ANTHOLOGY

Double disc "Anthology" set is probably the best recapitulation of the entire LEB I SOL career, thus making it a good first-purchase for novices. However, prog purists will notice too many tracks from the later albums of the pop-mainstream period, notably taken from "Kao kakao", including perhaps the worst song LEB I SOL ever written - "Autoput", at the expense of brutally under-represented "Infinity" (only two tracks). On the other hand, first two albums - fusion masterpieces - are fairly enough included, so if you can spare a few bucks more and this is your first LEB I SOL purchase, then go for it! If you don't like their pop period of the late 1980s and would like to restrict a collection to pure fusion highlights of their first four albums, then a single disc "Devetka" compilation is your preferred choice. Three stars for "Anthology".

Probably one of the best compilations ever!

Why? Well, it's difficult to make a decent compilation of one band's work; there's always something wrong with the selection. LEB I SOL's "Anthology" represent excellent vivisection of band's career: Disk 1 contains their 70's (progressive) period, and Disk 2 their 80's (pop rock) period. We can argue about selection of their 70's work - something is always missing ("Pesma O Sonji H", "Hogar"), but however, it's proudly representing band's catalogue from the 70's at its best. I have no complaints about the Disk 2, almost everything that stands up from the 80's catalogue (quality-wise) is presented here. Actually, I always had an impression that their 80s work is much weaker, pop-oriented and commercial. Don't get me wrong, that is true to some extent, but this compilation denies the fact that their 80's works are not worth investigating. Actually, they were much better (and proggier if you want) than many big and famous rock bands and their works in the eighties.

I heard that all the (old) tracks were re-recorded for this compilation, but I am not sure is it true or not. If it is, the sound is literally indistinguishable from the originals - including the keyboards. But maybe I just understood wrong, the tracks were probably just re-mastered (old originals were suffering of poor audio quality).

What can I say more? This is an excellent compilation of an excellent band. Get it, you won't regret it.