YURI MOROZOV ABOUT THE WORK WITH BG

When: November 21, 1997
The name: An interview with Yuri Morozov
The commentaries:
DRUNKEN TALK AFTER SUCCESSFUL CONCERTS

“I will deliver you Yuri Morozov,
He is like Krishna…”
Mike Naumenko

Leonid Baksanov: Yura, I understand my questions to be rather strange but I am interested in your relationship with Boris Grebenschikov and his creative power. If it is possible try to com-pare with the relationship of 80s.

Yuri Morozov: In late 80s it is difficult to speak about the relationships. We had different inter-ests. As for me I could not understand the works of Aquarium. But when they became real celeb-rities I worked with them a lot. We even were able to create mutual album.

LB: What is the name of an album?

YM: “Mon Amur Kostroma” is. He forgot to give me a recording. He had changed many musi-cians. He tried to choose. By the way, the first band with Lyapin and Kerhin was a super one. The folk were trying to continue their tradition. And when Boris began the experiments abroad .He started to make up albums. Two previous he composed in England. I have not been im-pressed with.

LB: What didn’t you like?

YM: I can’t say I liked it. They said to make recording in Annie Lennox. That’s why they have to have recorded something of better quality. But I know it depends not only from the studio but the musicians are very important too. It seems the musician could not see at that moment it. By the way I have worked with one the musician. I worked at his solo album. It was Anthony This-tlethwaite. Yes, I have recorded it but he combined it in London. But the last project I have al-ready heard. It was Chij’s album. He has heard it but he recorded it with Bob Dilanovskiy.

LB: The other days I have read in the Internet. What do you think about it?

YM: I haven’t heard. Chij has heard and he was puzzled about it. He has not got any admiration or disappointment. Boris has got real fans but I am not admired with him a lot. He managed to find his own place in this area. In general as a professional I can’t find any brilliant or virtuous places. There are only the voices and the guitars. Aquarium has the same problem but there is more poetry in their creative power.

LB: Yura, are you able to choose anything you like from creative power of Aquarium?

YM: I like an early period of their activity. It was rather hard one. It was more rock-n-roll than reading of poetry with music. I like exactly this item. There are some findings in everything. I find them but though sometimes I can hear the repetitions. For example, Bob Dilan has influ-enced on them a lot. It is not difficult. Take and translate. On the other hand, it can’t repeat all the time. He has created some of his own. They are rather poetic. You can’t forget about it. The idea is I have rather neutral attitude to Aquarium. It is very quiet.

LB: Yura, you were a witness of the recording of the album “Kostroma Mon Amour”. Can you tell about any bright impressions to us, common people?

YM: The impressions were. Boris works without losing of any forces. He arrives in the morning to the work. He gives his instructions to the boys. Every time there were new boys. I don’t even remember if they have got a drummer at that moment. I could see one well-built boy. I forgot , but it was Lesha Zubarev. So he gives the tasks in the morning and goes away. He goes away, gives interviews. Nobody knows him to do he may sing the checks. In a short, he comes back by the evening to hear what has been composed by the boys. The boys were made up sometimes rather interesting things. I took a part in the process trying to make some remarks. Everything is OK.
Boris comes back and begins … He understands something has happened without him so he was out of it. At that moment he wants to get into the process. There were rather cool musical com-positions. But he refused to take them and we had to remake them creating very weak and unin-teresting things. They were Grbenschikov’s . So there were such moments. He may be right but in this case take part in the process. I may say the feeling of the star has spoilt him in some way.
I don’t know. I meet with him time to time. We may meet one time a year and a half or two years. But we meet on business. For example, we work with his album. It happens very seldom.
I can’t even tell what kind of person he was 4 years ago. An I can’t tell what kind of person he is now. So I don’t follow him. Of course, he was rather common before. Though I may say his be-havior is like a real pop celebrity. He sent me a lot of CDs of 60s. I am a fan of this kind of mu-sic. I like this kind of music but I have some special preferences. I didn’t ask him about it. That’s why he was rather ordinary in relationships.

LB: Yura, have you got any contacts with Aquarium before “Kostroma Mon Amour”?

