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AERODROM

Prog Related • Yugoslavia


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Aerodrom biography
AERODROM (English: "Airport") was formed in 1978 by guitarist, vocalist and composer Jura Pađen who previously worked with several important bands from Zagreb music scene (HOBO, GRUPA 220, PARNI VALJAK...). The idea was to create a Yugoslavian version of a typical symphonic progressive rock band in the vein of YES and GENESIS.

To that end, after successful live appearances at Novi Sad BOOM Festival and supporting BIJELO DUGME later on, AERODROM recorded debut album "Kad misli mi vrludaju" in 1979, which was produced by renowned guitarist Vedran Bozic (ex TIME). The original line-up included lead vocalist and percussionist Zlatan Zivkovic, bassist Remo Krstanovic-Cartagine, keyboardist Mladen Krajnik and drummer Paolo Sfeci.

Starting from the second album "Tango bango" onwards, the group however changed style and, influenced by New Wave scene, developed a commercially successful mainstream pop-rock expression, which only occasionally contained some neo-prog-crossover elements. Personnel also frequently changed having Pađen as the only original member to participate in all albums to date.
After the fifth album "Trojica u mraku" AERODROM disbanded in 1987, while Pađen joined AZRA and later formed his own short-lived PAĐEN BAND. In 2000 he re-formed AERODROM with old budies Zivkovic and Krajnik. The come-back album "Na travi" was released in 2001.

Debut album "Kad misli mi vrludaju" (English: "When My Mind Flies By") is highly recommended because it is a rare prog rock album in former Yugoslavia that was made on the strict symphonic rock template (although lacking the lengthy compositions), following the style of YES.

by Sead S. Fetahagić



Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
Debut album is important contribution to symphonic prog rock.



Discography:

1. "Kad misli mi vrludaju", studio album (1979)
2. "Tango bango", studio album (1981)
3. "Obične ljubavne pjesme", studio album (1982)
4. "Dukat i pribadače", studio album (1984)
5. "Trojica u mraku", studio album (1986)
6. "Flash Back 1979.-1986.", compilation (1996)
7. "Na travi", studio album (2001)

AERODROM Videos (YouTube and more)


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AERODROM discography


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AERODROM top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.62 | 16 ratings
Kad misli mi vrludaju
1979
3.13 | 4 ratings
Tango Bango
1981
2.11 | 6 ratings
Obične ljubavne pjesme
1982
1.27 | 3 ratings
Dukat i pribadače
1984
2.18 | 3 ratings
Trojica u mraku
1986
3.10 | 2 ratings
Na Travi
2001
3.09 | 3 ratings
Rock @ Roll (as Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom)
2007
4.00 | 1 ratings
Jurica Paden & Aerodrom - Taktika Noja
2012
4.00 | 1 ratings
Jurica Paden & Aerodrom - Dnevni Rituali
2019

AERODROM Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.10 | 2 ratings
Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom: Live at Tvornica - Hitovi I Legende
2009

AERODROM Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

AERODROM Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.00 | 1 ratings
Flash Back (15 Originalnih Hitova 1979-86)
1996
4.00 | 1 ratings
Ultimate Collection (as Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom)
2008

AERODROM Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 1 ratings
Kad misli mi vrludaju
1980
4.00 | 1 ratings
Stavi pravu stvar
1981

AERODROM Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom: Live at Tvornica - Hitovi I Legende by AERODROM album cover Live, 2009
3.10 | 2 ratings

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Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom: Live at Tvornica - Hitovi I Legende
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars 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
 Trojica u mraku by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1986
2.18 | 3 ratings

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Trojica u mraku
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Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

2 stars AERODROM continued working as a trio on their fifth album "Trojica u mraku" (The Trio in the Dark) released in 1986. This time however the position of a drummer was filled by the returnee Zlatan 'ivković, who also shared some lead vocals duties. The album was titled after a comic book title by one of early pioneers of comic art in former Kingdom of Yugoslavia before the WW2, Andrija Maurović. After a cheap pop flop of the previous album, "Trojica" sounds as a welcome return to new wave-tinged pop-rock expression of the second album. Alas, this again proves that despite competent instrumental skills, guitarist-leader Jurica Pađen struggles to write more than 2-3 decent songs. Also on this album it is easy to compare his lead vocal with 'ivković's and all the results should go in favour of the latter, so it leaves one to wonder why Pađen did not leave more vocals to 'ivković to handle.

