European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 3, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Agazine soviet spent Rasta Pugacheva right during a Benefit Rock concert in Moscow a to a Tor victims of it Chor Notye atomic reactor disaster. Rock in Russia abating class tensions with music by Bill Keller new York times a leading soviet jazz Rock compose extolled chg Virtues of heavy Metal Roc music the other Day As a Way Lor Youn working class russians to work out their resentment toward More affluent members of soviet society they just like to wave their hands and than Calm Down said Aleksei Kozlov saxophonist and composer Tor the jazz Rock group Arsenal. If we forbid this music they will display their aggressiveness in other forms this lecture on Rock s role in abating class tensions was not delivered in a surreptitious interview in an artist s apartment but at an officially organized news conference at the soviet foreign ministry on the problems of contemporary soviet flanked by two foreign ministry officials Koziev whose group has Long had government approval went on to Call for greater Candor in soviet Rock lyrics and urged that Young people be allowed to dance at Rocic concerts despite the complaints of some concert Hall managers that the More avid heavy Metal tans have a tendency to smash the furniture. Once derided in the press As a product of Western dissolution Rock music has become the latest tool for stimulating a younger generation bored and disaffected by lha traditional fun of youth activities offered by the soviet stale the Young communist league Long disdained by Many Young russians or its Pedantic weekly lectures on leninism now sponsors break dancing contests and discotheques. Heavy Metal groups with such names As cruise and Black Contee often decked out in studded leather regalia Are booked into sports Arenas and concert Halls where the usual fare used to be he red army band. Rock videos and break dancing displays have blossomed on Prino Lime television. The government record company. Molo Diya has begun producing records by groups that a year or two ago were confined to Mvi lation Only performances in underground clubs Dmitri Sha Vyrin who edits a semimonthly Rock music Page in the newspaper of the Moscow Young communist league said that within Tho fas year to Oli Ocial Altitude toward hard Rock had changed dramatically. As evidence he Pool eco of he a that the Moscow Institute of International alters a prestigious training ground for future diplomats rang recently with the screaming electric chords of a heavy Metal Rock festival. Western Rock is Atso being broadcast More freely in the soviet Union. A popular television game show recently featured a video of Michael Jackson Moon walking through his 1982 hit Billy Jean the same Michael Jackson who was scorned two years ago in the newspaper soves cays Cullura As the embodiment of Western corruption. But tha Olli Cial emphasis is on giving new attention to Home grown Talent. Youth oriented newspapers and television openly criticizing the Bland soviet pop music that has won official favor in the past have demanded More adventuresome Tare recently on soviet television a satirical troupe poked fun at the denatured Quality of official pop music and Olli Cial censorship of Rock. In a skit about the Workings at an artistic Council a group of bureaucrats enthusiastically whittled away at a list of Western performers approved for soviet consumption. Let s go through the names " Pink Floyd Cross in out Queen Cross in a Young Man concluded let them give us soviet music we shall like it even the Rock music that has won new official Sanction is largely devoid of themes of Youthful rebellion and Tho Bitler political and social commentary common to Western lyrics while the music itself is sometimes defiant political Content is limited to Calls for peace and disarmament and social commentary to cries against drinking and drugs. Kozlov said he would favor More panted lyrics in soviet Rock. The suburbs of the soviet Union he said Are crowded with children from broken families children of alcoholics children without Talent or the Opportunity to develop their talents even in their factories they look at the youths from Well to do families who have everything from the Day of their birth. Between those youths who have everything and to heavy me lasts. There exists a subconscious antagonism and this situation is not Well understood. Ii is expressed in who desire to listen of heavy tha heavy Metal Ana at concerts lend to to much More clean Cut and sedate than Tho groups hey come to hear. At a recent Rock show at Moscow s Izmailov sports Palace a 6,000-sea Arena fruit for he olympics Rondo s Lead Singer made up in Rouge and glittered hair car wheeled across the stage As Strobe while two voluptuous Back up singers gyrated in miniskirt versions of soviet school uniforms. Warm applause. While the soviets Ato has decided id make the Bestol it the proliferation of Rock has not won Universal approval from soviet parents. It used to be parents could say to their kids that s off limits " said one Moscow woman who feels that Rock is undermining the Greal russian heritage of classical music and opera. Now unfortunately we can t do that " jew v
