Mashina Vremeni
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| Mashina Vremeni | |
|---|---|
| Country | Russia |
| Years active | 1969 - Present |
| Genres | Rock |
| Members | Andrei Makarevich Alexander Kutikov Valeriy Efremov Evgeny Margulis Andrei Derzhavin |
Mashina Vremeni (Машина времени, Russian for Time Machine), which formed in Moscow in the late 1960's, is recognized as one of the two "patriarchs" of Russian rock music (the other one being Aquarium). This indirectly dates the Russian rock-n-roll tradition: the leaders of both bands (Andrei Makarevich and Boris Grebenshchikov, who share a career-long friendship) were born in 1953 and admitted to getting into rock-n-roll due a high-school fascination with The Beatles.
Despite the influence, Mashina never sounded much like the Beatles: their rock anthems, which are a staple of Russian pop-culture, somewhat resemble Creedence Clearwater Revival, and over the course of their career they've recorded songs in every tint of 70's rock music, in addition to outright blues numbers. Just like with Aquarium, Mashina has tried to incorporate Eastern European and Asian folk influences, although to a lesser degree. Mashina Vremeni's best known members are Andrei Makarevich - the founder, principal singer-songwriter and the band's public persona, and Alexander Kutikov - the bass player and producer/sound engineer.
Other members have come and gone throughout the years, which contributed to the fact that Mashina is a pluralistic band - on any given record one will hear songs performed by at least two different singers (on the later records the number is usually four).
Contents |
[edit] History
The first band Andrei Makarevich was involved into was school band which consisted of two guitars and two girls on vocals singing American folk songs. Serious attempts began in 1968 when Andrei Makarevich heard The Beatles songs. The band was reformed and called The Kids. After some time the girls were removed from the squad and the band began to be called Mashiny Vremeni (Time Machines - in plural form imitating The Beatles, Rolling Stones etc.) The most significant founders included Sergey Kavagoe and Andrei Makarevich. The band's repertoire consisted of eleven songs in English language, now lost.
- 1971 - Alexander Kutikov becomes the bass player, introducing more of buoyant rock-n-roll into the band's material
- 1972 - Line-up losses in the band; several members are drafted into service (which to this day is compulsory in Russia)
- 1973 - Due to tensions between Sergey Kavagoe and Alexander Kutikov the latter leaves the band for a hard rock outfit Visokosnoe Leto (Leap Year Summer)
- 1974 - Sergey Kavagoe leaves, Alexander Kutikov returns. However, Kavagoe returns after about a half-year. The band performs with the following line-up - Andrei Makarevich, Alexander Kutikov, Sergey Kavagoe, and Alexey Romanov (future leader of another prominent Russian band Voskresenie (The Resurrection))
- 1975 - Romanov and Kutikov suddenly depart. Evgeny Margulis joins on guitar
- 1976 - Mashina Vremeni is invited to a festival "Songs of youth in Tallinn - 76" and performed there with a great success. Many people join (including couple of violinists) and leave after some time during this year.
- 1978 - The first studio record of Mashina Vremeni. Alexander Kutikov while playing in Visokosnoe Leto was also working in sound-recording sturdio help the band with access to a good equipment. The record is now known as "Eto bylo tak davno" ("That was so long ago").
- 1979 - A crisis of the band. Sergey Kavagoe and Evgeny Margulis leaves the band joining Voskresenie of Alexey Romanov. This time one of the most popular songs of the band was written by Andrei Makarevich - "Poka gorit svecha" ("While the candle burns") as a sign of his not giving up. After some time of frustration Alexander Kutikov saves the situation leaving the Visokosnoe Leto band and bringing Valeriy Efremov (also from Visokosnoe Leto) as drummer and Petr Podgorodetskiy on the keyboards.
- 1980 - The beginning of the golden era of Mashina Vremeni. The band wins the festival "Spring Rhythms 80" main award and continues its concert tour. However, that was allowed only because of music freedom indulgences given in light of Olympic Games 1980 in Moscow.
