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Why so few Russian Prog groups in the 70's?

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Mortte View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Mortte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 00:23
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Interesting topic.  I was in Romania in 1979 (it was Communist, Ceaucescu was the leader) and heard "Awaken" on a small radio that the tour bus driver had.  

When I was in Czechoslovakia in 1994(Communist, Husak was the leader) all the young guys were wearing leather jackets with "Iron Maiden," "Judas Priest" and other Western band logos & names....I walked past an ancient wood fence in the city of my grandfather's birth, Brodske (now in Slovakia) and saw "METALLICA" painted in huge letters.   It was the "peristroika" era in in the USSR.  

I think it was going on & we didn't get to hear much of it, but clearly, they had access to it.

p.s. this is me in Bratislava, Slovakia, posing with my evil twin, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.  

Really great picture! Smile

Thanks!  I really loved visiting over there....I was in Kiev during Breshnev years (1979) as well as Romania & Czechoslovakia....people were SO nice to us Americans, and we were very generous, handing out US cigarettes by the pack, giving money to little kids etc.  

I'm sure there were some amazing groups that never had a chance to record, music would have been a natural outlet for their frustrations and creativity.  
Well, at least Vaclav Havel, who become president of Czechoslovakia in 1989, was a big rock music lover, specially Lou Reed & Velvet Underground (if I remember right he heard VU & Nico album already in 1967).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 02:38
Well, I guess the Soviets had more control in Russia (and USSR in general) than in the East European satellitaire countries, because they had three more decades to install themselves....

However, my guess is that it (the "rock thing") was probably more underground than in CZ or Hungary.

This (great) near-biopic movie is instructive , because there was some kind of rock scene in Petrograd (St Petersburg) in the 70's & 80's

https://rateyourmusic.com/film/%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Mortte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 02:46
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Well, I guess the Soviets had more control in Russia (and USSR in general) than in the East European satellitaire countries, because they had three more decades to install themselves....

However, my guess is that it (the "rock thing") was probably more underground than in CZ or Hungary.

This (great) near-biopic movie is instructive , because there was some kind of rock scene in Petrograd (St Petersburg) in the 70's & 80's

https://rateyourmusic.com/film/%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE/
Well, I believe it varied in countries. In Czechoslovakia there were much more thinking of liberation also within the authorities already in sixties than for example Yugoslavia & Albania.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 04:20
^ I am sure they had Prague Music in Czechoslovakia.
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 04:30
Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Well, I guess the Soviets had more control in Russia (and USSR in general) than in the East European satellitaire countries, because they had three more decades to install themselves....

However, my guess is that it (the "rock thing") was probably more underground than in CZ or Hungary.

This (great) near-biopic movie is instructive , because there was some kind of rock scene in Petrograd (St Petersburg) in the 70's & 80's

https://rateyourmusic.com/film/%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE/
Well, I believe it varied in countries. In Czechoslovakia there were much more thinking of liberation also within the authorities already in sixties than for example Yugoslavia & Albania.


Yougoslavia was really non-aligned during the cold war (the Tito years anyway), as I can remember and it was also opened to western tourists.
CZ and Hungary had rebellions (68 and 56 respectively), so the politburo in both countries had to be more lenient in terms of culture & liberties allowed. I understand the in Czekia, they even held a couple of rock festival during the 70's, but needless to say that there were as many spies attending as there was public.

So there were some "prog" bands in both, but they had to be agreed to and from the cultural ministry and if you didn't get permission and persevered like Plastic People Of The Universe, you went to jail.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LAM-SGC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 05:49
The most tightly controlled satellite country of the USSR was East Germany. The best border guard regiments, the most loyal kommisars, and the most elite forces were in East Germany both for inward and outward defence.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mortte Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 06:37
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

Well, I guess the Soviets had more control in Russia (and USSR in general) than in the East European satellitaire countries, because they had three more decades to install themselves....

However, my guess is that it (the "rock thing") was probably more underground than in CZ or Hungary.

This (great) near-biopic movie is instructive , because there was some kind of rock scene in Petrograd (St Petersburg) in the 70's & 80's

https://rateyourmusic.com/film/%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE/
Well, I believe it varied in countries. In Czechoslovakia there were much more thinking of liberation also within the authorities already in sixties than for example Yugoslavia & Albania.


Yougoslavia was really non-aligned during the cold war (the Tito years anyway), as I can remember and it was also opened to western tourists.
CZ and Hungary had rebellions (68 and 56 respectively), so the politburo in both countries had to be more lenient in terms of culture & liberties allowed. I understand the in Czekia, they even held a couple of rock festival during the 70's, but needless to say that there were as many spies attending as there was public.

