Customer Reviews

Le Vol Arrete (In Mid-Flight)

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Vladimir Vissotski was a protean figure in the closing years of the Communist evil empire; actor, composer, spokesman for the silent and not quite dissident, majority, a musician of limited technical virtuosity but overwhelming impact, and an international jet setter by virtue of his marriage to a French cinema star. His influence was well known and fully understandable because of the example he gave of speaking truth to power. What is more surprising is the extent to which his legacy endured, after his untimely death,into a completely different era.

In fact, Vissotski's reputation has not diminished but may actually have grown over the succeeding 20 years.The anniversary of his death, July 24, 1980, was marked this year in Moscow by a large gathering of his admirers, representing many, highly divergent, elements of contemporary Russian society. Some of Vissotski's fans have compared his style to that of Belgium's Jacques Brel, others hear echoes of Bob Dylan, while many Russians insist his vocal style derives from Louis Armstrong.

This French-made CD pulls together a representative sampling of Vissotski's guitar and vocal performances. Fortunately, the sound is far superior to his earliest recordidngs, some of which had to be made illicitly because of Soviet censorship. Unfortunately, the disc does not provide English translations of his mordant lyrics, only French versions. This is accompanied, however, by a moving tribute by his widow, the well-known French actress, Marina Vlady.

This was the voice of Russia, hell, of the entire Soviet Union, for two decades.