Out of ten songs, only two stand out. The closing track "Pozdrav s Bardo ravni" (Greetings From Bardo Fields) is arguably the best and the only one containing traces of prog rock. It is a nice prog ballad with lots of acoustic guitars, keyboard backing and a fine sax solo. It is the reason why any prog fan should give this album a spin. The opener "Vatra je na nebu" (Fire in the Sky) is an excellent hard rocker with odd time signatures and strong singing by 'ivković. There are also two semi-decent tracks. The one containing silly English lines "eat a [&*!#], how it tastes so good" is actually a fine power pop resembling their fellow Zagreb new wave champions AZRA, with whom Pađen was to collaborate after this album. And the ballad sung by 'ivković "Pogre'an dan" (The Wrong Day), with a bluesy bridge is also nice. All other tracks contain too generic and undistinguished songwriting while some like "Metar vina" (Plenty of Wine) are downright awful. All in all, it is hard to recommend this album, especially to prog lovers. MY RATING: 2,5

 Rock @ Roll (as Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom) by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 2007
3.09 | 3 ratings

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Rock @ Roll (as Jurica Padjen & Aerodrom)
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars The seventh studio album by AERODROM is much more consistent effort than its predecessor "Na travi". This time around Jura Padjen remained the only member from the original line-up hence the album "Rock At Roll" was billed under the tag JURICA PADJEN & AERODROM. Besides the bassist T. Sojat, who appeared also on the previous album, Slavko Pintaric-Pista (known for his work with teen-pop mega-sellers SREBRNA KRILA in the 1980s) now also joined on drums.

Unlike the previous album, "Rock At Roll" brings a collection of 12 shorter songs in a kind of radio-friendly pop format. Most of them sport a "good ol' time" rock drive though, sometimes reminiscent of a refreshed version of their New Wave-contextualized "power pop" of the second album "Tango Bango", with occasional hints of Americana/country rock and "adult alternative" guitar-based sound. The closer "Fait Accompli" is a re-recorded version of an old song that Padjen composed for his former collaborator from AZRA, Branimir Stulic Johnny, for his solo album "Balkanska Rapsodija" in 1989.

Listening of this album runs smoothly due to surprisingly well-produced material with a very compact sound, where none of the tracks stand out particularly but most are well-crafted. Some lyrics try to offer a kind of social commentary that is not always effective (a humorist pun on 9/11 attacks in "Osama" may sound a bit banal), but the album overall presents a solid effort, although slightly less engaging than the previous album. Still, this is a good, unpretentious rock for occasional background or car drive listening. Personal rating: 2,75/5.

 Na Travi by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.10 | 2 ratings

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Na Travi
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars "On The Grass" is the sixth studio album by AERODROM. It appeared after a 15-years hiatus during which time the leader Jurica Padjen was engaged with the celebrated Yugo New Wave rockers AZRA and his own short-lived PADJEN BAND. "Na travi" makes a sort of reunion with the original vocalist and percussionist Zlatan Zivkovic and keyboardist Mladen Krajnik, while this is the first album without the original bassist, and long-time the only constant member along with Padjen, Remo Krstanovic Cartagine, who has been replaced by Tomislav Sojat.

After a string of commercial mainstream pop albums during the 1980s, we are here faced with a return to their (prog) rock roots, presumably under the influence of two aforementioned returnees. This is a solid album that calls for repeated listening although the material is not very consistent throughout and varies in quality.

