Russian rock. Why is there so much stink??

So much screaming, so much stench..
Modern youth listen to foreign music, dream of attending concerts of foreign musicians, consider themselves experts in genres and styles, and vigorously shit on Russian rock, shamelessly declaring that it is pathetic and stupid. Viktor Tsoi is a dirty bastard who knows nothing, and Shevchuk is a drug addict who writes crazy texts… Hmmm. It would be okay if they were talking about modern performers, but no, they are shouting about old school, which they don’t understand.

I will not write about music and compare Russian performers with foreign ones. I don’t know enough about music to juggle notes and concepts. And the Kino group will lose to any Nirvana, our level has always been lower, for obvious reasons of poverty. Only the Cinema still filled the halls in the USA, where Americans got a buzz from Russian energy, that’s nonsense!

I’ll talk about Russian rock in general. I grew up on it, electric guitars and drums were played in my house from birth, and in kindergarten I quoted Butusov and Shevchuk. And to this day I listen to the same music that I listened to when I was two years old, in the same playlist with modern tracks. Although I didn’t live in those years when everything was born, I talked a lot with those who lived then, did a lot of digging and understanding.

Russian rock appeared in Soviet times, among young people. Life was shit, young people wanted to rebel, they wanted to express themselves and be heard. Everyone looked beyond the fence, to the west, where they imagined freedom, green grass and an ideal world. Every teenager criticized the authorities and zombie society, went against the grain. I walked clumsily, rudely, as best I could, imitating the West, or rather my idea of ​​the West. Doesn’t remind me of anything?
Russian rock has become one of the instruments of such protest.

It is important to understand that the very concept of “Russian rock” is a little misleading. Rock in Russia (and everywhere) was an expression of protest. Loud sharp sounds that grate the ears were not liked by the “true intelligentsia”, brought up on the classics and brainwashing. And everywhere this music was the same (okay, similar). But the texts… the texts were ours, only ours. Russian. Rock, as a musical direction, would do just fine without our participation, but Russian rock is not a musical direction. This phenomenon is a clot of Russian language and copied Western music. Ideally, you should write “Russian rock”, together. One word is impossible without the other.

Viktor Tsoi became an icon of that time for a reason. Self-confident non-Slavic appearance, with a proudly raised chin, very heavy (for that Russia) music, daring lyrics containing lyrics, slogans, philosophy, and simply the spirit of the time, but without much strain on the brain. Pretentious, unusual, on the topic of the day, with a great emphasis on music. People liked him because he did what they couldn’t do, said what they were afraid to think about. For some he was a hooligan and a rebel, for others a god, but everyone knew and talked about him. In addition, it was Kino who broke through abroad, it was Kino who gathered huge stadiums, it was Kino who entered show business. Tsoi knew how to put on a show, he had charisma, he knew how to combine his creativity with fashion trends, if he were alive today, he would be a great showman or producer..
As an example, I suggest listening to a not particularly accordion song, but with very powerful lyrics, simple and relevant even today:

If you’re shaking from a recording that’s over twenty years old, just google the text and rate it. If you have the strength to open the window and look out of the trolleybus..

Lyrics. These are not song lyrics in rhyme, where the words go as a background to the cheerful music, these are real poems, poems. They were written not by anyone, but by Russian people born after the golden and silver ages of poetry. The Russian language is not just a means of transmitting information; in skillful hands, it turns into a brush with which real works of art are painted.
A poet in Russia is more than a poet. In Russia, all poets are rock artists! ©
If Pushkin were born today, he would be the lead singer in a rock band. Wrote more adult texts, tougher ones. “In the depths of the Siberian ores” would cause trembling, as then. "Eagle" would make you cry. And poetry about love would cause a smile or melancholy. He would not have been included in textbooks, all textbooks died at the USSR mark. But everyone still admired his poetry and clarity of rhyme.
One of Pushkin’s fans was and is Yuri Shevchuk. In Pushkin he found a kindred spirit. St. Petersburg, autumn and rebellion..

Yes, Shevchuk’s texts are complex. https://betnovacasino.co.uk/ Very unusual turns of phrase, metaphors and disguised meaning scare off many, which does not spoil this poetry. And this strongest voice..
"Autumn". My favorite DDT song. It intertwines magnificent lines, beautiful music, a lot of emotions and that very cry of a rebel! No, not a rebel, a man. A man who is surrounded by dirt, lies and injustice, but he believes. Believes in beauty.

Beauty doesn’t disappear… it just goes away sometimes. ©

It’s not fashionable to be a patriot now. It is not fashionable to respect your past and be proud of your belonging to your nation. It’s not fashionable to be honest and open. Freedom has brainwashed people into being slaves to fashion.
This is fine. Considered normal.
But the Russian Soul doesn’t give a damn about it. She’s not going anywhere. Sits in a cozy, warm house while shit rains outside her window, and re-reads the classics. Sometimes taking out a battered umbrella from a dusty chest of drawers to go out into bad weather and bestow the Gift on the new hero of his time. The gift of bringing creativity to people and sharing truth and beauty with the people… And in Russian rock lives that same Russian Soul that we are so diligently trying to forget about.
It just so happened that her house is located on the territory of a rotten country.

I don’t encourage you to compare Russian rock with any other and decide which is better. I’m not trying to denigrate anyone. I don’t even encourage you to listen to Russian rock. I just ask you to stop throwing childish, rebellious bullshit at him. Russian rock is unique. He’s beautiful. And if you don’t like him, that doesn’t stop him from being wonderful. You just have different ideas about beauty.
And one more thing. I highly recommend watching two films: “Hipsters” and “Rock Wave”. Very honest and truthful films on the topic..

