Alexander Bashlachov also known as SashBash was one of the Russian literature genius. I can tell it for sure because I am a philologist. His lyrics are great. He is not well known. He is not famous even in Russia. Also those who are acquainted to his songs would never say (if they understand something in poetry) that he is not worth to be called a genius. One of the best Russian rock lyricist Yuriy Shevchuk says that Alexander Bashlachov was the best poet of Russian rock. I wrote: “Was the best”, - because he died in 1988th. He was 27 years old. Alexander Bashlachyov was from Siberia. He worked as an artist and a journalist. Later he moved to Moscow and then to Leningrad. Although he was a famous rocker, he had no home of his own. He’s been living in the flats of his friends.
During the life he’s been working with such famous bands as “Alysa”, “Nautilus Pompilius”, “Grazhdanskaya oborona” and other. Also most time he performed his songs by himself: acoustic guitar, vocal… and bells on the arm. Sure those who do not know Russian language can not fully enjoy songs by Bashlachov. There is nothing special in his music. His voice was not super powerful. The special thing was his poetry, his lyrics. Sure you can listen those songs and mention that they are written well. Though beside rhymes, alliteration and other literary devices which aim to make poetry sound nice, his songs contain a lot of unique metaphors, postmodernized proverbs, deep sense, etc.
Now I’d like to write down some translations of the words by Alxander Bashlachyov. “Long we’ve passed
Through hot and frost
All we’ve born
And still are free
We’ve eaten snow
With bark of tree
And we’ve grown…“
“We are learning to drink But the water in well has been frozen
There are black holes And that makes me thirsty We’d been sinking in sand Then felt on the ice blade And lost consciousness… And gantlets”
Most of the lyrics by SashBash are dramatically sad, but some of the songs are very humorous. There are also some videos with him. He was a kind of a thin man who obtained great energy. It can be seen quite clear on the videos. He was unusual.
