TAKO

Tako was a Yugoslavian progressive rock band formed in 1974, in the days when Yugoslavia was a Communist country. Despite the clear differences between Yugoslavia and the other European Eastern Countries, Yugoslavia was a Communist country that always pretended to be more open and democratic to promote and encourage West World to expand its economy via a growing tourist industry. There was a side effect that leaded to a proliferation in music and in the arts in general. But, naturally, with such a state as Yugoslavia, it was essentially bands that we can call "safe" that made it and got albums made. However, there are few exceptions such as the prog bands Tako and Igra Staklenih Perli.

Tako's history began when the first line up of the band Opus broken up. Bassist Dusan Cucuz and multi- instrumentalist Djordje Ilijin invited guitarist Sava Bojic and drummer Milan Lolic. This becomes the first line up of Tako. In 1975, they had the opportunity to share the stage with a lot of famous bands of Belgrade. In 1976 the guitarist and the drummer left the band. So, a new guitarist Miroslav Dukic and a new drummer Slobodan Felekatovic joined the band. After a very good performance at the Belgrade Summer Festival, Tako played in front of an audience of 100,000 people at an open-air concert with other local bands. This brought them to record their eponymous debut studio album "Tako" in 1978. In 1980, Tako decided to record a second studio album, "U Vreci Za Spavanje". But, those were times of punk and new wave and both albums went unnoticed. After a proposal of reissue both albums, the band got the first master tapes, they already had the second, and Rock Symphony, a Brazilian record prog label, decided to reissue the albums in 1997.

Tako's second and final album is, in my humble opinion, a step up from their debut. They've changed their music to a much more spacey style with Pink Floyd and Eloy coming to my mind quite often. But, unlike their debut that has some vocals in their native language, "U Vreci Za Spavanje" is an instrumental album. It's almost a perfect example of one of my personal favourite styles of prog rock. That of what we can call symphonic fusion. It's quite simply instrumental progressive rock, but heavy on melody and tricky compositions. Each individual track can be appreciated entirely on its own, without having to worry about its sequence within the album. The guitarist plays in a decidedly rough manner, a type of psychedelic hard rock sound. The keyboards are vintage, a sound that one expects to hear for the style. The fact that Tako keeps the album interesting throughout each minute is a testament to how strong they were as a true unit.

Their overall sound is centered on a synthesizer played by a character named Djordje Ilijin. Miroslav Dukic's electric guitars play behind him and play quite symphonic music, sometimes with a hard rock, perhaps because of the solos of roaring synths and electric guitars, and sometimes with the smell of a certain pomp rock. But, like the so called second class symphonic prog bands, they never sound like a consistent hum or keyboard. The performance of these four members is very stable overall, and the performance of each member can be also considered to be quite good, really.

The title track opens with elegiac synth pads in the tradition of Pink Floyd, with the brilliant harmony of the synth sound and the flute. "Senke Proslosti" has a heavy bass performance. I really dig the heavy guitar riff with the spacey synth in the backdrop. "Na Putu Ka Sebi" also starts similar as the previous track. It's another fusion-style composition with nice solo parts of guitar, piano and synths. In the balladesque "Horde Mira", slightly pearling piano sounds enhance the wide-walled symphonic rock practiced here. With the following lengthy "Price O Leni" the mix of majestic keyboards and razor-sharp guitar riffs is taken to extremes. Unleashed power riffs and elegantly transfigured key aesthetics leave a lasting impression here and can set every bombastic friend in ecstasy. "Dolina Leptira" is a beautiful track with a nice guitar melody, majestic riffs, synth jamming and a piano solo in odd time signature. "Izgubljeno Nista" is a bonus track. That is led by guitar from the get go. It alternates between the fast heavy passages and the spacey parts. "Igra Devojcice", is a short track in the usual change of powerful pomp and dreamy romance. It closes the album pleasantly.

