U VREćI ZA SPAVANJE

"U Vreci Za Spavanje" (1980) and "Tako" (1975) are two great reissues from the Brazilian label Rock Symphony, a label that have reissued many forgotten jewels before such as ALPHA III, FRAGIL, MALIBRAN, and new releases with HADDAD and TEMPUS FUGIT.

- TAKO are something as unusual as a Yugoslavian jazz-rock and symphonic progressive rock band. The band was put together in 1975 and the band's name means "this way". Between 1975 and their split up in 1981 they released two classical albums: "Tako" (1975) and "U Vréci Za Spavanje" (1980).

- In my opinion the 70's were the heydays for progressive rock, and TAKO have all the ingredients that makes these releases worth owning. They were a 70's band, their sound is very 70's oriented, the cover is so wonderful 70's and the music is complex with lengthy instrumental passages. TAKO's music is a mix between CAMEL, FOCUS, FOCUS, JETHRO TULL, OZRIC TENTACLES, PINK FLOYD and SOLARIS.

- I strongly recommend you to buy these two albums if you're into 70's progressive rock. This is how progressive rock sounded long before today's progressive metal.

From the times of divided Europe, Yugoslavian band TAKO shows a mixture of jazz, CAMEL and PINK FLOYD instrumental music, always fine and melodic. PF influences are very notorious at the first track (it begins like "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"), including sweet flutes and nostalgic Mellotron (this one generously used). In the next themes, some jazzy moments and -eventually- powerful guitar riffs will be added, but TAKO's music is essentially based in nice melodies and harmonies (CAMEL influences), giving to the listener a melancholic sensation and, at the same time, some majestic feeling. I heard this magnificent album several times, and I found just one difficult: It was impossible to say "positively, this track is better than another". Maybe the first cut "U Vreci Za Spavanje" and the long epic "Price O Leni" are standing out, but all tracks, including both bonus, are highlights. Highly recommended.

Excellent symphonic prog from Yugoslavia in a musical approach not unlike Germany's ELOY in many ways. TAKO blend loads of great analog space keyboard atmospheres with great e-guitar and bass/drum interplay. Lovers of PINK FLOYD's "Wish You Were Here" will also drool over "U Vreci Za Spavanje" which delves into FLOYD's backyard as well. This essential album is a milestone in the Yugo-prog chapter and would rank as one of my personal favs from this region of all time. A great album from start to finish.

"U vreci za spavanje" (Eng. "In The Sleeping Bag") is the second and the last album of TAKO, released in 1980 by PGP RTB label. It is an all-instrumental work, done with more ambition and seemingly more serious planning.

The title track is sort of "new age" ambient easy piece with nice flute/recorder solo, carrying the atmosphere of certain Andreas Vollenweider's albums of the 1980s. "Senke proslosti" starts with furious MAHAVISHNU-like guitar frenzy, melting slowly into a dark and eerie bass/synth section. "Na putu ka sebi" is another fusion-style composition with nice solo parts of guitar, piano and synths. "Price o Leni" is the longest track on the album, running at almost 10 minutes, but it seems that "Lena", whoever she was, is not a good inspiration for TAKO. After the so-so namesake song on the first album, here we have at times brilliant moments with some folksy melodies, but often some dull and repetitive themes played more with technical virtuosity than with heart. "Dolina leptira" is a nice odd- time track with chimes, piano and acoustic and electric guitars, somewhat reminiscent of CAMEL. "Igra devojcice" is a short closing number similar to previous "Minijatura" from the debut in that it reminds again of JETHRO TULL due to a flute solo, but there is also a harmonica part added here. Given that the only two vocal songs from the debut were in my opinion among the best, it seems to me that the all-instrumental concept on this one was not the best solution - some nicely composed vocal parts would add a bit of variety.

