Pack of Cigarettes (1989): the story of Viktor Tsoy's legendary song
Содержание
What do we know about Viktor Tsoi? This name is forever imprinted in the history of Russian rock as a "legend", an undying "Star called Sun", worthily personifying an entire era... And the song "Pack of Cigarettes" is one of the brightest works of this great musician. The composition is familiar to more than one generation of listeners. Moreover, it is sincerely loved even by those who are absolutely far from Russian rock music....
The beginning of the story
The story of this song began in Alma-Ata in the summer of 1988. It was there and at that time that Viktor Tsoi starred in the film "Needle".
By the end of the 1980s, Tsoi was already at the peak of his popularity: his songs were known and loved, they were heard on every radio, they were sung at every "friendly sit-down" with guitar... And the freshly released album "Blood Group" made the musician and his band "Kino" real "rock stars".
Recording of the album "A Star Called Sun" (1989)
The album "A Star Called Sun" will be the last studio work of the legendary band... Its authorship belongs entirely to Tsoi. Originally the disc was going to be called "Pack of Cigarettes", but at the last moment the band leader decided to change the title track. As the further history shows, it had no effect on the popularity of the masterpiece, which we are going to talk about today!
Despite the fact that the author of the hit refused to tell about the meaning of this creation, the track "Pack of Cigarettes" became a nationwide favourite!
The rhythm part was composed by Tsoi himself, but the solo was selected by Yuri Kasparyan. Later, the Kino guitarist recalled how the arrangement of the track had been arranged:
"...To be honest, the idea behind this song was purely mathematical. Everything in it is very calibrated... I chose the most different notes that I thought were perfect... The result is a very cool melody... I love harmony, algebra! This music is like a science: harmonious, measured, unique and beautiful...".
Performance at concerts
Subsequently, Kino performed this song at their last concerts, in particular at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium (June 1990).
And in this funny video, "Pack of Cigarettes" is performed by characters from Soviet films!
Is there a secret meaning to the composition?
What message did Victor Tsoi put into this song? Music critics, fans and the band members themselves have put forward a lot of versions! But... none of them is trustworthy... Perhaps there is no secret meaning at all? It may well be... We'll let you decide for yourself what the main idea of this timeless masterpiece is.
