Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Brecelj, Marko
Label: Nika Records
Released: 1974
Running time: 57:29
Rating: 4.5/5
Marko Brecelj, ironic and razor-sharp satirist, chronicler of Slovenian small-town life and the most striking icon of the traditionally obscure homegrown progressive rock movement, released his cult solo debut »Cocktail« in 1974. Even on release it was a groundbreaking achievement across the late, lamented common country ‘from Triglav to the Vardar’. Marko recorded »Cocktail« together with composer, conductor and arranger Bojan Adamič, while at the same time he was already preparing the ground, along with guitarist/vocalist Boris Bele and their friends, for the birth of the legendary band Buldožer.
Nika Records reissued »Cocktail« a year after its fortieth anniversary and added bonus tracks, mostly taken from Marko’s later singles »Svaki čovjek ima svoj blues« (1975), which he recorded with Buldožer, and the solo ventures »Parada« (1981) and the LP »Svinjam dijamante« (1985), recorded with his band of the time, Marjanov čudni zajec. Even the »Cocktail« cover itself was revolutionary: a lab mouse floating in a minty, refreshing drink, which was a proper provocation for those days. Luckily, the republic’s censors, who normally loved to punish that kind of ‘disturbing’ stuff, missed it. Marko’s lyrics were a class of their own right from the early days of his musical career, especially when it comes to humor and the barbs of social satire, even though most of the poetry on »Cocktail« was still fairly innocent compared with some of the later, far more socially provocative Buldožer escapades.
Besides singing and playing acoustic guitar, Marko wrote all the music and lyrics, and on individual »Cocktail« tracks he kneaded together a very wide range of influences, from blues, jazz and folk to the avant-garde. That’s why even today his singer-songwriter debut is impossible to ‘pigeonhole’ into a single genre. The closest comparison is the avant-rock/RIO scene of the time, though a comparison with the great Frank Zappa isn’t an exaggeration either, especially when Mr. Brecelj wanders into the territory of the grotesque, satire and the absurd. The opening track »Samo prave stvari« catches Marko, already one of our best vocal chameleons back then, in his most romantic, atmospheric moment, with gorgeous symphonic-jazz arrangements under the baton of Mr. Adamič adding to the charm.
»Črni Peter«, which deals with the pitfalls of various forms of card-playing addiction, has a mischievous pulse, where Marko’s cheeky vocal delivery blends perfectly with pleasant pastoral arrangements. The jazzy burlesque »Škandal v Rdečem baru« has a heaping gallon of atmospheric melody and black humor, built around lyrics about a murder that gives a local bar a bad name. The bluesy-rock trickster »Hiškar Rogač«, where cheerful harmonica echoes over hand claps while we follow a close encounter between Hiškar Rogač the snail and Sivko Krempljač the dog, was written by Marko together with his future Buldožer partner in crime, bassist Andrej Veble. He recorded it with some other members of Sedem svetlobnih let, the band from which Buldožer later emerged, so it’s no surprise that stylistically it already echoes some of the early work of that cult band.
The folk satire »Požar«, about the typical Slovenian habit of passing the buck to others, is full of mischievous mockery, with taunting wind arrangements nestling in perfectly. The hit »Duša in jaz« was a somewhat more commercially minded effort that earned Marko an award and a few weeks at the top of the domestic pop charts back then, even though he insists to this day that the version he sang for the Murska Sobota festival was much better. Marko personally was never too thrilled with this success, and it ended up on »Cocktail« against his will. »Alojz valček« is without doubt the most notorious track on »Cocktail«, and over the years it has even become an anthem of Slovenian (well, to be precise, Ljubljana) physics students. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics about a ‘master for the mafia’ and a ‘man without mercy’ refer to Professor Alojz ‘Podret’ Kodre, who ‘made sure’ Marko failed his mathematical physics exam. He was a point and a half short of a passing grade, and that was the end of his student days. Thanks to Kodre’s ‘merit’, Brecelj ‘hung up’ his technical physics studies and devoted himself fully to music and social activism instead. »Časopis« is full of nonchalant sarcasm aimed at the typical apathy of everyday Slovenian life, while »Gozd« closes the regular part of the album in a dreamy, melancholic and almost moving way.
The additional tracks are a real treat for the ears too, since most of them were made after Marko left Buldožer, which means you can hear an even sharper satirical edge in them. The nostalgic »Rastemo«, originally released on the Buldožer single »Svaki čovjek ima svoj blues«, could easily pass for »Cocktail« material in terms of approach. The hugely entertaining stylistic hybrid »Tri ženske«, where Marko aims satirical barbs at typical Slovenian small-town life in brilliant lyrics, thrives on lively, orchestral-pastoral arrangements. »Cavallo da corsa« has a few lines in Italian and, according to Marko, was released for the sake of Slavko F. Furlan.
»Stonesi spoznajo moje stare starše«, about a fictional visit by the Rolling Stones to the home of Marko’s parents, wasn’t originally released on »Cocktail« but on the LP »Svinjam dijamante« by Marjanov čudni zajec, yet in style and atmosphere it fits the album perfectly. The ‘punkish’ single »Parada« was important because it reportedly boosted Marko’s creative confidence after the split with Buldožer and his return to the singer-songwriter scene. The mocking yet short grotesques »Majmuni« and »Trotoari« sound like ‘forgotten’ Buldožer tracks and recall some of the most ‘mischievous’ exploits directed by one of our most innovative and gifted musical artists.
More than four decades on, Brecelj’s »Cocktail« remains a classic of the Slovenian progressive rock scene, one you usually aren’t supposed to talk about out loud in public these days unless you want to risk odd looks and the ‘black sheep’ label. »Cocktail« was in many ways the cornerstone of the early Buldožer albums with Brecelj on lead vocals, so every fan of the Yugoslav/Slovenian prog rock scene knows exactly how important it is. On top of that, even in the early stage of his colorful and picturesque musical career, Marko proved to be a hugely gifted composer, lyricist and talented singer, so it really wasn’t surprising that with Buldožer he briefly achieved fine artistic successes that seemed almost unimaginable at the time. Sadly, a similar tough guy who could poke at Slovenian everyday life in such a witty, lucid, sharp and fun way, and so brilliantly mock all kinds of social nonsense, has yet to turn up anywhere in our homeland to this day.
Lineup
Marko Brecelj – vocals, guitar
Bojan Adamič – orchestral arrangements, conductor
Production
Marko Brecelj
Tracklist
1. Same prave stvari
2. Crni Peter
3. Škandal v Rdečem baru
4. Hiskar Rogac
5. Požar
6. Dusa in jaz
7. Alojz valček
8. Časopis
9. Gozd
Bonus tracks:
10. Rastemo
11. Tri ženske
12. Cavallo da corsa
13. Stonesi spoznajo moje stare starše
14. Parada
15. Majmuni
16. Trotoari
Photo Gallery
