Customer Reviews

Salutes America

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If you like choral music, especially strong men's choruses, you will love this CD. Recorded digitally at the Massey hall in Toronto, the assembled orchestra and chorus is a full 200 men. In one of the last great gestures of glasnost, the Red Army Ensemble made its first tour of the USA in 1989, and luckily it was commercially recorded.

They opened with "The Star Spangled Banner" and didn't look back. There are 21 songs total, a mix of Russian, American and Canadian standards. The quality of the recording is excellent and there plenty of liner notes. It's a good solid addition to any collection of choral music, especially since this kind of large men's group isn't likely to be created again anytime soon.

The Red Army Chorus Salutes America song list: 1. The Star Spangled Banner 2. O Canada 3. NationalAnthem Of The USSR 4. Little Field 5. When The Soldiers Sing 6. The Little Bell 7. Kalinka 8. Farewell Song 9.Times Of The Khovan 10. Thoughts My Thoughts 11. Dark Eyes 12. Do The Russians Want War? 13. Troika 14.The Cossack Road To Dunau 15. Dear Soul 16. May Nights 17. On The Steppes 18. Granada 19. I Got PlentyOf Nothing 20. God Bless America 21. Moscow Nights

My addiction to the Red, or Soviet Army Chorus, started with seeing them in a post-Communism film, the name of which I can't even remember. But they sounded great, and I love Soviet kitsch. The idea of them singing American standards was just too much. Especially since on the first CD I'd purchased, "Soviet Army Chorus and Band", they already had had me rolling on the floor with "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".

This CD did NOT disappoint. Mind you, this is a group of very talented men. They are fun to listen to. It's odd to think of what they were putting up with back stage as they sang songs such as "Do the Russians Want War?" I'm not sure how much of the irony that hits me is simply that I don't expect our erstwhile cold war enemies to be singin' our song; or that I doubt a lot of these songs mirrorred their realities.