NA LEPEM PRIJAZNI

The band reminds me a bit of 10CC, using established pop styles as a basis for their songs, then adding unusual accoutrements to spice them up. There is also a trace of an Oingo Boingo-like energy as well.

Only Suckidandsee is sung in English. I wish I understood their native language, as I presume that they are having as much fun with the lyrics as they are with the music.

This collection seems to place the more progressive tracks toward the end of the album, and Daljevidi, ninth in the order is the most traditionally progressive song here.

The more I listen to this album, the more I enjoy their obvious delight with the material.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Overall sound of the album is pretty accessible, sometimes rather groovy and funky as well, hence in sales often described under art rock. Vocals suit the music perfectly, it is mostly sung in slovenian language with some ramblings and vast palette of screams and ska singing that goes with the flow, one notable difference being the song "Suckitandsee" which is in english and the chorus of which is on par with controversies BULDOZER sang on their debut ("Take it or leave it, suck it and see, do you do it, and do it to me") which might have got them some attention from the communist so called "trash commission" at the time. The music lingers but sometimes ventures fully in eclectic prog territory, most notably on the instrumental "Ernebjes" or the almost-instrumental "Marginalna Infekcija" ("Marginal Infection") which might give people a GENTLE GIANT feel. Other tracks aren't throwaways either, except the sax-driven hit single "Lisica" ("Fox"), "Cao" or "Medvedove Hruske" which don't do much for me.

Another term that I don't throw around the progressive rock circles usually is that it's fun. Just genuinely fun record, and I think it's a sign of decent music if I keep coming back to it and listening it this often, and that's something I don't do with the established prog masterpieces (I don't have the patience to listen to "Close To The Edge" every time I'm riding on a bus). I might be coming back and changing it to full 4 star rating just for that reason.

In conclusion, this was was as prog as it gets in the 80's in Yugoslavia as all the old dinosaurs have left their golden era and disbanded or entered clumsily in the time of new wave and punk. At this time only the bands IGRA STAKLENIH PERLI and TAKO were still active (only because they started making early 70's space rock in 1979) and there was one more worthy album from the fusionists SMAK in 1981, but there was nothing groundbreaking that would be for the new decade. Even BULDOZER lost their spark at this time, with only DR. SPIRA coming later on with more experimental stuff using new wave as a starting point. Not that I would call NA LEPEM PRIJAZNI to be a trendy band but they don't seem out of place or time and it would have been interesting to hear them develop their style over years with more LP's but it wasn't meant to be, leaving us only with the reunion album more than 20 years later.