Full Track Listing: click titles for lyrics
Cari Amici Soldati            Dear Soldier Friends                  WMA Clip     OGG Clip
Sila                                     The Force
Sredi Bojev                        In The Midst Of The Trouble
Drzava                               The State                                    
Dekret                                Decree                                          WMA Clip     OGG Clip
Mi Kujemo Bodocnost!    We Are Forging The Future!
Brat Moj                             Brother Of Mine
Panorama                          Panorama

NY 1984 - Policijski Hit    NY 1984 - The Police Hit
Prva TV Generacija         The First TV Generation

Der Zivilisation                 The Civilization
L'Homme Arme               The Armed Man                           
One Plus One                  1 + 1

Info:
This is a re-release of Laibach's first official album from 1985 (although recorded earlier in 1983). The tracks have been remastered and re-edited. The album now contains two extra tracks by 300 000 VK and three newer tracks by Strom Und Klang (from an NSK theatre piece called 'The Prayer machine')

Review:
This is the fourth edition of the first official Laibach album. The only clips I had heard before buying this album were some short low quality samples on the Mute website. I imagined this to be a stark, brutal selection of heavy industrial tracks. Since it had been a long time since the release of 'Jesus Christ Superstars' I was starved of new Laibach sounds and so took the plunge and bought this CD. I was not disappointed. Though far more brutal, and industrial than later Laibach albums, the tracks are ominous and inspiring. The vocals are provided by the late Tomas Hostnik (Milan Fras took over after Tomas's death).

My favourite track from the original Laibach tracks is 'Drzava', which leads nicely into the spirit of 'Opus Dei'. I also like the assault of 'Cari Amici Soldati' with its cry to prepare for conflict. 'Brat Moj', which appears in new clothes on the 'Jesus Christ Superstars' album, is just as powerful on this album. The track 'Panorama' is a version of 'Mars Bringer Of War' by Holst of which another version appears on the 'NATO' album called 'NATO'. All of these tracks are better than I had anticipated, and are a vital milestone in Laibach's artistic, musical, and political development.

Of the other tracks on this album, I prefer the three by Strom Und Klang, which I find hard to believe were recorded in 1992-93. They sound very contemporary in both atmosphere and technology. At first I decided not to listen to all of  L'Homme Arme' since it began with 'experimental' type vocals (wailing, yapping, screeching etc.) for which I have always had a cringing dislike. When I did listen to the complete track I was astounded. The track was great. It seems to be a subtle fusion of choral, classical, and jazz!

Worth Buying?
As is usual with Laibach albums, it depends on whether you like this particular type of music or not. It is a 'must have' album for established Laibach fans, but not perhaps the best entry into the world of Laibach. The three new songs are very strong, and beg for more to be released.

Lyrics:

Cari Amici

[Spoken, Italian:]
Cari amici soldati
i tempi della pace
sono
passati!

[English translation: Dear Friends]
Dear soldier friends
the times of peace
are
over!

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Sila

Macht
C'ez nas viharji divjajo. Stuerme wueten ueber uns,
Mesta gorijo in telesa. es brennen Staedte und Menschenkoerper!
Slast nas stresa Lust durchstroemt uns.
Spet se c'es polja Ueber die Fluren lautet
glasijo zvoki nas'e govorice, der Klang unserer Worte wider,
ki nam molitev je in vrisk. die uns Gebet und Jauchzen sind.
Ne, ne dopusti vec', vesoljni bog, O allmaechtiger Gott, lass
da bi nas'a sila potonila, unsere Kraft nie mehr schwinden,
saj je tako brezmejno sladka, mila... denn sie ist so unendlich suess
und lieb...
SLAST NAS STRESA! LUST DURCHSTROEMT UNS!

[English translation: The Force]
Power
Storms rage over us,
cities and human bodies are burning.
Lust flows through us.
Over the land the sound
of our words rings out,
that are to us prayer and exultation. [Not 100% sure about this verse.]
O almighty God, never let
our power fail again,
for it is so endlessly sweet and dear...
LUST FLOWS THROUGH US!

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Sredi Bojev

Inmitten von Kaempfen
Kaks'ni boji! Welche Kaempfe!
Sami tuji boji! Nur fremde Kaempfe!
Sami tuji boji, Nur fremde Kaempfe,
mi pa bi radi bili wir aber wollen
S V O J I ! ! ! DASS ES DIE UNSRIGEN SEIEN!

[English translation: In the midst of struggles]
In The Midst Of Warriors
Such warriors!
Only strange warriors!
Only strange warriors,
but we would like them to be
OURS!

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Drvzava

Drzava skrbi za fizicno vzgojo ljudstva,
posebno mladine, v svrho dviganja narodnega zdravja,
narodne, delovne in obrambne sposobnosti.

Ravna cedalje bolj popustljivo, dopusca se vsa svoboda.
Oblast je pri nas ljudska.

"Mi smo more krvi prolili za bratstvo I jedinstvo nasih naroda:
e, necemo nikome dozvoliti da nam dira ili da nam ruje
iznutra da se rusi to bratstvo I jedinstvo...."