- 1981 - The song "Povorot" ("The turning point") stays on the top of charts for 18 monthes.
- 1982 - Repressions starts again with a slashing article "Ragout out of Blue bird" ("Blue Bird" was a popular song of the band) noting depressive and non-ideological songs of the band. However country-wide wave of protest against those repressions raised and thousands letters are sent to the editores of the newspapers. Petr Podgorodetskiy leaves and Alexandr Zaitsev substitutes him.
- 1986 - "Best songs 1979-1985" compilation is recorded. Album "V dobriy chas" ("Good Luck") is recorded.
- 1987 - "Reki i Mosty" ("Rivers and Bridges") album is issued. That album is considered as first released album (all the previous were just recorded for the underground distribution. First appearances on the television. The band performs at Live Aid 2 festival in Japan.
- 1988 - First international tours - USA, Canada, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria.
- 1989 - "V kruge sveta" ("In the circle of light") album is released.
- 1990 - Alexandr Zaitsev leaves and well-known Evgeny Margulis and Petr Podgorodetsky join the band once again.
- 1991 - "Medlennaya khoroshaya muzyka" ("Slow good music") album is released.
- 1993 - Alexander Kutikov's company "Sintez Records" releases retro albums "Best songs 1979-1985" and "That was so long ago". Album "Vneshtatniy komandir Zemli" ("Part-time commander of the Earth") is released.
- 1994 - Accustic live album "Unplugged" is recorded and released. 25th anniversary is celebrated in 7 hours concert on the Red Square
- 1995 - Compilation of old unpublished songs is released. This compilation is known as "Kogo ty khotel udivit?" ("Whom did you want to surprise?"). It was called after one of the most successful songs of Alexander Kutikov.
- 1996 - "Kartonniye krylia lubvi" ("Paper wings of love") album is released.
- 1996 - "20 let spustya" ("20 years after") album is released.
- 1997 - "Otryvayas" ("Breaking away") album is released.
- 1999 - The 30th anniversary of the band. Great concert, which is usually considered to be the best concert of Mashina Vremeni, is carried out in the main stadium of "sport-complex Olympiyskiy" im Moscow. "Chasy i znaki" ("Hours and signs") album is released. Petr Podgorodetskiy leaves due to tensions. Andrey Derzhavin takes his place on the keyboard.
- 2001 - "Mesto gde svet" ("The place with a light") album is released.
- 2004 - 35th anniversary of the band. Great concert consisting of 35 selected songs is played at the Red Square. "Mashinalno" ("Mechanically") album is released.
- 2005 - Live album "Kremlin rocks" was released. The band performed with chamber orchestra "Kremlin".
- 2006 - Sintez Records releases a compliation called "Mashina vremeni - chast' 1" ("Time Machine - Part 1"). The band records a new album (which is called in English "Time machine") at famous Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios.
- 2007 - The group releases the Time machine album.
[edit] Analysis
Although presented as a rock band, Mashina Vremeni incorporates many differnent genres. Through the stages in its development band played in many styles, beginning with imitations of Western rock leaders and ending with the unique Mashina's style. However, experiments are welcomed even now at the end of fourth decade of the band's existence. The last album "Mashinalno" reflects the devotion of band members to the music of 1970s with the sound of the 21st century. Album included some Beatles-like songs, punk composition, some blues and some slow ballads. Actually, each album includes songs of many genres. Blues of Petr Podgorodetskiy and Evgeny Margulis, variety of genres by Andrei Makarevich and hard rock and fiery rock-n-roll of Alexandr Kutikov. And yet, this can not be called a rule - all authors contributed almost to every genre.
Most of the charm of their songs is in melody and lyrics - many of the most popular songs in the repertoire are played only with guitar beats or with only one simple guitar solo. But that doesn't reduce their popularity among all ages. It is probably one of couple Russian rock bands on the concert of which one can watch 50-years old bearded The Beatles fan-from-the-early 1960s as well as teenagers in the crowd.
