GOLD 1+2

The two-volume CD set "Gold" is basically a re-issue of the legendary 4LP box set "Sve ove godine" originally released by INDEXI's home label Diskoton in 1986. While it overlaps to a great extent a subsequent Komuna label collection "Best of Indexi: Sve ove godine 1962-2001", it represents a somewhat better choice of the songs. It is especially more convenient because it is packed in two separate CDs, "Gold 1" and "Gold 2", so an interested listener can choose between the two, which are rather different.

"Gold 1" focuses exclusivly on the classic prog period of INDEXI from 1967-72. First 4 tracks are sort of pscyhedelic-beat songs, much under influence of the BEATLES, with some pioneering folk fusion moments ("Boj na Misaru"). "Jutro ce promijeniti sve" from 1968 is arguably the first real proto-prog rock song in exYugo filled with sounds of organ in the vein of PROCOL HARUM. Much of the remaining songs on the CD is as close as it gets to the GENESIS-style symphonic-progressive rock sound of the era and all the tracks are excellent without exception. Track 8 is a remake (with translated lyrics from English- typical trend of the mid-1960s exYugoslavia) of the classic BEATLES song, while "Hej ti" has some heavy Hammond moments reminiscent of VAN DER GRAAF at times. "Dvojnik" is a sort of extensive jazz/blues fusion, while only "Sanjam" and "Krivac si ti" bear certain pop feel. The most remarkable INDEXI songs of the period, "Negdje na kraju u zatisju" and "Plima", are surely present thus making this CD an essential collection of the best prog moments of the band in one place.

Listening to it I can't help but disobey my personally set "compilation rule", which says - no 5 stars to any compilation, and give it the highest mark. Every serious prog fan should have this in the collection! "Gold 2" is of course another story...