Bezdan

Bezdan označava početak nove, vatrenije ere Balaševića. Dok su prethodni albumi bili poetski, sa manje-više šaljivim karakterom i ponekim slabim, niskim udarcem, za Bezdan bi se moglo reći da je jugoslovenski „diss“ album osamdesetih. Voljeni kantautor napada političare, kriminalce, oportuniste, svirače narodnjaka, splačine od javnih orkestara, a ipak nalazi mjesta da ubaci i emotivne balade koje su zaštitni znak Balaševićevog zvuka.

„Ne lomite mi bagrenje“ je pjesma koja je možda najpoznatija koju je Balašević napisao, i svakako jedna od najemotivnijih. Njena simbolika prevazilazi konkretan kontekst (jer se Balašević u devedesetim nije ustručavao govoriti i protiv svog naroda, pa i onih koje je veličao ovom pjesmom) i govori o osjećaju nepravde, o krhkosti života i zajednice, o tome kako se rušenjem stabla ruši i dio čovjekove intime. Iako su se tokom godina vodile rasprave o njenom značenju, pjesma je ostala univerzalna metafora otpora i bola. Retrospektivno, ona pokazuje da je Balašević uvijek stajao na strani pravde i ljudskosti, a ne ideologije — i upravo zato ostaje bezvremenska.

S ovim albumom, Balaševićeva slava i popularnost dostižu novi nivo. Neki ga smatraju njegovim najboljim albumom, jer kombinuje emociju i vatru, osjećanja koja i danas odjekuju republikama bivše Jugoslavije. To je sasvim opravdano, jer Bezdan zaista jeste jedno od njegovih najboljih ostvarenja, koje bi trebalo da se nađe na većini top lista.
__________________________________________________
Bezdan marks the beginning of a new, more fiery era for Balašević. While his earlier albums were poetic, with a more or less humorous character and the occasional weak jab, Bezdan could be described as the Yugoslav “diss” album of the eighties. The beloved singer-songwriter takes aim at politicians, criminals, opportunists, folk performers, the mediocrity of public orchestras, and yet still finds room to include emotional ballads that remain the hallmark of Balašević’s sound.

“Ne lomite mi bagrenje” (“Do Not Break My Locust Trees”) is perhaps the most famous song Balašević ever wrote, and certainly one of the most emotional. Its symbolism transcends the specific context (since in the nineties Balašević did not hesitate to speak out even against his own people, including those he once praised through this song) and speaks of injustice, of the fragility of life and community, of how the felling of a tree also destroys part of a person’s inner world. Although debates about its meaning have continued over the years, the song has remained a universal metaphor for resistance and pain. In retrospect, it shows that Balašević always stood on the side of justice and humanity, not ideology, and that is precisely why it remains timeless.

With this album, Balašević’s fame and popularity reached a new level. Some consider it his finest work, because it combines emotion and fire, feelings that still resonate across the republics of the former Yugoslavia. That view is entirely justified, for Bezdan truly stands as one of his greatest achievements, a record that deserves a place on most top lists.