantly deviates from their recognizable style, which can only be a recommendation to the more devoted listener, even if the prog-rock stylings of earlier Indexi are sorely missing.

PA rating: 3/5 Personal rating: 3,5/5

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