Cheap Leningrad Cowboys - Total Balalaika Show (DVD) (Aki Kaurismäki) Price

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Customer Reviews of Leningrad Cowboys - Total Balalaika Show

The Cold War is over, and Rock won...
I agree with the other reviewers about this. It's an eye-popper. I had seen "Leningrad Cowboys Do America" a dozen years ago and enjoyed it; then in 2006 my work took me on a trip to Eastern Europe where I flipped on the TV and saw the Leningrad cowboys being interviewed--couldn't understand a word, but if you know the Leningrad Cowboys, well, you know the Leningrad Cowboys. "What the heck?" I thought,"Are these guys still around?" I googled around and found that they've done a few movies. All I could find in the NTSC US (region 1) format was their first movie and this documentary of the concert they performed with the Red Army Ensemble. <
> By the end of five minutes it really sinks in that the cold war is over--in case you hadn't already noticed. There is something surreal (you'll wear that word out while watching) about the concert. First of all, it is a straight-up concert. The Red Army is a great all-male choir, the Leningrad Cowboys, errr, they are a third-rate rock band with a lot of heart, and a very dry sense of humor. The juxtaposition of the Red Army pouring all their soul into either a. Russian Folk standards (like Kalinka) or b. 60's Rock and Roll standards while the Cowboys flounce around in front of them is unforgettable. The first time the visuals are so jarring that it's hard to pay attention to some rather good music. The second and third time it is easier to laugh and to appreciate some nicely done Russian folk music and golden oldies rock 'n' roll. <
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Bizarre in the best way!
This is such a strange performance piece. The Alexandrov Russian Army ensemble is a great surprise in that they seem to "get" what is going on. As the Cowboys stated in an interview, they were all musicians just in different uniforms so everybody got it in short order. Musicianship is very good. Makes one frustrated they virtually never never seen in America. <
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>The extras are amusing. The additional videos of their more recent material are on their own almost worth the price. Leningrad, Where's the Moon, and Jupiter Calling are twists from a twisted band. My favorite though is Happy Being Miserable which is so descriptive of people I know, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

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The Cowboys Rope A Winner
A prior reviewer wrote that the Leningrad Cowboys "parodied" rock music. Their outrageous hairdos and stage antics may be a parody, but this reviewer believes they were dead serious about their music. A group does not enlist the Red Army Choir for parody. The performance was excellent, the singers nearly beyond dispute, and the music inspired. <
>A copy of Happy Together was not available. But the Total Balalakia Show was, and featured two versions of "Happy Together": an original opening piece for the show and the original version. <
>The Leningrad Cowboys combine comedy and excellent renditions of rock music from my age of the world. Long may they wave. <
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