Optimizm

Optimizm
Studio album by
Grazhdanskaya Oborona
Released1985, 1988
RecordedSummer 1985 / 12–22 January 1988
StudioGrOb Studio
Genre
Length31:00 (1988 original)
46:01 (2006 CD reissue)
LabelGrOb
XOP/Moroz (1996 CD/MC reissue)
Misteriya Zvuka (2006 expanded CD reissue)
ProducerYegor Letov
Grazhdanskaya Oborona chronology
Poganaya molodyozh'
(1985) 		Optimizm
(1985) 		Myshelovka
(1987)

Optimizm (Russian: Оптимизм, Optimism) is the second studio album by Soviet/Russian punk band Grazhdanskaya Oborona. The album was released in 1985 and was recorded concurrently with its follow-up Poganaya molodyozh'.

The original versions of Poganaya molodezh and Optimizm were recorded in 1984 with Egor Letov and Konstantin Ryabinov (Kuzya UO, Кузя УО) and intended to be a Posev album. According to Letov, the two albums represented two parts of one big release and published together on a single tape. This tape was produced under the title "Grazhdanskaya Oborona" or "GO-85". The album was recorded in 1984/1985, but was re-recorded in 1988 by E. Letov and Kuzya Uo. Participants in the recording of the album in 1985 was Andrey Babenko (Boss), Oleg Ivanovsky and Valery Rozhkov, who played the flute in the song "Optimizm".

The album is lighter and more lyrical in comparison with the debut album and made in the genre of post-punk and garage rock. The song "Sobaka", "Na nashikh glazakh" and "Optimizm" was played in the genre reggae and folk. Songs of this album were composed by Letov and Kuzya Uo back in the band «Posev» in 1983. Subsequently, these songs were re-recorded and included in the compilation of Grazhdansakaya Oborona "Posey" in 1989.

The album had no cover until the 1999 release on XOP, because it was originally distributed via magnitizdat. The basis for the album cover went the figure of Yegor Letov drawn specially for the cover of the album in 1985.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ya bespolezen ("I’m useless")"Yegor Letov, Oleg Ivanovsky, Kuzya UO3:14
2."Ya blyuyu na vashi dela ("I don’t care about what you do")"Yegor Letov, Andrey Babenko, Kuzya UO2:11
3."Na nashikh glazakh ("Before our eyes")"Yegor Letov3:05
4."Klenoviy list ("Maple leaf")"Yegor Letov2:08
5."Ey, babishcha blevani ("Hey, hag, puke!")"Yegor Letov, Oleg Ivanovsky, Kuzya UO2:57
6."Kto ischet smisl ("Who searches for sense")"Yegor Letov3:30
7."Sobaka ("Dog")"Kuzya UO3:55
8."Eto ne ya ("That's not me")"Yegor Letov, Kuzya UO2:04
9."Optimizm ("Optimism")"Yegor Letov2:06
10."Detsky doktor skazal: "Nishtyak" ("Pediatrician said: Cool")"Yegor Letov, Kuzya UO4:12
11."Ne nado ("No need")"Yegor Letov, Kuzya UO0:36

Personnel

  • Yegor Letov – vocals, guitars, bass guitar, drums, production
  • Konstantin Ryabinov (Kuzya UO) – vocals, guitars, bass guitar
  • Valery Rozhkov – flute («Optimizm»)