Utopiya A. G. (Russian: Утопия А. Г.), also known as Utopiya Alexandra Gradskogo (Утопия Александра Градского; transl. Utopia of Alexander Gradsky), is a 1987 studio album by Russian singer-songwriter Alexander Gradsky.
| Utopiya A. G. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 36:22 | |||
| Language | Russian | |||
| Label | Melodiya | |||
| Producer | Alexander Gradsky | |||
| Alexander Gradsky chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background and release
editThe music from this album was recorded for the 1978 TV film The Heirs of Prometheus (Russian: Наследники Прометея, romanized: Nasledniki Prometeya), dedicated to the utopian socialists Henri de Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier and others. It was supposed to be a rock opera in which utopian socialists sing and dance.[1] The theme of socialist utopia did not leave Gradsky, so in 1979, he recorded an album that included poems by Pierre-Jean de Béranger, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Robert Burns, which at one time were revolutionary songs.[2]
The record Utopiya A. G. did not immediately receive the approval of the Melodiya Art Council. Neither the ideologically correct theme, nor Gradsky's connections, nor the neutral genre of the song suite, nor even the presence of a hammer and sickle on the cover helped her break through. The album was released only in 1987, when sympathy for the ideals of socialism was inappropriate.[2]
Critical reception
editIn a retrospective review of the Muzykalnaya zhizn magazine, Denis Boyarinov noted that the record, which is an unusual combination of times and epochs, was released at a time when it seemed completely inappropriate, because then people were hungry for change. The reviewer also added that now it resembles a giant majolica made in sound for the glory of socialism, which still pop up in small towns lost in the snows of Russia—sometimes it's the best thing there, shiny fragments of illusion, pure psychedelia.[3]
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Alexander Gradsky
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Translator | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beranzhe I" | Pierre-Jean de Béranger | Valentin Dmitriyev | 8:46 |
| 2. | "Beranzhe II" | Béranger | Mikhail Mikhaylov | 3:08 |
| 3. | "Oranzhevoye nastroyeniye" | 2:19 | ||
| 4. | "Shelli" | Percy Bysshe Shelley | Samuil Marshak | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 17:54 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Translator | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fioletovoye nastroyeniye" | 2:45 | ||
| 2. | "Beranzhe III" | Béranger | Dmitriyev | 2:06 |
| 3. | "Beranzhe IV" | Béranger | Vasily Kurochkin | 5:41 |
| 4. | "Beranzhe V" | Béranger | Kurochkin | 1:01 |
| 5. | "Byorns I" | Robert Burns | Marshak | 1:00 |
| 6. | "Byorns II" | Burns | Marshak | 1:20 |
| 7. | "Beranzhe VI" | Béranger |
| 4:35 |
| Total length: | 18:28 | |||
Personnel
edit- Alexander Gradsky – vocals, synthesizer, guitar, piano, celesta, drums, bells, percussion
- Vladimir Vasilkov – percussion
- Sergey Zenko – flute, pipe, saxophone
- Skoromorokhi – backing band
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[4]
References
edit- ^ Vizilter, Vilen (2015). Телевидение. Закадровые нескладушки (in Russian). Grifon. ISBN 978-5-98862-041-9.
- ^ a b Boyarinov, Denis (22 December 2021). "Утопия А.Г." Colta (in Russian). Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Boyarinov, Denis (12 February 2019). "Утопия АГ". Muzykalnaya zhizn (in Russian). Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ Utopiya A. G. (liner notes). USSR: Melodiya. 1987. С60 26445 009. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
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External links
edit- Utopiya A. G. at Discogs (list of releases)