Conclusion: With their second and last album, Tako was able to perfect their style of spherical prog rock and offered purely instrumental compositions, which graze in an elaborate sound. I have listened before some works of several Eastern European bloc groups, but I haven't heard anything comparable to their works, really. It's obvious that this is a very good work, compared to any Western European works. The album has a perfection feel and its space is more spacey than their debut album, released in 1978. It's a dramatic dismal symphonic rock that at some times, despite the differences, reminds me the French symphonic prog band Angel. The song is filled with a variety of colors. It's highly recommended for those who are looking for more things from the psychedelic prog with an interesting twist coming from a rather exotic corner of the globe. Unluckily, this is another album unnoticed in the West behind the iron curtain.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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 that country. Between 1974 and their split up in 1981 Tako released two classic progressive rock albums, their eponymous debut studio album 'Tako' in 1978 and their second studio album 'U Vr'ci Za Spavanje' in 1980.

Tako from Belgrade was perhaps next to Igra Staklenih Perli, also formed in Belgrade, the most famous progressive rock act 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.

Tako 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, the band performed Jimi Hendrix Experience and Santana covers. During 1975, they made their first demo recordings in the Radio Belgrade studios. In 1977, guitarist and singer Miroslav Dukic and drummer Slobodan Felekatovic replaced Bojic and Lolic. Tako became an opening band on a Bijelo Dugme tour. In 1977, Tako and the progressive 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 album in 1978. It featured prog music with some jazz influences. The album was promoted on a free concert.

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 honoured 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 don't 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. The dominant instrument is the guitar. Sometimes even electric piano is in the foreground and provides for slight jazz 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.

'Tako' has six tracks. The first track 'Probudi Se' (Wake Up) is a marvellous piece that sounds really good. It's a very spacey track with a good tune and an excellent vocal work. It sounds to me a bit like Pink Floyd and Eloy, which isn't a strange thing to me, really. The second track 'Sinteza' (Synthesis) 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 very special feeling, indeed. The third track 'Utapanje Sunceve Svetlosti Pescanu Memoriju' (Merging Sunlight Into The Memory Of Sand) is a spacey piece where the band goes through several changes. It's a complex track very well played by electric piano, guitar and drums. This is a very interesting piece with several different parts, fiery interplays and some multiple breaks. It has a nice vocal section too. The fourth track 'Lena' is an easy instrumental piece dominated by flute. It's one of the most emotional and dramatic tracks on the album. All band's members made an excellent work here. The fifth track 'Minijatura' (Miniature) 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 very strong classical leanings. The sixth track 'Druga Strana Mene' (Second Side Of Me) is the epic track on the album. This is the centrepiece of the album. It's very spacey and incorporates diverse influences from the classic prog with several parts combined. The composition is very tight and well built, resulting to a magnificent and thrilling piece of inspired music.

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 to me that confirms 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 is great enough to be checked.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Tako originated from the former Jugoslavia. Today they would be categorized as Serbian. That means that the vocals are sung in their native tongue. To me that is a great plus, though I understand practically nothing of what they are singing. I think it holds little significance, even though I love to understand a good lyric. If I had the urge I could make the content out by way of google and what not but I haven't come to that as yet. The vocals are decent enough and brings yet another level to the music.

The opening track, "Probudi se", is a very spacey thing indeed. I hear elements of Eloy and Solaris but it is hard to say who did it first. Solaris was not yet in their existence, as far as I know, and Eloy wasn't quite there yet but still they are relevant as to give a hint of the music on this album. "Sinteza" is a very jazzy, fusion-like track and fantastic. Really energetic. I hear echoes of Jazz Q in their rockier moments. Great stuff. The bluesy harmonica adds to the music too.

"Utapanje..." is a spacey piece, again, but with a very complex riff played by electric piano, guitar and drums. Very good track and there is a section of vocals aswell. The song "Lena" is instrumental and the flute makes it very Solaris-y. Dreamy, beautiful and engaging. "Minijatura" is a lovely, flute driven thing reminding of early Jethro Tull. (It is amazing, I sometimes think, how certain bands stands as blueprint for certain genres or musical directions. Like Jethro Tull and flute in a bluesy, folky, hard rock and prog setting.)

