From: gdr@csa.bu.edu (dmitry goldenberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Russian Rock
Date: 6 Oct 92 18:26:49 GMT
Followup-To: Russian Rock
Organization: Computer Science Department, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
Originator: gdr@csa


   Well, everybody probably knows that Aguzarova is in LA doing her thing at some
restaurant...  Autograph are also in LA trying to conquer the local club scene.
The latter seems as ridiculous as their leader's Americanized name - Lenny (somebody justly said there can't be a dorkier name for a rock musician!).  This is all old news, and besides, so what of all this?  If we are talking about some
real presence of Russian rock here in the States, neither Aguzarova nor Autograph nor Gorky Park is an issue.

   On the other hand, I think that not everybody interested in subject is aware
that Russian rock did actually plant some roots into the American soil (although
I surely don't mean Radio Silence and although we certainly cannot speak about
any kind of "Russian invasion" at this point).

   What I'm getting at is that Yuri Naumov, the Apostle of Heavy Blues, the Russian underground guitar guru, is living now in New York.  He and his wife emigrated in 1990 and came to the US in October of that year.  You might know him by his three albums recorded in Russia: The Blues Of 1000 Nights, Uncontrollable, and The Rolling Stone, as well as by his numerous private "flat sessions."

   Of course, it would be naive to think that Yuri would go into business, try to get a steady job, or do anything like that.  He remained what he was, that is, a musician, a songwriter, an awesome guitar virtuoso with an incredibly elaborate technique.  Having come to New York, he literally found his place.  Last time I spoke with him, he said he feels like he is just where he is supposed to be.  When I inadvertently mentioned Shevchuk's unsober remark that New York "comes from devil" as opposed to St.Pet





ersburg (flattering to my own native city but
obviously not too smart even as a figure of speech), Naumov just blew up: "Geez,
that's bullshit, man.  New York is beautiful even with its danger and crime.  New
York is the only place where you can be lonely and not suffer from it..."
   
   So, you may be wondering what he is actually doing now?  Gigging in clubs in Greenwich Village, the coolest place in terms of the underground music (apologies to the Seattle bands' fans, if I got a little carried away here).  Yuri is
performing alone, and most of the stuff he sings is in Russian.  However, some
songs in English have already been written as well.  As for new recordings, there
is just one live recording as of yet.

   Yuri's already had shows in the cities all over the country from Boston to Philadelphia to Los Angeles and is trying to get his act together so as to come out on a larger scene.  According to him, he gave himself five years for
"elevation" to the same level as the one at which he was in Russia at the time he
left it.  I guess, what's left for us to do is to wait and see what happens.  Two
years have already passed.  So, shall we still hope he will rock the whole damn
continent?...

<P.S.  Sorry for typos in version 1>

From: gdr@csa.bu.edu (dmitry goldenberg)