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War Songs

by Vezhlivy Otkaz

supported by
Jacampanman
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Jacampanman Vezhlivy Otkaz (aka Вежливый отказ, aka Polite Refusal) finally released this album a whole 7 years after their previous album (Гуси-лебеди). This is a totally off-the-wall mix of avant- prog / jazz / folk and art rock. It's inventive, left-field and highly enjoyable.

I really hope they release some of their other material here on BC, too Favorite track: Sky Shooter.
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1.
What if! 05:16
2.
Combat! Combat! Combat! Gun crew! Gun crew! Gun crew! Left hand! Left hand! Left hand! Flank! Flank! Flank! Combat! Combat! Gun crew! Gun crew! Flank! Left hand! Left hand! Fear!
3.
4.
Hopak 04:02
5.
Sky Shooter 06:59
I need the intel Where the sun is Whence the wind blows Velocity, force Show the target to me The elevation The lead angle Take aim The eyelids inflamed Fingers are squeezing Teeth they must be clenched now Fire! Fire! High enough Far enough Clouds go puff All smoking… Great blue open’s Behind him!
6.
We will win! 03:35
Hey worker, quit your factory Hey peasant woman, leave your homestead Recruiting center takes them all The war has come again Pick up your rifles and your guns Attach your bayonets to barrels Join your commander’s battle cry The war has come again Bullets fly unreprimanded – War must have descended Cavalryman, go mount your horse Hey gunman, get your cannon ready Tank crewman, get your helmet on The war has come again Guerilla, throw your hand grenade Derail those railcars by the dozen Hey seaman, deck your mast with flags The war has come again The planes fly low, encroaching The war must be approaching Machine gun, spray that fort with lead Make mincemeat of the foul and wretched The people’s spirit is not dead As long as there’s a war Hey Mary, wipe your tears away On a steel horse I’ll be returning And we will win – you bet we will – In yet another war And we will win – you bet we will – In yet another war You hear those cannons over yonder? It’s fireworks, no wonder
7.
Overture 04:02
8.
Finale 01:59

about

Seven years after Vezhlivy Otkaz’s highly acclaimed Geese and Swans album came out, the most original and erratic avant-rock band from Russia went back in the studio to record their long-awaited War Songs suite. Some of its pieces date as far back as summer 2008, but Otkaz, known for its meticulous approach to composition, did not rush things up, opting instead for a gradual development and experimenting with various lineups in the process – from a hard-hitting rock power trio to an extended quasi orchestra nonet.

As ever, VO’s music is much more than it appears on the surface – the band expands the boundaries of traditional song form, deconstructing it from within while taking cues from a magnitude of styles and genres of the past and present. Partly similar to what the Rock In Opposition artists were doing in the 1970s and 1980s, the band relentlessly bridges gaps between high avant-garde art and lyrical folk song, classic rock and experimental jazz, writing their own set of musical rules instead of clinging to any existing ones.

The music is free, both in its general idea and in its execution, and remains as continuously surprising as it always used to be during the band’s 30-year tenure.

“To me all this military stuff is inherently tragic, and I’m not being ironic about it; I’m completely honest here. To me it’s like a fine edge of an inflamed nerve. Hell knows what it is about, but it’s always there, inside me” (Roman Suslov)

credits

released November 2, 2017

Roman Suslov guitar, vocal, tambourine
Dmitry Shumilov bass, double-bass, back-vocal
Mikhail Mitin drums
Andrey Solovyov trumpet, back-vocal
Pavel Tonkovid sax
Maxim Trefan grand-piano (1-5)
Pavel Karmanov grand-piano (6, 7)
Sergey Ryzhenko violin, back-vocal
Denis Yurovskiy ride cymbal, bell (8)

Released by Geometry

Music and lyrics by Roman Suslov

Recorded in Parametrika Studio (Moscow) in January-August 2017 except for Overture (December 2015)

Mixed by Denis Yurovskiy and Roman Suslov

Album artworks by Yaroslav Schwarzstein

Liner notes by Gregory Durnovo
Lyrics translations by Ilya Shlepakov
Liner notes translations by Mikhail Sizonenko

Photo by Vladimir Lavrishchev

Album make-up by Dmitry Mokshin
Booklet design and make-up by Anastasia Yeltseva

Produced by Roman Suslov and Slava Nedeoglo

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about

Vezhlivy Otkaz Moscow, Russia

Vezhlivy Otkaz was formed in 1985 with a then-popular reggae/ska blend. Since then, they have gone through numerous stylistic changes,
flirting with everything from free jazz to Russian folk. Their sound, however, has always been unique and immediately recognizable.
Suslov’s rhythmic guitar work and unusual high-pitched vocals gives VO’s music a precisely constructed,
crystal-clear sound.
... more

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