Track Listing
Musical Ring (Музыкальный ринг)
A fairly clean, ten-song recording of Akvarium from a late-80's TV show. Groovy songs and wack audience questions. As dubbear and Sasha point out, it's a period piece.
First released in 1987.
Review by Sasha & Dubbear
The illustrious Alex B writes:
"Please note that "Musical Ring", listed in Lama section should be translated as "Музыкальный ринг", not "Музкальное кольцо." It is (or was, actually) a popular TV programm where the musicians were supposed to stay in the ring similar to a boxing one, play their music and answer (supposedly) hard questions. It was the first big TV show for Aquarium, recorded in the St.Petersburg Channel 5 TV studio (I was in the audience). BG tried to appeal to the wider audience and felt very uneasy. I remember that his "Моей душе не суждено..." was rather touching though."
dubbear, in turn, testifies:
"Yes I can confirm this—I saw that particular program and many others in the same cycle on Leningrad's own TV channel in late 80's. The most scandalous memories of Akvarium:
- A lady in her mid 40's making a comment to Dusha about his less-than-neat wardrobe antics...
- Boris saying with a silly or sad(?) half-smile that most of his songs are actually translations of western rock numbers and never were meant to be anti-Soviet propaganda.
The TV series became better later on. The best was with [the band] Televisor, where Russian pop diva Alla Pugacheva had a complete break down and publicly condemned Grebenschikov along with whole underground scene. I personally enjoyed Tsenter against Avia [other noted Russian bands. -ed.] program where Vasiliy Shumov looked a bit like Terminator 2 with slick hair and a metallic stare...Those were the days... please see the A.Pugacheva breakdown transcript here."
Dji sez: "I want to dance the 'Alla Pugacheva Breakdown'."