SVE OVE GODINE (MC JUGOTON)

This is the second Jugoton compilation of INDEXI and it was released in 1981 in the cassette-tape format only. The opening track "Sve ove godine" ("All These Years"), a big hit from 1972, gave the title to this collection, but it was also to be frequently used for many subsequent compilation albums of INDEXI, making thus a huge difficulty to the fans and collectors who cannot easily follow the discography titles.

The first half (A-side of the tape) contains five well-known classics taken from the first Jugoton LP "Indexi" (1974); heavy-prog anthems "Da sam ja netko" ("If I Were The One"), "Svijet u kojem zivim" ("The World I'm Living In") and "Plima" ("The Tide"), acoustic-prog ballad with catchy popular chorus theme "Sanjam" ("I'm Dreaming") and the title track with famous lyrics penned by singer/songwriter and crooner Kemal Monteno about a young girl chasing an older guy: "She would trade all these years/For one night stand/But she will never get me/Because I have another woman waiting for me". Of course, the phrase "all these years" was later used to refer to the longevity of the band (formed in 1962) and to invoke their persistence.

B-side carries another five tracks, which present the latter-day, more vocal pop and easy listening career of the band in late 1970s. "Predaj se srce" ("Surrender My Heart") won the first prize at "Vas slager sezone '73" pop festival in Sarajevo and this song actually marked the shift in musical direction from progressive rock to soft rock and easy listening pop music. This song, along with "Pozovi me na kafu" ("Invite Me For a Cup of Coffee"), are nothing but pure schlager tunes, totally embarrassing for prog ears. Still, being excellent rock musicians even on commercial pop songs, INDEXI often included awesome instrumental pieces and unusual arrangements of guitars and keyboards, while Redzić's bass led the themes in an unexpected way. This is the case with the remaining three songs. "Pokazi mi dlan" ("Show Me Your Palm") begins with high-power heavy guitar riffs while "Samo jednom" ("Only Once") as a gentle symphonic ballad, but both transform into strong pop songs. "310 poljubaca" ("310 Kisses") is another festival-style schlager with amazing solo bass intro in the best prog tradition.

"Sve ove godine" is interesting collection representing the diverse music of INDEXI as released on Jugoton singles during the period 1971-79. This compilation was reissued on CD in 1994 with the same title and expanded to 16 tracks.

PERSONAL RATING: 3,5/5

P.A. RATING: 3/5