The epic "Druga strana mene" is really the centerpiece of the album. Spacey, diverse and with several parts combined it is a majestic piece of music. I think it is absolutely magnificent. The greatest thing about it is that it never gets boring. All through it's 16 minutes I feel committed and engaged, submerged in the music.

Terrific!

Takos first album really is one of the greatest albums from behind the Wall and shows just how talented and visionary some of the bands actually were. Despite the regimes and their censorship they managed to create not only great music but also and foremost some of the most enthralling albums of prog. I think this album is an essential listening experience, just as with Modry Efekt and SBB and other greats. The instrumentation, vision and execution on this album is top notch.

This is easily four stars.

This one is definitely among the best Classic Prog LP's to ever come out from Eastern Europe with a fantastic sound and a variety of influences.The opening ''Probudi se'' is a marvellous piece of vocal-led Space Rock with nice deep synth work, but the following ''Sinteza'' is even better with its unique Symphonic/Jazz/Space Rock sound, somewhere between the electric piano approach of RETURN TO FOREVER and the melodic delicacy of CAMEL with occasional heavy interplays and even some harmonica solo.Things will get even more heavier with ''Utapanje sunceve svetlosti u pescanu memoriju''.Fiery interplays and multiple breaks scan the territory of Heavy Italian-styled Prog in the vein of MUSEO ROSENBACH and the Canterbury Fusion style of CAMEL and NATIONAL HEALTH, fantastic performance to say the least.''Lena'' is the most emotional and dramatic track of the album.A pounding low-tempo rhythm section supports Ilijin's deep synths, piano and organ and Dukic'es FOCUS-like emotional guitar soloing, while the middle-part flute solo is among the best I've heard.The short instrumental ''Minijatura'' follows the vein of OSANNA/JETHRO TULL with flute in evidence and having strong Classical leanings.And we head for the 16-min. ''Druga strana mene'' (the other side of myself) and its perfect sound.Incorporating influences from Classical Prog, Jazz/Fusion, flute-based Prog and Space Rock, Tako manage to offer one of the better epics I've heard in a long time.The composition is extremely tight and well-built around symphonic synths, jazzy interludes, Classical breaks, driving flutes, emotional guitars and spacey floating atmospheres, resulting to a magnificent and thrilling piece of inspired music.

The end of this listening will find you simply stunned.This is the best Serbian Prog release of all times,a work of sheer beauty, deep inspiration and great complexity with all arrangements reaching the perfection.A must have for ages and, of course, extremely highly recommended.

"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.

"Probudi Se" sounds really good early on as we get a lazy beat and a dreamy sound as vocals join in. It does get fuller. Check out the guitar letting it rip before 2 minutes when the vocals stop. More of that guitar later.Good tune. "Sinteza" opens with piano, drums and guitar standing out. Guitar to the fore after 1 1/2 minutes and it's almost Gilmour-like but not quite.The sound changes 3 minutes in as we get some scorching harmonica. "Utapanse Sunceve Svetlosti U Pescanu Memoriju" has these outbursts of sound that come and go. Check out the drumming after 2 minutes.Then the guitar starts to lead. Nice. Keyboards before 3 1/2 minutes then the guitar returns after 4 minutes. Vocals a minute later. "Lena" opens with piano, drums then guitar. Flute after 1 1/2 minutes. It's the guitar's turn before 3 minutes. Flute is back after 4 minutes.

"Minijatura" opens with flute and a beat.It picks up before a minute then settles back late. "Druga Strana Mene" is the 16 1/2 minute epic. It has this bombastic intro then it kicks into gear before a minute. A nice heavy sound here, then the synths roll in. Some spirited flute comes and goes. A calm before 3 1/2 minutes then the guitar starts to make some noise after 4 minutes. The flute takes over with spacey synths and a beat. A change after 7 1/2 minutes which reminds me of Oldfield. Another change after 11 minutes with prominant piano. Organ and flute create a melancholic mood late. "Put Na Jug" has lots going on early. Piano a minute in then it settles to a spacey soundscape. Vocals join in and it picks up with guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. Nice. The piano is back replacing the guitar late.

I wasn't blown away by this album by any means but there's enough here to give it 4 stars I believe.

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!