Review Summary: One of those rare Yugoslavian prog bands. One of the better albums made in the Eastern European countries.
“Tako” is the eponymous debut studio album of Tako and was released in 1978. The line up on the album is Miroslav Dukic, Djordje Ilijin, Dusan Cucuz and Slobodan Felekatovic.
Tako was a Yugoslavian progressive rock band formed in 1974. Tako is something unusual as a Yugoslavian jazz-rock and symphonic progressive rock band formed in those years. Those were years of difficult times to the progressive rock music in ex-Yugoslavia. Between 1974 and their split up in 1981, the band released two classic progressive rock albums, their eponymous debut album “Tako” in 1978 and their second studio album “U Vréci Za Spavanje” in 1980.
They’re from Belgrade and are perhaps next to Igra Staklenih Perli, also from Belgrade, the most famous progressive rock band from the former Yugoslavia. Their two albums “Tako” and “U Vreci Za Spavanje” were for a long time next to the first eponymous debut studio album of Igra Staklenih Perli the rarest and most sought album of the Yugoslav’s progressive rock. A few years ago, both Tako albums were re-released on CD by the Brazilian Rock Symphony label.
The band was formed in 1974 by Dusan “Dule” Cucuz (bass guitar), Djordje Ilijin (keyboards), Sava Bojic (guitar and vocals) and Milan “Mica Zorz” Lolic (drums). Initially, beside their own songs, they performed Jimi Hendrix Experience and Santana covers. During 1975, they made their first demo recordings in Radio Belgrade studios. In 1977, guitarist and singer Miroslav Dukic and drummer Slobodan Felekatovic replaced Bojic and Lolic. They became an opening band on a Bijelo Dugme tour. In 1977, Tako and the prog acoustic rock band S Vremena Na Vreme organized a concert in Belgrade. Tako had a successful appearance at the 1978 Novi Sad Boom Festival. The band released their self-titled debut in 1978. It featured prog with some jazzy influences. The album was promoted on a free concert at Kalemegdan.
Tako is purely a prog rock band. Spherical keyboard carpets are a source of inspiration from Pink Floyd, touches of distinctive heavy riffs stand for the aforementioned British rock tradition in the wake of Deep Purple & Co., while the band’s remembers the tingling fusion variation of the 70’s in time honored jazz rock outfits. Tako have united on their debut album these three stylistic cornerstones to a really worth listening of Symphonic Rock, which can offer not only elegiac sound surfaces but also pungent rock inlays, which at times do not stop at discreet fusion outings. The music on “Tako” is clearly attributed to the classic prog rock era of the 70’s. The “exotic” origin is recognizable only on vocals. Dominant instrument is the guitar. Sometimes even electric piano is in the foreground and provides for slight jazzy influences. A few beautiful flute inserts are also available. Especially with “Minijatura” it becomes apparent that the name of Jethro Tull was not unknown even in Yugoslavia. But that doesn’t mean that Tako was a pure clone of the British prog rock bands, even though that the influence of other genre greats such as Pink Floyd is always audible.
“Probudi Se” is a great piece that sounds good. It’s a spacey track with a good tune and an excellent vocal work. It sounds a bit like Pink Floyd and Eloy, which isn’t a strange thing. “Sinteza” is more into the jazz-rock style with some nice piano parts. It’s an excellent track, really energetic. It has some nice piano parts and the strange blues like harmonica section adds to the track a special feeling. “Utapanje Sunceve Svetlosti Pescanu Memoriju” is a spacey piece where the band goes through several changes. It’s a complex track well played by electric piano, guitar and drums. This is an interesting piece with several different parts, fiery interplays and multiple breaks. It has a nice vocal section too. “Lena” is an easy instrumental piece dominated by flute. It’s one of the most emotional and dramatic tracks on the album. “Minijatura” is the shortest track on the album. It’s another flute dominated piece, which brings to my mind Jethro Tull. This is a piece with some strong classical leanings. “Druga Strana Mene” is the epic track on the album. This is the centerpiece of the album. It’s very spacey and incorporates diverse influences from the classic prog with several parts combined. The composition is tight and well built, resulting in a great and thrilling inspired piece.
Conclusion: “Tako” is a classic prog rock album. This is a very good album very well played and without weak tracks. The instrumentation, vision and execution on the album are really great. It represents a very nice surprise for me that confirm all the good things I’ve heard about it. This is one of the greatest albums released in the East Europe when those countries were more or less separated of the rest of the world. When I heard this album it comes to my memory some of the greatest prog names, such as, Pink Floyd, Camel, Jethro Tull, Ozric Tentacles, Tangerine Dream and even the classical music of the Baroque period. So, this is a very good and interesting proposal. This is definitely one of the better albums by the Eastern European standards, at the time. It isn’t a masterpiece but it’s good enough to be checked.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