The highest points are concentrated in the middle and at the end of the album. The former are present in the tracks: "Nebo ce uz tebe stati" ("The Skies Will Stand By Your Side"), "Ne gledaj u pod" ("Don't Look At The Floor") and "Za Juliju car" ("Emperor For Julia"), all running longer than 5 minutes each, and having a nice laid back sound of soft rock crossing over to "neo-prog" or adult contemporary rock, with lots of nice keyboard and guitar solo parts and melodic hooks. The latter moments end the album with excellent Zivkovic-sung "Bistra voda" ("Clear Water"), containing slow tempo acoustic guitar sounds and arrangement close to country rock, and similarly sounding "Badnja noc" ("Christmas Night") that segues in a prog rock manner into a closing "Christmas Jam" instrumental.

Unfortunately the remaining songs are not on par with the mentioned highlights, rambling around the unconvincing and generic pop rock formats with some unnecessary reliance on blockbuster hits from the past - listen to the leading ROXETTE-like guitar riff in an aptly titled "Kakva zabava" ("What A Party"). Still, although making no full blown return to the dated YES-like style of the debut album, "Na travi" was a nice surprise for me and, PA rating notwithstanding, will deserve my personal evaluation at 3,5/5.

 Dukat i pribadače by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1984
1.27 | 3 ratings

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Dukat i pribadače
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

1 stars The fourth album saw AERODROM further reduced to a trio (with leader Padjen and bassist Cartagine remaining as the only original members), while the music continued down the slope into a banal and cheap pop.

A notable pop songwriter and leader of NOVI FOSILI ("Yugoslav ABBA") Rajko Dujmic was hired as producer, arranger and keyboardist for this album titled "A Ducat And Pins", and his hand is all over the place, but his pop genius somehow did not apply well to the former rock band, apart from obvious commercial potential of two major hit songs. Almost all rock traces now disappear and we are running into a light-weight entertainment music (schlager) that was highly commercial in Yugoslavia of the period.

Dalmatian-style schlager tickling the theme of south Italian mafioso family falling apart "Fratello" and a nice love ballad "24 sata dnevno" ("24 Hours A Day") were smash hits, but all that remains is unremarkable silly pop with not much inventive and often banal lyrics. It is hard to recommend this album to anyone remotely interested in any style of prog rock. (Personal rating 2,25)

 Obične ljubavne pjesme by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1982
2.11 | 6 ratings

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Obične ljubavne pjesme
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

2 stars For the third album, AERODROM changed the line-up. Lead vocalist Zivkovic and keyboardist Krajnik left the group, while Zoran Kras joined on keyboards, thus reducing the band to a quartet. The more important though was the continuing change of style into the mainstream pop sound.

The title "Ordinary Love Songs" suggests the "light" pop content and most of the tracks follow that path. It is not even the "pop" side of the new wave, as witnessed on the previous album, but it's more of a blend between a watered down synthpop (drum machines and omnipresent synth keyboards) and a danceable beats of new romanticism (prominent bass, r'n'b hooks, occasional saxophone effects), that would dominate the mid-80s. So, if you don't mind a crisp production (done in Sweden by the Yugoslav expatriate Tihomir Varga) of a highly mashed pop material marred by the contemporary influences of PRINCE, HUMAN LEAGUE, TALKING HEADS and ASIA, you may find this album occasionally listenable.

