DAVID TUKHMANOV/ON THE CREST OF MY MEMORY 33C 60-07271-72 (-78) USSR

It isn't easy today finding seventies psych/prog/art rock albums from the former Soviet Union. Here is one containing all those genres - and it's good. David Tukhmanov is a Russian composer and piano/keyboard player with an education in classical music. From late sixties through the eighties he was one of the formost hit-makers and writer of film scores in the empire. I'm not sure about the discography, so this is his second or third LP. It's been called a Russian Sgt. Pepper. That fits in a way - a concept album and the end of each song harmonizes with the beginning of next as the (mono) Sgt. Pepper. This is a lot more adventurous though. Sometimes reminding of ELP, but with some of its roots in the domestic music scene it's not like anything else. The pieces are interpretations of known poems through the centuries - from Sapho to Gullién - having lyrics translated to Russian, with exception of the Shelley piece "Good Night" sung in English. There's a wide range of styles - "I Step Into Your Study In My Thoughts" starts as a regular song, but slides into hard core prog with tempo changes, brass, synth and psych guitar. "Heart, My Heart" is orchestrated funk, ending with a beautiful guitar part and "Perturbation" fits baroque pop. I know very little about the band and backing, but it's clear they're all pros one way or another. Boris Pivovarov does some great psych guitar and Arkady Feldberg's distinct bass carries through all the different styles. Brass came from Melodia label's own studio musicians and strings from the "USSR Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra". Apparently there are different lead vocalists, of which I like the female best - especially the voices at the end of "From Sapho". Production and audio are precise and clear, only downside is some of the best guitars are too low in the mix. Since this copy don't have cyrillic lettering on song titles and backside text is in English it may have been done for export. I guess it's an early press with blue label, unflexible vinyl and thin matt cover. (BÅC*)