Yanka Dyagileva (died 1991) was always compared to Janis Joplin and (this comparison seems more accurate) with Patty Smith. Punk-folk-rock-bard, that's how russian rock-magazines define her style. Her dark and despair songs seem to be close to punk just because the desperation in her voice is endless (No Future - eternal punk slogan). She seems to be close to folk just because her sincerity is unbearable. She seems to be close to bard-music just because some of her songs exist only in acoustic versions. But - yes, that's what can be called rock. That frightening version if it when musician's death becomes a logical finale of his music. 'This poetry is called 'rock', but it has little in common with western rock that knows how to spit and to vomit but cannot cry' (Grebenshikov).
Yanka appeared on the rock-scene in the end of the 80-s, with her band 'The Great Ocrobers'. She was born in Siberia, the third center of russian rock (if we accept Moscow and Piter as two other russian rock-capitals). 'She was a naked nerve' - someone said about her.
Recorded at Yanka's concert in 1989 by Sergey Firsov, this release contains songs from other Yanka's albums - 'Not Allowed', 'Home!' and 'Angedonia'. Egor Letov, another famous russian punk ('Grazhdanskaya Oborona'), participated in this recording.
06.03.1999, Ксения РОЖДЕСТВЕНСКАЯ (ЗВУКИ РУ)