Beside the opening title track that was a major hit back then in Yugoslavia, "Sutra bit ce bolje" ("It Will Be Better Tomorrow") - a nice melodic and atmospheric new wave-ish song with strong bass and nice guitar and organ solo - and "Stranac" ("The Stranger") - a slow tempo track with good melody, acoustic guitars and somewhat progressive traces in the keyboard solo parts - are standing out. (Personal rating 2,70)

 Kad misli mi vrludaju by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1979
3.62 | 16 ratings

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Kad misli mi vrludaju
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by maryes

4 stars Hear this disk went to me a beautiful surprise . Actually in "Kad misli mi vrludaju" (1979) the band AERODROM, presents a sound that although it cannot be compared to pearls of the progressive of the European east with for instance KORNELYANS "Not an Ordinary Life" (their compatriots), at least it shows an effort in the sense of approximating of the progressive classic, mainly in the line of YES & GENESIS and some others with smaller intensity (as for instance in the track 1 "Kad misli mi vrludaju" that reminds a lot of Latin bands like SUI GENERIS or .LA MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS, or still as in the track 3 "Vrati if, Ivane" that brings a rhythm close to the ragtime with some similarity with QUEEN). However, in the remaining tracks the sound if is not very complex , it presents beautiful keyboard and guitar arrangements as for instance in the track 4 "Pusti neka it wears" (one of the best moments of the disk) and the track 6 "Kraj tebe u tami." Besides I detach the musicians quality, all excellent . My rate is 4 stars!!!
 Tango Bango by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.13 | 4 ratings

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Tango Bango
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars The second AERODROM album "Tango Bango" appeared right during the New Wave Boom in Yugoslavia 1981. In order to gain larger audience, and having learnt lessons from the previous album, it was necessary to abandon some, if not all, prog elements from their music. The result was a huge success.

The album kick starts with two great hits - an erotically seductive dance rock "Stavi pravu stvar" (En. "Put your right stuff into the right place and do it often") and an excellent power rock ballad "Tvoje lice" (En. "Your Face"). These two songs remain among their best songwriting examples up to date.

"Dobro se zabavljaj" (En. "Have Some Real Fun") contains obligatory ska/power pop rhythmic structures with fiery guitar riffs and melodic bass hook, providing another hit single. Legions of Yugoslav teenage youth used to party 'till the morning hours with songs like this. "I live for women and I live for rock music and vices" yells Zivković in another catchy pop/rock tune "Rock i porok" (En. "Rock and Vices"), while "Nudistička plaza" (En. "The Nudist Beach") contains the call for the girls to "take down your panties"!

After the enormous hit potentials and speedy tempo of almost entire first side of the vinyl, the second part provides a needed break in the form of two instrumentals. The first is energetic ska improvisation of "Aerodrom" while the second "Mordorea" still retains slight instrumental prog elements (expanded keyboards and guitar sounds) along with the next track aptly titled "Mijenjam se" (En. "I Undergo Changes").

Sex and party is back again in reggae-rhythmic patterns of "Djevojke" (En. "Girls"), when all the gang, finally exhausted of 24-hours non-stop dance-craze, drops into "Monotonija" (En. "Monotony"), a surprising post-punk psychedelia reminiscent of GANG OF FOUR or early SIMPLE MINDS!

"Tango Bango" is not a progressive rock album. It is a powerful, energetic rock and roll statement full of confidence and emotions. Judging it as a whole, and having in mind its purpose in the mainstream New Wave scene in former Yugoslavia - a highly productive artistic and rock'n'roll movement - it appears to be even better record than the commercially unsuccessful prog debut. It remains probably the best album of AERODROM.

PERSONAL RATING: 4/5

P.A. RATING: 3/5

 Kad misli mi vrludaju by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1979
3.62 | 16 ratings

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Kad misli mi vrludaju
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by Seyo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars AERODROM's debut (En. "When My Mind Flies By"), apart from recalling the similar RARE BIRD's title, has seemingly one serious flaw - disposition in time! Had it been released around 1974-75 it would probably have been a groundbreaking effort in prog rock scene in former Yugoslavia. In this way, showing up during the outburst of New Wave music scene looks like an unbelievable musical time machine.