[edit] Prominent hits
- Povorot ("The Turn" by Kutikov/Makarevich) is a pop-culture phenomenon for anyone of Russian descent, and comfortably one of the Top 10 most recognized pop/rock songs in Russian (on the par with "Hey, Jude" for the English-speaking world). A 2x4 70's pop-rock bulldozer (think Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" with a rougher feel). Usually performed next to last in concert, and sung along by most of the crowd. The lyrics play on the well-trodden image of the road taking a turn and life turning with it. Soviet censorship had long suspected that the lyrics might be concealing a call for regime change.
- Svecha ("The Candle" or "Until the candle burns" by Makarevich) - an Elton John-esque song of hope complete with the piano part.
- Marionetki ("The puppets" by Makarevich) is the other band anthem with the lyric being an elaborate sketch on the topic of all humans being puppets in someone's "able and well-worked" hands. The puppeteer is never named.
[edit] Albums
| Year | Russian | Translit | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Это было так давно | Eto bylo tak davno | That was so long ago | |
| 1979 | Маленький принц | Malenkiy printz | The Little Prince | live album with inter-song quotations from the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry book |
| 1985 | Лучшие песни Машины Времени 1979-1985 | Luchshiye Pesni 1979-1985 | Best songs 1979-1985 | |
| 1986 | В добрый час | V dobriy chas | Good luck | |
| 1987 | Реки и мосты | Reki i mosty | Rivers and bridges | |
| 1989 | В круге света | V kruge sveta | In the circle of light | |
| 1991 | Медленная хорошая музыка | Medlennaya khoroshaya muzyka | Slow good music | |
| 1993 | Внештатный командиръ земли | Vneshtatniy komandir Zemli | Part-time commander of the Earth | |
| 1994 | Кого ты хотел удивить? | Kogo ty khotel udivit | Whom did you want to surprise? | old unpublished song compilation |
| 1994 | Unplugged | live accustic album | ||
| 1996 | Megamix | remixes of some popular songs in electronic music manner | ||
| 1996 | Картонные крылья любви | Kartonniye kryliya lubvi | Paper wings of love | |
| 1996 | Неизданное | Neizdannoe | Unpublished | some rare songs of early 70s |
| 1997 | Отрываясь | Otryvayas | Breaking away | |
| 1999 | ХХХ лет МВ | XXX anniversary concert | live album | |
| 1999 | Часы и Знаки | Chasy i znaki | Hours and signs | |
| 2000 | 50 на двоих | 50 na dvoikh | 50 for two | Joint concert of Mashina Vremeni and Voskresenie |
| 2001 | Место, где свет | Mesto gde svet | Place with a light | |
| 2004 | Машинально | Mashinalno | Mechanically | |
| 2005 | Kremlin Rocks! | A concert of Mashina Vremeni with chamber orchestra Kremlin | ||
| 2007 | Time machine |
Mashina Vremeni is one of the best selling artists in Russia, but due to raging computer piracy, most of CDs sold are not legal CDs released by recording companies.
[edit] Trivia
From the opening credits on the DVD with the anniversary 30 years concert in 1999:
- 30 years are:
- 10957 days OR
- 15778080 minutes OR
- 4 general secretaries and 2 presidents OR
- 593 songs OR
- 21 albums OR
- 3359 concerts in 173 cities in 27 countries
[edit] Current line-up
- Andrei Makarevich - guitar, vocals
- Alexander Kutikov - bass-guitar, vocals
- Valeriy Efremov - drums, percussion
- Evgeny Margulis - guitar, bass-guitar, vocals
- Andrei Derzhavin - keyboard, vocals
- Sergey Ostroumov - additional percussions (regular on live performances since 2004)
- Alexandr Ditkovsky - trumpet (regular on live performances since 2004)
