Александр ДОЛЬСКИЙ  The Last Supper

In brief: recorded in 1991. 'The Last Supper' is an album about an 'inclination that drives vagrants and vagabonds'. There is a few words about politics, some deep philosophical ideas and, unexpectedly, lots of irony. Dolsky emphasizes this irony with his voice (like in 'America', 'Dream', 'Bicycle' or lampoon 'Reflections about the nature of power'), therefore it seems that he's playing some unpleasant role. Maybe he can not get rid of the memoirs of the past - he's a former actor of one of Leningrad theaters. But nevertheless this performance gives us the feeling of something fresh and new. It's hard not to be warped by definite Vysotsky modulations in some songs on this album, still any Russian poet who takes the guitar and starts to sing can not avoid this. Dolsky is one of the few Russian bards who've never been compared to Vysotsky. So his harshness and familiar intonation in 'The Scrap') sounds rather odd.

Quotes: My songs are my convictions. So what's the difference if I sing them or not. Any true listener probably acts like that: if a song has become his conviction, he's ashamed to step back. (Alexander Dolsky. From an interview. 1988)

I should not rather define those songs (including 'America') as lampoonery. When I hear this word - lampoonery, satire - I'm jerking, because in this country it has been precipitated, so I am ashamed to say that I'm writing lampoonery. (From an interview, 1988).

The audience at my concerts does not want to listen to all those long profound ideas of mine. For the concert I'm trying to find some songs where I managed to do it successfully, beautifully, metaphorically, laconic and melodious. Those are the songs I sing at the concerts. And all the other songs... One should listen to them at home. On the CD-players. (From an interview).