On a completely unrelated topic, I’ve found myself thinking of YU Rock lately—that is, Yugoslav rock, which has a wonderful history from the late sixities up through the dissolution of what we all once called “Yugoslavia”.
Given my personal links to the region, I’ve listened to a fair amount of it—the good and the bad—and even referenced one of the classic seventies bands, Leb i Sol (Bread and Salt) in Liberation Movements.
While it certainly helps to have someone next to you who can translate choice lyrics, the best of it needs no translation for enjoyment. If you’re interested in getting some kind of familiarity yourself, one way to start is to track down a copy of the seminal New Wave film from 1989, Kako Je Propao Rokenrol (The Fall of Rock and Roll; or, How Rock and Roll Died/Was Destroyed). The film itself is probably not easy to track down, but pieces can be found on YouTube. It’s a nice catalog of the kinds of rock music going on at that time—again, the good and the less than good—but there a few standout bands represented in its surrealistic, episodic storylines. Elektricni orgazam, Idoli, and Disciplina kicme (now known as Disciplin A Kitschme) all contribute some great songs, though the latter’s opening track, “Zeleni Zub” (Green Tooth) has always been my personal favorite. Its simple horn loop will stay with you for days.
So in lieu of any real blog topic to talk about, I’m giving you a Friday dose of “Zeleni Zub,” a song you’ve probably not heard before, which opens the film. It’s in two parts. The first shows you a bit of Green Tooth at home, and the second part gets around to showing you why he’s a superhero all the kids can dig (he gets them out of trouble when they don’t buy their tram tickets). Set your film criticism aside and just enjoy the wackiness.
(Originally posted at the Contemporary Nomad)