KARAVAN

"Caravan" is the title of the 9th studio album of GALIJA, released in 1994. It is a double-disc set containing 18 songs recorded with producer Sasa Habić at Cyprus. Sound and production is excellent, crystal-clear mainstream rock sound that is very accessible even at first listen. In the meantime, GALIJA again witnessed several personnel changes: Dragutin Jakovljević had replaced J.J. Roscam on lead guitar back in 1991, while new keyboardist and bassist, Oliver Jezdić and Bratislav Milosević respectively, were added for this album. Although Radoman Kanjevac, the main author of the previous "Trilogy" albums, was still member of the group, Predrag Milosavljević penned most of the songs on "Karavan", so the former decided to part his way upon the album release.

A double album is always a big challenge even for bands much greater than GALIJA, so it is no surprise that many of the songs here sound as fillers. To be sure, the whole album is pleasant enough to be heard repeatedly, but the music lacks originality and firm "progressive" attitude. Again, we can use a worn-out phrase saying that this could have been a very good single-disc album because there are several very nice musical ideas, particularly in the first half of the set.

"Ja sam sam" ("I'm Alone") with its jazzy bass rhythm, harmonica, atmospheric synthesizers and sustained guitar solo; a slow dark ballad "Dodirni me" ("Touch Me") with melodic chords, flute solo and radio-friendly chorus, acoustic ballad "Ja nisam odavde" ("I Don't Belong Here") performed in a Neil Young style along with harmonica; electric piano, organ and guitar blues licks in the soul-structured "Zivot je lep" ("Life Is Good") ; instrumental title track with dark, odd time signature containing folk and symphonic influences with floating keyboards (a la Tony Banks) along with the following "Narode moj" ("My People") that sounds like coming from a SIMPLE MINDS album - these songs are good enough to be recommended for general prog audience. Guest player Dragan Jovanović (ex GENERACIJA 5) contributed nicely with acoustic guitar on many of these songs.

Unfortunately the remaining material is less worthy and is uninspired Adult-Oriented-Rock. Again and again we can hear "borrowed" themes - "Ne idi" ("Don't Go") is a copy of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" by LED ZEPPELIN, while the second part of "Uzalud se trudis" ("You Try in Vain") has a section very similar to PINK FLOYD's "Hey You"! The more worrying issue is that GALIJA, despite confident authorship and vocals by Milosavljević brothers and competent instrumentalist background, was still unable to devise their own original recognisable sound and style.

In this period GALIJA was often accused by rock media and the opposition press in Serbia that they acted as the political establishment rock band, supporting the rallies of the authoritarian regime of Slobodan Milosević. Indeed, the fact they recorded "Karavan" at Cyprus throws a shadow of doubt if one recalls that in this period Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (consisting of Serbia and Montenegro) was under international sanctions due to the war in former Yugoslav republics, and that Cyprus offered Milosević and his ruling elite the opportunity to use their banks for dubious economic and financial channels in order to break the sanctions.

Politics aside, and regarding the fact that "Karavan" does not contain any explicit political message (apart from lyrical references to the unfortunate destiny of SFRY), it must be said it is a decent, good album within the confines of mainstream, neo-prog, AOR.

PERSONAL RATING: 3/5

P.A. RATING: 3/5