So there were some "prog" bands in both, but they had to be agreed to and from the cultural ministry and if you didn't get permission and persevered like Plastic People Of The Universe, you went to jail.
Have to admit, that I have forgotten really much what I heard in history lessons in school. I have got the picture Czechoslovakia was the country in those times, that mostly want to direct into western countries from those satellite countries.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Easy Money Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 08:07
As a US citizen who visited Communist countries in the early 80s, East Germany was the most strict and Yugoslavia the most lenient.
Help the victims of the russian invasion:
http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28523&PID=130446&title=various-ways-you-can-help-ukraine#130446
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Snicolette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 08:38
The Nitty Gritty Dirt band toured Russia in 1977.  Interesting article from Radio Free Europe.https://www.rferl.org/a/spies-spooks-and-rock-n-roll-at-twilight-of-the-cold-war/25354132.html
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 09:21
Originally posted by Snicolette Snicolette wrote:

The Nitty Gritty Dirt band toured Russia in 1977.  Interesting article from Radio Free Europe.https://www.rferl.org/a/spies-spooks-and-rock-n-roll-at-twilight-of-the-cold-war/25354132.html

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Snicolette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 09:24
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 14:01
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Originally posted by Snicolette Snicolette wrote:

The Nitty Gritty Dirt band toured Russia in 1977.  Interesting article from Radio Free Europe.https://www.rferl.org/a/spies-spooks-and-rock-n-roll-at-twilight-of-the-cold-war/25354132.html

Will the sickle (and hammer) be unbroken?
 

Oh, snap! LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote ProgShine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 14:32
Very little, yes, but still a couple (reasons already stated).

My two cents will be two records Thumbs Up

- Ариэль [Ariel] - Русские картинки [Russkiye kartinki] {1977} (Already mentioned here)

- Давид Тухманов [David Tukhmanov] - По волне моей памяти [Po volne moyey pamyati] {1975}

Enjoy! Tongue
https://progshinerecords.bandcamp.com



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote NotAProghead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 14:51
Thanks for mentioning these albums.

Originally posted by ProgShine ProgShine wrote:

- Ариэль [Ariel] - Русские картинки [Russkiye kartinki] {1977} (Already mentioned here)
It's the only prog album by Ariel, the rest were much poppier.
Unfortunately the band's prog repertoire (several rock-operas, cover of ELP "Tarkus") was never released.

Originally posted by ProgShine ProgShine wrote:

- Давид Тухманов [David Tukhmanov] - По волне моей памяти [Po volne moyey pamyati] {1975}
This one I believe was the first officially released prog album in the USSR. It was very popular, for a long time I couldn't buy the LP because they were sold very fast.
It's in PA database: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=57208


Edited by NotAProghead - February 16 2020 at 14:53
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote someone_else Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2020 at 23:49
Originally posted by NotAProghead NotAProghead wrote:

It was called 'samodeyatelnost' (amateur artistic ensembles) Yes, the term "rock" was forbidden, and they were called "vocal-instrumental ensembles", but they had the same drums, guitars, keys and, quite often, brass sections.

The same disease of political correctness is spreading throughout Western Europe, especially aiming at issues connected to our culture and history. I wonder for how long we are still allowed to use the term "prog" here.


Edited by someone_else - February 16 2020 at 23:50
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote NotAProghead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 17 2020 at 13:55
Originally posted by someone_else someone_else wrote:

Originally posted by NotAProghead NotAProghead wrote:

It was called 'samodeyatelnost' (amateur artistic ensembles) Yes, the term "rock" was forbidden, and they were called "vocal-instrumental ensembles", but they had the same drums, guitars, keys and, quite often, brass sections.

The same disease of political correctness is spreading throughout Western Europe, especially aiming at issues connected to our culture and history. I wonder for how long we are still allowed to use the term "prog" here.

Yes, I've heard and read that in early days of rock it was called in the West as a "red danger", while in Soviet Union officials called it "a product of rotting Western culture". Smile
Hope we'll be allowed to use the term "prog" till the rest of our lives. At least I don't see attacks to the term. I guess most curious creatures of the next generations will ask their granddads what the beast it (prog) was.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 18 2020 at 22:31
I just found this posted to FB, it is Russian & very nice!  I believe they are reviewed on PA. 



Edited by cstack3 - February 18 2020 at 22:32
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote novox14 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 22 2020 at 23:08
Great stuff! Though not from 70's..... 
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