Josip Broz-Tito

OBLAST JE PRI NAS LJUDSKA!

[English translation: The State]
The state is taking care of the protection,
cultivation and exploitation of the forests.

The state is taking care of the physical
education of the nation, especially of the youth,
with the aim of improving the nation's health and national,
working and defensive capability.

Its treatment is becoming more and more indulgent,
all freedom is tolerated. Our authority is that of the people.

"We decant a sea of bloodshed for brotherhood
and the equality of our nation and we are not going to allow
anyone to touch, to uproot from inside or to destroy
in any way this brotherhood and equality..."

Josip Broz-TITO

OUR AUTHORITY IS THAT OF THE PEOPLE!

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Dekret [Decree]
Instrumental

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Mi Kujemo Bodoc'nost

Vsak c'lovek v sehi razplamtel je sile,
junas'ka vstal, za borbo stiska pest;
nam vsem svobodne zarje so pogum napile,
da izkujemo previco in tiranom vest!
Ogenj smo, ki za svobodo se je vz'gal,
raznetil se, razs'iril, razplamtel v viharje!
Smo ogenj, ki iz nas bo vas izz'gal,
pjavke nas'e in sence nove zarje...
Mi ogenj smo, jeklo, tnalo in kovac'i;
pravko kujemo, svobodo v to celino.
Mi vstajamo, vstajamo v prostost
in rastemo mladostni v s'irino!
MI KUJEMO BODOC'NOST!
(Wir schmieden die Zukunft
Ein jeder Mensch entflammte in sich die Kraefte
und erhob sich heldenmuetig, die Faust zum Kampf geballt;
aus dem Morgenrot der Freiheit schoepften wir den Mut,
den Tyrannen das Gewissen und die Freiheit auszuschmieden!
Wir sind wie Feuer, das fuer die Freiheit entbrannte,
flammend sich zum Feuersturm entfacht!
Wir sind das Feuer, das sich aus uns in eure Herzen frass,
unsere Blutegel und Schatten der neuen Morgenrate...
Wir sind wie Feuer, Stahl, Amboss und Schmiede.
Gerechtigkeit und Freiheit fuegen wir zu einem Ganzen.
Wir erheben uns, schreiten hinauf ins Freie
und ebnen breit der Jugend ihren Weg.
WIR SCHMIEDEN DIE ZUKUNFT!)

[English translation: We are forging the future]
We Forge The Future
Every man roused the powers within himself
and rose like a hero, hand in a fist for the fight;
we made courage out of the dawn,
to forge conscience and freedom from the tyrants! [???]
We are like fire, that burnt for freedom,
flaming, heightened to a firestorm!
We are the fire, that burnt out of us into your hearts,
our leeches and shades of the new light of dawn...
We are like fire, steel, anvil and forge.
Justice and freedom we join to a whole.
We rise, walk out into the free air
and smooth the way for youth.
WE FORGE THE FUTURE!

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Brat Moj

Bruder mein
Brat moj, Bruder mein, spuerst du den Mut,
ali c'utis' pogum, ki ga je dvignila zerja den das Morgenrot erweckte
v borbi za lepoto sveta? im Kampf um die Schoenheit der Welt?
Brat moj, Bruder mein, entzuenden wir
priz'gimo kres v vseh ljudeh! die Flamme in jedem Menschen!
Bodimo mocni kot garaci, brat moj; Seien wir stark wie der Arbeit Heer,Bruder;
mi smo v skrivnosti tajni im geheiligten Geheimnis
slutnja in prerokovanje,
sind wir Ahnung und Weissagung,
mi smo z'ivljenja divju smeh!
sind wir des Lebens wildes Lachen!
V nas je glad, ki poz'ivi In uns ist Hunger, der zum Leben erweckt
in gladnih ne uzmuc'i. und der die Hungrigen nicht plagt.
Brat moj, odpri oc'i, Bruder mein, oeffne die Augen und
POTUJ Z NAMI K NOVI LUC'I! SCHREITE MIT UNS ZUM NEUEN LICHTE
EMPOR!

[English translation: Brother of mine]
Brother Of Mine
Brother of mine,
do you feel the courage, that was wakened by the red light
of dawn in the fight for the beauty of the world?
Brother,
let us light the flame in every man!
Let us be strong like the working army, brother;
in the holiest of secrets
we are premonition and prophecy,
we are life's wild laughter!
In us is a hunger, that wakens to life
and that does not torment the hungry.
My brother, open your eyes and
GO WITH US UNTO THE NEW LIGHT!

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Panorama
(English)
Both those in the East and those in the West
should be clear with the fact that we are not
moving away from the road that we beat the path
for in 48. That is to say we have our own way,
we always say what is right on this side and
what is not, and what is right on the other side
and what is not.
It should be clear to everyone that we cannot
be no ones appendage of nobody's politics, that
we have our own point of view and that we know
the worth of what is right and what is not right.

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