Music:"Lisica" by Josipa Lisac (1982)

Its easy to forget now that besides Zorica Kondža (than vocalist in band "Stijene") and Slađana Milošević, we literary did not have female rock singer whatsoever, except Josipa Lisac who famously preceded them both. This lack of female rock vocalists was felt most acutely during three years Lisac lived in USA and readers of national biggest rock magazine "Džuboks" still consistently voted her as favourite female singer of the year, even though she was absent from the local scene completely. Upon her return Lisac faced some intense backlash and reactions were generally unfavourable, as people assumed she failed to break trough American market - unconcerned, lady and her Pygmalion Karlo Metikoš quickly reasserted their previous positions, even though music scene changed drastically and Lisac appeared anomaly: neither one of the new, angry kids nor member of schlager establishment, she decidedly pursued her own path as the only homegrown rock prima donna.

"Lisica" (affectionate wordplay on her nickname) is sort of back to the basics - when most of her contemporaries already mellowed beyond recognition and left their youthful exuberance behind, Lisac refused to age gracefully and went head on towards harder, aggressive rock using her unrepentant vocal mannerisms. The mammoth, all-star band from celebrated 1973. LP debut "Dnevnik jedne ljubavi" is largely absent here, replaced by just a handful of faithful collaborators (Miroslav Sedak - Benčić, Eduard Matešić, Brane Živković, even Milo Vasić AKA Jasmin Stavros on drums) and the deliberately simple arrangements reflect conscious turn to harsher, younger sounding sound. As usual, Metikoš wrote all the music and old pal Ivica Krajač some clumsily autobiographical lyrics - back in the day when I was still impressionable teenager, I thought it was greatest thing but now in a hindsight her collaborators seem to have been coasting behind diva's charisma: that composer for the first time ever showed signs of conformability ("Noćna ptica" for example, is clearly tailored for radio play) and even go so far as recycling his own 1960s output signalled certain lack of inspiration, while lyrics were only perfunctory (young Alka Vuica will soon bring much needed change). Lisac herself gives 100% and is absolutely committed even if material is perhaps slightly bellow her usual standards (as critics gleefully noted at the time). The revamped image, striking album cover and singers obvious determination swiftly re-established her position as reigning national female rock singer, however lack of competition mean that she was on her own amongst guys and perceived as singular oddity. At the time when recording in celebrated studios of London and Stockholm was big trend, Lisac refused to conform and made her album in local "Tivoli" studio in Ljubljana, with results that adequately served the purpose.