Александр ДОЛЬСКИЙ  Look Back Without Anger

The most social of all Dolsky's albums, but in the same time it is rather melancholic and quiet. It corresponds with its title: the author tries to control himself, and sometimes he manages to do it. Dolsky attacks the bureaucrats and the officials, he complains that everybody is lying to everyone, and there's no anger in his voice. But when he starts singing about 'cruel youth', 'satisfied and malice old men' and unpleasant colleagues who know nothing about contemporary art, he becomes too passionate, puzzling the audience: what's the buzz? Why is Dolsky so upset? He's sure that his colleagues do not like him. So what? It seems that intentions of the 80es (these songs were recorded in 1983-87) are too complicated for us. Still there is a song that reconciles the audience to the release: nice though rather tedious "What the boys are made from", an alcoholic parody on a famous children song. Nevertheless the album itself is very monotonous and too social-oriented.

By the way, be careful: all albums of this series have wrong numbering; on this release numbering of songs is also incorrect.

Quote:

- What about your relations with your coworkers? You've always been away from the others...

- You want to know something about my relationships with them... Well you know, I must be a naive person, simple-minded, very credulous. I'm inclined to sympathy, to friendship. I've always thought that if these people are my colleagues, they are my friends. It means that I'll do anything for them. Then, step by step, the bard unity started to break apart. I started to get some money for my concerts. I've been paid a little bit more than all the others, so some bards, especially those from Moscow, began calling me names. But I understand them, I'm not angry with anyone. I don't like fighting, if anyone insults me, I'm just keeping the distance with this person'. (Alexander Dolsky. From an interview)