That said, it is still a good album. Musical performance is strong even if lacking the technical virtuosity of musicians, a tenet so akin to prog genre as a whole. The strongest points have to be the excellent Jon Anderson-like tenor of Zlatan Zivković (whose first job was actually a drummer!), and overall songwriting and production. Jura Pađen as a leading composer and competent guitarist did not want to engage too much in the soloing territory and perhaps he was right, but what he does in certain moments, like in Hackett-styled sustained solo in "Pusti neka traje" (En. "Let It Be") or "Sareni kolači" (En. "Coloured Cakes"), is very good.

Amazingly, this album contained a huge hit single, the title track, which did not help the album sales, paradoxically. The single was a smash hit - the album much less so. Obvious explanation is that it differs from the rest of the songs on the album - the title track is a concise, strong melody and chorus- laden rock song with radio play potentials, which cannot be said for other compositions.

On one side one cannot help but brag about a "half-cooked" product, not sufficiently devised compositions, not very original ideas and restrained development of epic song structures, even if we neglect a poor PR and audience targeting. "Vrati se Ivane" (En. "Come Back, Ivan") with its honky- tonks leaning is outright poor and totally out of place. On the other, "Kad misli mi vrludaju" is one of very few Yugoslavian albums that follow a "genre-orthodoxy" and can easily, without hesitation, be qualified under the tag of "symphonic prog rock", as defined by prog giants YES and GENESIS. Other albums that came close to this definition were KORNI GRUPA's "Not an Ordinary Life" and INDEXI's "Modra rijeka" but they were released earlier. In the best moments - "Nestala dobrota" (En. "The Kindness Lost"), "Pusti neka traje" and "Kraj tebe u tami" (En. "Beside You In The Darkness") - AERODROM shows decent prog capabilities that would unfortunately be largely dismissed in their later career.

Jura Pađen continued to pursue a commercial, new wave/pop rock and mainstream path after this album, so this all makes "Kad misli mi vrludaju" even more interesting piece of work to check out.

As a personal note, I should mention that my first rock concert attendance was actually AERODROM around 1980, after this album has been released, so I have pleasant memories for this period.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,5/5

P.A. RATING: 4/5

 Obične ljubavne pjesme by AERODROM album cover Studio Album, 1982
2.11 | 6 ratings

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Obične ljubavne pjesme
Aerodrom Prog Related

Review by clarke2001
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

2 stars AERODROM. The band that went from prog to new wave. This is the record from the new wave period and it should be avoided at all costs.

Because there is no new wave music inside.

The album contains mostly of crappy tracks that are pure pop suitable only for 12 years old. When it's not dull, it's cheesy. It's not even a good pop, it's more like a 80's-prototype of what will became known as entertaining music in Yugoslavia, and I don't have a stomach to describe it.

The album opens nicely with Strauss' 'Blue Danube' waltz played on dreamy synth and then bass driven beat is riding us deep into the pop territories.

The opening track Obična Ljubavna Pjesma (An Ordinary Love Song - the title of the album means the same in plural) was (luckily!) the only hit single from the album, and it really stands out of the pile, even if it's just plain pop, it's catchy and decent.

Aside from that, there are a few moments saving he album from the absolute disaster; interestingly they all have a traces of prog varying from very, very, very watered down particles of YES or GENESIS (circa 'Entangled'), a moment or two of ELP's honky tonk piano and yet another plag...ehm, borrowed chord progression too similar to Led Zeppelin's song...guess which one.

Yep, nothing too spectacular. These three tracks (aside the opening track, the hit) are 'Snovi (Dreams) and 'Kad Je Sa Mnom Kvari Sve' ([S]he Spoils Everything While [S]he's With Me). The third track is another love ballad, 'Stranac' (Stranger), acoustic ballad with nice layered flute and hand percussions. It's far from demanding and certainly not very original, but it tickles my ears.

So, we have a catchy hit, a lovely ballad, and two somewhat interesting pop tracks with distant traces of prog, and everything else that could be described as rubbish.

Perhaps that decent song or two could be squeezed on some decent compilation. Because the album is not recommended.

Thanks to seyo for the artist addition.

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