YM: Yes, I have. It was an early period of their activity I brought together 3 of their songs. They were recorded in a studio of Tropillo Andrew using 8 channels system. I have already forgotten what things I have brought together. We also tried to finish Butman’s part (the saxophone). I have made up by Lyapin. Than we combined this. Also I remember Grebenschikov , Tropillo, I and somebody yet were trying to carry the control panel. We were pulling it to the 5th floor, we were sweating. It was one of the 8th or 9th meetings of 70s. Really I don’t remember. Than there were meetings during the concerts.

LB: Is it possible to tell about the influence of Boris’s creative power on your creative power?

YM: No, there is no succession from Aquarium…I can say I had an album “Troubled Days”. We helped to play DDT. And at that moment DDT influenced on me. But as for Aquarium I have never got it from this side.

LB: Why is it another type of music?

YM: But what it means another mood. Boris seemed never to be a drive man. He has never been real rock-n-roll man. He sings but he looks like to be more bard.
As for Shevchuk who tried to sing romances and gypsies’ songs he was a real rock-n-roll man. As for Boris I have never felt it. He may have it but I have never felt it.

LB: Yuri, would you like to work with Grebenschikov at any good English studio as a co-author or a musician?

YM: Why not? I take news about new projects with pleasure. For example, I have worked with Antony. It was a real hazardous affair. By the way, the voices of Grebenschikov, Shevchuk were recorded into this album. I played the only guitar solo too. I like such projects. The projects where people of different cultures, professionals take part. Why? It is interesting.

LB: Yura, what do you think if Boris Borisovich is rising up or falling down?

YM: For example, I have noticed the self- quotations in the last discs and the texts. It was a lot. There are the recordings in technology and some special approaches from album to album. I even asked about the opposite kinds of guitars. He uses it constantly but it should not be so often. I asked the drummer Yura Nikolaev , “ Are there opposite guitar? “ He said, “ Yes, there are” It is clear because all of this is very similar.
Is he falling down? On my opinion, he has changed the level which he has been following for many years. This is such kind of level as …He became a good master of his genre. And he reaps the benefits of it. But something new will hardly ever appear. It may be. At least, I am not sur-prised in him. Though before he managed to surprise me.

LB: What thing has impressed you?

YM:I can’t say it was something sensational. But there were some places. I usually think over the structure of an arrangement. As for him he has never had it in his head. The musicians usually record the basis and only during the bringing together they choose some special channels. Or it may be a lot of channels. That’s why I have already had such skill inside of me but as for him I can’t say how it happens.
The process of appearance went on. On one hand, it seems to be an amateurship technology. On the other hand, it is an eternal work…

LB: Can you call Boris to be capricious in the working process, in the brining together, in the recording?

YM: Yes, he is.

LB: How is it possible to feel?

YM: For example in some things …In general, he is not a professional musician. Let’s say him not be perceived by me as a professional musician. It was my usual attitude towards him. Some-times he spoke about something serious in an amateurship way. When he was told about rather low tone, he usually said it was OK. He thought it was right because of his mood. He said about him as a specialist who was able to catch the mood. And the work has been played and sung well. We got used to the wandering of his voice over the different tones. It was his special ap-proach. As for me I can’t get used to it. My ear can’t perceive it.

LB: Yura, as a professional and an advanced musician, can you speak about your failure? Do you envy to Grebenschikov who has become more popular?

YM: I think it is incorrect question because I have told about everything in my book

LB: What book is it?

YM: It is “Underground Blues”. It was edited two years ago. Though it doesn’t spread because of the conflict with the publishing company. It has stopped its existence so the book is in a cellar. One shop sells out one or two books for a day. As there were 5 thousand. They are still there.

LB: You should send them here.

YM: Who is sold them out to?

LB: Well, at the concerts …

YM: In brief, honestly to say, I wanted to be a musician or super- star only when I was 16-18. But when I was 25 I did not want it.

LB: Why?

YM: I was not attracted to the career of the musician. I was interested in composing the music, making the experiment. As the public shows I didn’t like them. I gave the concerts with a desire to make experiments or other musicians got into my band. I had 5 different bands. All of them were successful except of DDT. It was when they played only. It was the most successful staff. So it was an experiment or a new opening. When it became popular among the people I even had never thought about it. I have never promoted myself. I have never tried to sell me or visited the TV, radio. Boris did it.

