CCCP Fedeli Alla Linea "Socialismo e Barbarie" 1987****

I knew of CCCP's reputation as the best/most historic Italian punk band, so when I saw this CD at a second-hand store (in Antwerp, if I remember correctly) I bought it blindly without having heard a single note of music from this band. The contents were a pleasant surprise: I would have been happy with an Italian-language punk record as a curio addition in my collection, but this so much more: an amalgam of punk, folk, goth, new wave, ethnic and religious sounds that somehow gels as a cohesive artistic statement. CCCP (Russian for "USSR"/Soviet Union) describe their music as "pro-Soviet punk", but that is of course just a hoax. They embrace the Soviet aesthetic in order to ridicule it, much as Laibach did with fascism, but do so in such a convincing way that you're never sure whether you've witnessed a parody or a sincere tribute. The title of this (their 2nd album) is "Socialism and barbarism" which should be answer enough, as it reverses the famous dilemma set by Rosa Luxemburg ("Socialism or barbarism"). On the other side, the album cover reeks of socialist realism with its depiction of a worker in the Fiat auto assembly line, and the album opens with "A ja ljublju SSSR" ("I love you, USSR"), an industrial/goth version of the communist hymn The Internationale. Lyrics, as is often the case with CCCP, are spoken rather than sung. Not speaking Italian, I can't convey the spirit of the album but knowing the political climate in Italy at the time it's safe to say that the underlying message isn't "communism is bad" but rather a criticism to the Soviet regime for corrupting the communist ideal. Four punk/hardcore songs follow, of which "Tu menti" ("you lie") exposes English punks as pseudo-revolutionary fashion victims. Playfully, they do it using the main guitar riff from Sex Pistols' "Liar". Then, unexpectedly, the noisy "Stati Di Agitazione" segues into the Catholic hymn "Libera me Domine" with its Bach-like organ. From here on punk takes a back seat: "Manifesto" is mostly spoken over goth/new wave backing music and "Sura" is an almost-instrumental in the same style. "Hong Kong" is a Far East-sounding instrumental, while "Radio Kabul" transports us to the Middle East. The drums and snaky melody remind me of another underground 80's group, Savage Republic. "Inch'Allah ça va" continues with the Arabic influences but successfully marries them to cabaret and French chanson. The CD adds a current single "Oh! Battagliero/Guerra e pace". The former song is Italian folk in tango beat and the latter consists of alternating waltz and punk passages (supposed to represent "War" and "Peace" probably?). CCCP's second (first for a major label) album "Socialismo e Barbarie" is certainly a challenging and multi-levelled work of art, a hidden treasure trove of music. For intelligent listeners only...

***** for A ja ljublju SSSR, Inch'Allah ça va

**** for Per me lo so, Tu menti, Libera me Domine, Manifesto, Radio Kabul, Oh! Battagliero, Guerra e pace

*** for Rozzemilia, Stati di agitazione, Hong Kong, Sura