This 1978 compilation of songs by Alla Pugacheva is a quite incredible collection of Communist era prog rock, soul, psychedelia and big, ballsy balladeering from one of Russia's most popular and enduring stars. For all the funky goodness on display here, Alla was, for many, the epitome of the State-endorsed Culture Industry of the late Soviet era - safe, manufactured entertainment designed to pacify the mind. Sound familiar? For all that, I'm loving some of these mad tracks at the minute - the producers obviously had lots of fun, and it sometimes seeps into a lovely kind of Pink Floyd-esque territory. Anyone who enjoyed the Patty Pravo album I posted a while back will want to check this out.
Here is a severely abridged version of 'Shaman's Tambourine':
Tracklist:
01 Бубен Шамана · Witch-Doctor's Tambourine 02 Верю В Тебя · I Believe In You 03 Сонет · Sonnet 04 Приезжай · Come 05 Не Отрекаются Любя · Those Who Love Don't Renounce 06 Песенка Про Меня · A Song About Me 07 Женщина Которая Поет · The Woman Who Sings