In time of its release in autumn 1980, Yugoslavia saw the outbreak of New Wave music movement, which did not welcome the "old-fashioned" progressive rockers. I remember some negative reviews in the renowned music magazine "Dzuboks" that, modelled on the NME trend setting, denounced TAKO as "lost in space and time" or something like that. I never saw this album in reality on the market and I imagine it was printed in very small circulation copies. TAKO disbanded soon after this commercial failure. In spite of this, "U vreci za spavanje" is a worthy prog album that should be listened and perhaps the foreign (non-South Slavic) prog fans would not mind lacking of vocal parts like I do, because this way there is no language barrier.

Mix Animals-era Floyd with a harder, Finch-like edge.

Quite enjoyable instrumental symphonic progressive. In what must have been a joke the first track nearly plagiarizes the opening of Shine On You Crazy Diamond before the album finds its own sound. I can hear influences of Floyd and similar 70s acts and perhaps an early moment in the neo-prog sound. Tako eventually differentiates from the Floyd by having much more blazing lead guitar than the mellow beauty of Gilmour's playing. Tako's guitarist perhaps is more like Finch in places, or even approaches metalish sounding leads when he's on a roll.

After the little Shine On opening, the drums and flutes kick in and we begin. The overall speed of songs ranges from slow and dreamy to breakneck rock. Miroslav Dukic is able to play like Gilmour when he chooses to as in "In the Sleeping Bag" but I think he prefers more flash. One thing that might annoy some of you is that Tako seems to like the "fade out" over the definitive ending with every track ending in a fade-out. "Shadows of the Past" features a battle of heavy riffing and wild keyboards until a break in the middle where the guitar falls away and the bass soldiers on. "Hords of Peace" is another guitar-fest with layered leads in places and more nice keys. The 10-minute long "Stories About Lena" was not interesting enough to warrant all the time in my opinion. "Valley of Butterflies" fares better with booming bass and inspired lead guitar. "Nothing Lost" begins and ends in a driving flurry that would make Rush proud with a calm eye in the middle of the storm.

Tako is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. While I enjoy the guitar I have to round down because I believe there is not enough variety in the composition. Too many of the songs sound of similar pace and emotional level.

The Rock Symphony reissued cd sounds great and features a band bio. Interestingly they place the two bonus tracks in with the rest of the album tracks rather than tagging them at the end. The album was recorded in Belgrade in 1980.

Should you seek out Tako? Well, I think if you like Finch's "Galleons of Passion" or the thought of a harder edged instrumental "Wish You Were Here" then you just might like this. They do most definitely rock.and seem to enjoy it!

TAKO's second and final album is a step up from the debut in my opinion.They've changed to a much more spacey style with PINK FLOYD and ELOY coming to mind quite often.This is an all instrumental affair.

"U Vreci Za Spavande" is very spacey and FLOYD-like. Drums and flute join in around 3 minutes as the spacey synths continue. "Senke Proslosti" has these bombastic outbursts until it settles in before a minute. Ripping guitar after 1 1/2 minutes. Some crazy synths 2 1/2 minutes in as the heaviness continues. A beautiful calm after 3 minutes with synths. It then builds with synths out front bringing ELOY to mind. "Na Putu Ka Sebi" rocks out early with guitar, bass and drums. It settles with piano, drums and guitar 1 1/2 minutes in.The guitar starts to solo before 2 1/2 minutes then the synths flood in and dominate.The guitar is back after 4 minutes.

"Horde Mira" opens with piano, then the drums join in as it builds slowly.The guitar starts to solo after 2 minutes and later before 4 1/2 minutes for extended periods. "Price O Leni" starts out with piano but a heavy soundscape takes over quickly. Lots of synths too. A change 6 minutes in as the spacey atmosphere leaves and piano and a beat take over. It's spacey again late. "Dolina Leptira" is a short piece with piano, guitar and a beat. "Izgubljeno Nista" is led by guitar from the get go. Nice. It does settles after 1 1/2 minutes with flute then it kicks back in before 3 minutes with guitar. "Igra Devojcice" has this nice mellow sound with flute as the heaviness comes and goes. Sounds like harmonica 1 1/2 minutes in.

I felt the debut was barely 4 stars but this one is a solid 4 stars and recommended to fans of spacey music.