Skip to music player
Peak of Idiocy
1984 Golden Era

Peak of Idiocy

Oblachny Kray · 14 tracks · 52:25
The fifth numbered studio album by Oblachny Kray, recorded in January 1984 at the Cultural Center of the Red Smithy factory in Arkhangelsk during building renovation. Session musicians were invited for the first time: Konstantin Lapshin (saxophone, flute) and Vladimir Abroskin (drums). Bogaev later described it as the best-sounding of their early recordings; a shortened edition appeared in 2001, with the complete version released in 2009.
Your rating:

Album tracks

8/14 52:25
Copy
1
Preface
2:50
2
Meat Refrigeration Plant
2:22
3
Wider Circle
3:22
4
Time of Initiation into Love
4:20
5
Fairy of the Sticky Dream
5:11
6
All the World's Diamonds Are Fading
5:21
7
Strike of the Love Armored Car
6:12
8
I'm Riffraff
5:09
9
Victim of Democracy
2:18
10
I Stand on the Marble Balcony
3:40
11
Sycophants and Bastards
1:41
12
Peak of Idiocy, Part 1
2:23
13
Peak of Idiocy, Part 2
2:02
14
Marasmic Apocalypse
5:34

Album story

By the end of 1983, the pressure on the group had reached its absolute limit. On orders from above, local law enforcement agencies dispersed practically the entire Arkhangelsk rock club. Oblachny Krai, however, could not be disbanded, as there was nothing to pin on them. Sergei Bogayev worked as an electrician at a factory, was a brigade leader, and was a leading production worker; he had served in the army and was not studying at a university. In short, he could not be intimidated with expulsion from a university or other deprivations. Therefore, unable to figure out a way to shut down the project, a particularly zealous official from the committee (the one known as "Super-Chukcha") forbade all Palaces of Culture and clubs from hosting the band's performances, let alone providing spaces for rehearsals and album recordings. The musicians recorded this remarkable album under the most grueling conditions, though they were no strangers to working in extreme modes. Everything turned out top-notch, as always! With this album, Sergei stepped away from art rock and moved closer stylistically to hard rock. Due to the persecution of the band, they did not have time to fully compile the album, and its first release was a third shorter. The album was fully compiled by Sergei and prepared for release in 2008. It was released in its complete form and with restored sound for the first time in 2009. 
I. Plenov

  1. Foreword
  2. Meat Cold Storage
  3. Widen the Circle
  4. Time of Initiation into Love
  5. Fairy of the Sticky Dream
  6. All the Diamonds of the World Fade
  7. Strike of the Love Tank
  8. I'm a Redneck
  9. Victim of Democracy
  10. I Stand on a Marble Balcony
  11. Sycophants and Bastards
  12. The Peak of Idiocy Part I
  13. The Peak of Idiocy Part II
  14. Senile Apocalypse
Oblachny Krai "The Peak of Idiocy"

Lineup:

Sergei Bogayev: guitars, bass, music, lyrics, vocals (1, 2, 4) 
Oleg Rautkin: vocals, drums, piano (09) 
Nikolai Lyskovsky: keyboards 
Konstantin Lapshin: saxophone, flute 
Vladimir Abroskin: drums (3, 7, 8)

  • Sound Engineer: Sergei Bogayev
  • Artwork: Sergei Bogayev
  • Artwork Restoration: Sergei Supalov
  • Audio Restoration and Mastering: Igor Plenov 2008 SPb

Personnel

Musicians who performed on this album