Best comments

in general, there are few good lyrics everywhere now, and there are even fewer of them in foreign music. simply the fact that we don’t even want to burden our brains with parsing and translating the words in a song contributes to the fact that we determine the quality of a song by motive, vocals, etc.
maybe it’s just me, but I want to listen to music and relax, and not listen to music and think about lofty things, relationships between people and other philosophical nonsense. There are books and a philosophy course at the university for this.

I read the text (thoughtfully). Got through the comments. In fact, not everyone (read almost no one) understood the author’s question (or maybe I’m wrong). I’ll try to write my opinion.
In my opinion, there is a substitution of concepts here, or, to put it more precisely (and more poetically), juggling genres. After all, when you hear the word rock, what comes to mind first?? Severe men in leather jackets with chains, heavy guitar riffs and technical solos, expressive drums, high note-pulling voice. Well, at least it seems so to me. In general, I want to say that most people under the word rock combine two musical trends such as heavy metal and, in fact, hard rock, as well as their derivatives. And I think no one will argue that this genre originated in the West, groups such as AC/DC, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Rainbow, Black Sabbath (the lyrics of which are filled with meaning, allusions and allegories no less than the above-mentioned Russian authors), Ozzy Osbourne and other similar performers opened the world to the heavy consonance of electric/bass guitars, drums, keyboards. And in this case, among fans of these bands, the first place is taken by music, such as metal guitar solos, drum fills and heavy riffs. Which, naturally, does not fit with the concept of “Russian rock”. As AF correctly wrote, Russian rock is a separate movement in music that has nothing in common with what I listed above in musical terms. It’s just that the word rock was borrowed from the West, because the music of Tsoi and Co. was really new to us and, theoretically, fell into the rock category. Theoretically, but not practically, because the whole world listened to different rock. And this word is “rock” in cohabitation with Tsoi and others., to this day it angers some and bothers others. So to speak, an external (or internal) stimulus.
And now, actually, to the very question of why they pour shit on. Yes, they don’t water it more than others. And rap is watered, and metal is watered, and chanson is watered, and will always be watered, because such is human nature (well, basically), if I don’t like something, I’ll call it a shit, especially since it’s also popular. In this particular case, there is also a conflict of genres, the reason for which I wrote above. That’s it.
In my opinion, at one time they simply chose the wrong name for the genre. Plus the human factor. It’s certainly not fair to throw shit at me, but the phrase “Russian rock is not rock”!“I think it’s quite possible.
Something like this.

So we call it Teil-Punk. But the one who writes that this is “not Russian rock” doesn’t know shit.

TS, at least for the sake of decency, Google the “definition” of Russian rock. If for you only “Kino” is true rock, I feel sorry for you 🙂

Well, I don’t know… I liked this track. 🙁

By the way. I’ve been obsessed with this song for two years now. She is much older than me, but it’s as if I wrote her myself yesterday..
Bafik! I dedicate this copy-paste to you. 😉

AF infuriates me, I would crucify him, but here he is right. 😀
Kino, Aquarium, DDT, AuktYon – I loved all these groups very much as a child and still love them now.
Foreign music is closer to me, but I still defend domestic bands – we have too little good music in Russia.

Mmm… I listen to what I like. Among this there is Russian Rock and Non-Russian Rock and not Rock at all. And somehow I don’t care who sprinkles it with what.

Rock – music of death and war. If they are not even capable of a fight, then it is useless to consider them rebels.

Well, I immediately drew the line at the word “rock”, saying that RR is different. He even admitted in the first lines that our music is weaker in level. From rock there is only one name “Russian rock”. Well, I did everything to highlight it. 🙁
And they don’t love this unfortunate Shevchuk for his music. And Tsoi became an icon not because he was a virtuoso on the guitar. This is not why people even love Aria! Although, I’m not sure about Aria… Am I really so bad at writing that my thoughts are incomprehensible even now!? 🙁

I know patriots. I know honest and open people. The trouble is not that it’s not fashionable. Just real patriots. Not those who protest on stage, but real patriots – they work quietly and calmly. They don’t shout on the street “I AM A PATRIOT, RUSSIA IS MY MOTHERLAND”. True patriots value their past and love it, even with all its shortcomings and problems. They not only appreciate it, they are trying to change the future of the country. However, it is not fashionable for us to change the future. It’s fashionable here to cut up and go after an official – those are the “patriots” THERE. There is no need to talk about honesty and openness. Here you need to understand how honest and open you want to be. A little overdone and goodbye. Like the student who was expelled from the Duma.

Dude I get it. That’s not the point of the problem. I didn’t need a documentary. The genre of the film is a holiday film, as the creators described it. What kind of documentary is there?? The message is important, but the message about generations is wrong. And what you saw in him is your personal opinion.

I listened to Noise. I have to admit there’s something in him. And they showed him once when he ended up in jail for insulting the police from the stage (in poetry, of course). These people are like bards to her god. They’re just singing. They don’t express any super-thoughts, they speak about the obvious. If they spoke about the TRUTH, like some journalists, they would be killed. Young people have slogans, but they existed before, but they were noticeably abandoned by all and sundry. And for some reason I immediately remember Pink Floyd from their The Wall.

The motive is wonderful, the music is excellent, the voices are wonderful. The words are idiotic. You just have to think about it and then you will understand why.