Why We Should Listen to Soviet Rock

Episode 007: Robert's Record Corner visits St Petersburg, Russia to talk about -- and buy -- some Soviet rock from the '70s and '80s! I studied Russian during the Cold War–era, largely because you weren't supposed to. And 25 years ago, I finally got to live and study in St Petersburg and Moscow. One of my fondest souvenirs I brought back was a handful of Soviet rock records from the 1980s.

I recently went back to St Petersburg to find more. And met a former drummer at a vinyl shop who remembers when rock'n'roll was illegal and locals pressed Elvis and Little Richard records on X-RAYS on the sly. There's value to Soviet rock, I've learned. In the West, we celebrate punk rock for its (sometimes studied) defiance. But what about bands who could get imprisoned -- or, as I learned, worse -- for simply singing things like "I want change."

Slava Soviet rock! Long live Soviet rock!

Hope you enjoy it.

Видео Why We Should Listen to Soviet Rock канала Robert Reid