Igra Staklenih Perli ~ Serbia

Soft Explosion Live (1978 / 1991)

Next up in the albums I haven't heard in decades comes Igra Staklenih Perli's first album to be released to a wider audience. In fact this was my personal first exposure to this great band from Serbia. By the time this archival album was released, Igra Staklenih Perli's reputation had hit the underground record collector community by storm. And finding original product back then was seemingly impossible (not near as difficult today).

Soft Explosion is a live concert released one year before their debut and the music ties very closely to that album. About half of this album is entirely new material whereas the other half is mostly improvised and still sounds unique. It must have been exhilarating to see this concert real time in Belgrade, though as we were to learn during the 90s, the Yugoslavian rock scene was more advanced than most of Eastern Europe during the 70s. The quality of the source cassette tape is more than fine. If you didn't know any better, you might think you found an unreleased 1969 tape of Pink Floyd from the Paradiso in Amsterdam.

I didn't realize until today, as I relisten to this some 30+ years since, that they repressed the album two years later with a different running order and an additional five minutes of material. In both cases, they used the same album cover, which has the incorrect track order.

Ownership: 1991 Kalemegdan (LP). With typed booklet giving the history of the band plus the label owner's personal journey with Yugoslavian rock music in general.

1993 (acquired); 8/11/25 (review)

Igra Staklenih Perli (1979)

---2009

Along with Group 1850, Igra Staklenih Perli were the best group to emulate and expand upon Pink Floyd's sound from their Careful with That Axe Eugene / Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun days. Trippy, spacey,... a psychedelic dream. For me, the pinnacle of musical achievement from the former Yugoslavia.

---1/24/24

Yep. That. Such an interesting album in that the band really studied and absorbed Ummagumma's album #1. Some folks call out Hawkwind, and even King Crimson, but I don't personally hear it. Maybe the first track has a bit of Hawkwind. Otherwise, this is live Pink Floyd 1968 to 1970 all the way. Also curiously they sing in English. One would think the Authorities would have taken a dim view of that. Maybe they all got high while listening to it, and didn't notice? Anyway, between this, their next studio album, and all three archival releases, ISP proved to be a wonder from the place and era. Timeless as they get.

Ownership: 

1979 RTB (LP)

2007 PGP RTS (CD) with Vrt Svetlosti. Tri-fold digipak, with embossed lettering, and full liner notes in Serbian.

4//96 (acquired); 2009 (review); 1/23/24 (update)

Vrt Svetlosti (1980)

Igra Staklenih Perli's second album "Garden Light" takes their sound from 'Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun' all the way forward to... 'Echoes'. So they were a full decade behind - just the way we like it!

The music here is more streamlined and upbeat, but it's essentially still zonked out of its mind. One could see this as a legitimate Krautrock release from 1971, without any other data at your disposal. Psychedelic guitar, cosmic - and at times crazed - vocals, and heavily phased organ define this psychotic work. Without a doubt, Serbia's finest rock group from the Yugoslavia era.

Ownership: 

1980 PGP RTB (LP). Blue label.

2007 PGP RTS (CD) with their debut album.

1995 (acquired); 2009; 7/7/15 (review); 4/4/18

Other albums I own and need to review: Inner Flow; Drives

7/7/15 (new entry)