LB: Mick has promoted you?

YM: I was really surprised him to get such interest towards me. I am not such kind of person to be pushed. I don’t know, but I did another kind of business.
I have never tried to make my show regular. Chij&Co made me do it in the spring concert. I have recorded a new album with them.

LB: What is the name?

YM: It is called “On the opposite bank of the river”. It will be released on December 1. Chij&Co made me. I was completely against it. They persuaded me, promising to play something. Well, we have given the concert. The album was heard by one of the producer. He said,”I will give you money for the album”. We recorded the album very quickly. So it usually happens out of my de-sire. I work and suddenly… DDT did the same. Once Shevchuk lost his voice and said,” Let’s do the concert together.” So we made up the program. We gave the concerts for 1 year.

LB: One of your albums I have sent to Japan, to Morgan fisher. Do you know such musician?

YM: I have heard something about him.

LB: The band "Mott the Hoople". There was time they communicated with Boris. I don’t know how he could contact them. But as a professional, musician, the professional in sound recording, a composer, what piece of advice would you give to Boris? It is putting away all of the positions in the society.

YM: If I am able to give a piece of advice. At first he won’t accept any piece of advice. It is without any doubts.

LB: If we look at it from the side of a person who is able to influence on the process. And make it better.

YM:Ah, better one. It seems to me he saved on the musicians. He hires young and keeping si-lence men who don’t ask a lot of money, but if they ask something he immediately gives them a sack. I think he should not save money, but she should work. As for The BAND’y it is interest-ing to play with somebody. He should not save money, work a lot and with a full of energy. He shouldn’t make small experiments with rock-n-roll. But He should play the rock-n-roll.
Only these things I may advise him. It may push him to create with full energy. I feel he has it.
He can do one more attempt. For example, it may be with the Band’y.

LB: Is it possible to unite Chij and Grbenschikov?

YM: Why, not? They mutually respect each other. Grebenschikov has already played some of his works. It is not something extraordinary. Both of they will take it with pleasure. Chij is very sociable person. He is able to find contact with any musician.

LB: OK, thank you very much.

YM: You are welcome.

POST SCRIPTUM the addition about the book “Underground Blues”

YM: Those who have read it they were admired. I was especially impressed with the fact about Yuri Pavlovich Serebryakov. He was an orchestra director and a great professional. His father played with Rastropovich. It was well-known trio. He suffered from Bolsheviks. It was well-known trio. He suffered from Bolsheviks. Yuri Pavlovich was camped. Now he is working too.
He was invited into the recording of Chij&Co. The album was called “ Polonez”. At the end of the album he played something and this book was on the table. Yuri Pavlovich opened it, began to read and even forgot about an orchestra. He was doing it for an hour. Than with trembling he said, “WHO? WHERE?” He was pointed on me. He came up and said him never to have read anything similar. He said about his friend Dovlatov who lived in New York. He wanted to send this book him. So we are friends. He told about this book among all of his friends. They are fas-cinated with it. As for me I think I am an amateur in it. So the conductor of a symphony orches-tra makes recording in my studio. I run the process and give some comments as for an arrange-ment or the violins. But I am an old rock- n- roll player anyway.

LB: Are you George Martin from Saint-Petersburg

YM: Yes, I am. I run the symphonic orchestra. He listens to me as a baby. It astonishes me.

LB: Is it a pleasure?

YM: Well, I don’t know. The idea is I am not in a hurry with such things. I really know what and where to say.

LB: Yura, if it is not a problem, can you give me any telephone number? May be, I’ll call you.

LB: Really, I may sell it out here.

YM: It has been sent to different countries. I had a man who dealt with spreading of the book. But something had happened to him. I could not sell it out.

LB: It is necessary to some amateurs.

YM: Some special, but I don’t know them. I never do it myself. I have it and that’s all.

LB: In general, I have got an access to edition. If you want to order 100, 1000 copies. It is hardly to order so many, but 100 …

YM: Well, 100 is OK, of course. I think it will be sold out immediately. Because everybody who reads it their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. “Why haven’t we heard anything about it? Where is it?

LB: Due to this talk somebody will be interested in Moscow.


(c) 1997 Leonid Backsanov
(Ekaterinburg, Russia, KKT "Kosmos", 21 November 1997)