Sold Date: April 18, 2023
Start Date: March 18, 2023
Final Price: £109.99 (GBP)
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Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980), was a Russian actor, poet, songwriter, and performer who was considered "the voice of the heart of a nation." His wide-ranging and forthright poems were considered subversive by the Soviet authorities and were barred from publication, but they were the cultural lifeblood for many Russians.

Vysotsky was an immensely popular figure who continued to be revered, read and listened to long after his death. You might even compare his gravelly voice, use of slang, and hard-drinking lifestyle to that of the American singer Tom Waits.

His great popularity as an actor was perhaps even exceeded by his popularity as a poet and songwriter; he wrote several hundred songs and poems, as well as incidental music for plays and films. Soviet officialdom permitted few of his songs to be sung on television or in films or to be recorded. His reputation spread through his appearances in clubs, factories, and universities and the mass distribution of homemade (and illegal) tape recordings (magnitizdat) and typescripts and mechanical copies (samizdat).

His lyrical themes ranged from Soviet prison life and internal exile ("Only the final judgment could be worse") and Soviet official hypocrisy ("I grieve that honor has been put to rout, that backbiting has been deified") to the exigencies of Russian daily life (crowded living quarters, long food lines, unfair privileges of the elite). More than simply reflecting a difficult reality, he gave many of his fellow citizens the strength to go on. He died of a heart attack at the age of 42, at which point the Soviet authorities allowed his recordings to be published.

On offer here is albums 1-18 of his collected works from the series "At the Concerts of Vladimir Vysotsky":

1) Vladimir Vysotsky №1. Sentimental boxer. 1987
2) Vladimir Vysotsky №2. Save our Souls. 1987
3) Vladimir Vysotsky №3. Moscow - Odessa. 1988
4) Vladimir Vysotsky №4. Song about friend. 1988
5) Vladimir Vysotsky №5. Peace to your home. 1988
6) Vladimir Vysotsky №6. Alien track. 1988
7) Vladimir Vysotsky №7. Big carriage. 1989
8) Vladimir Vysotsky №8. In the neutral zone. 1989
9) Vladimir Vysotsky №9. Pacer run. 1989
10) Vladimir Vysotsky №10. Horses are finicky. 1989
11) Vladimir Vysotsky №11. In search of the genre. 1990
12) Vladimir Vysotsky №12. Long jump. 1990
13) Vladimir Vysotsky №13. Lecture. 1990
14) Vladimir Vysotsky №14. Ballad of childhood. 1990
15) Vladimir Vysotsky №15. Masquerade. 1990
16) Vladimir Vysotsky. part №16. Interview 1990
17) Vladimir Vysotsky. part №17. Paradise Apples 1991 

There are other albums in the series (21 in total), but this set is all the editions published during the times of the USSR, not after the collapse.

На концертах Владимира Высоцкого 1-17

Material: Paper sleeves, vinyl albums
Title: "At the Concerts of Vladimir Vysotsky" (На концертах Владимира Высоцкого)
Language: Russian
Publisher: Мелодия (Melodiya) Moscow
Condition: Very Good condition. Vinyls are mainly MINT, with no scratches, covers have signs of wear, and rings on the back side. 1 has an album sleeve from a non-Visotsky record. See photos for details.
Dimensions: 31 cm x 31 cm
Year Made: 1987-1991
Weight: 3285g for all 17