Alisa was founded in November 1983 by bassist Svetoslav Zadery. The name of the band is borrowed from Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland". The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (born Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Pyotr Samoylov joined Alisa. Their debut album "Energia" (Energy) was released by Melodia, the state publishing monopoly, and was sold in numbers of more than one million.
But the relations between the two leaders, Konstantin and Zadery, were poor, and finally Svetoslav left the band. This occurred just one hour before Alisa was to perform at a concert. Alisa had to ask Кино bassist Igor Tihomirov to replace him for one concert. Later Zadery created his own band 'Nate!' ('Take it!').
The growing popularity of the band created a fan community called the 'Army of Alisa', known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In 1987 the newspaper Smena accused Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and worshipping Hitler. Alisa's leader Kinchev filed a suit for calumny and moral loss compensation. After the year-long court process the magazine published the refutation. Alisa's next album was titled Article 206 part 2, a chapter ('Hooliganism') of the USSR Procedural Code, alluding to this process.
There were new lineup changes in 1988, when guitarist Igor 'Chuma' Chumykin joined Alisa. This change was followed by the heavier sound of next albums Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured through Europe and Israel together with Aria. The album Black Mark, 1994, was dedicated to the memory of Chuma, who committed suicide by jumping from the window.
In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (It is Later Than You Think, 2003) and Izgoy (Exile, 2005), the sound of Alisa was changed to a heavier one, including elements of nu-metal, industrial and heavy metal. Music critics credited Clawfinger as Kinchev's greatest new music influence. This gave Alisa a new fan base among Russian hard rock fans, and three songs from Izgoy continually reached the top of the NASHE radio chart.
Kinchev was baptised in 1990, and since then Christianity has been the main influence on his alignment and his lyrics. Although early Alisa lyrics were typical for Russian rock - the social protest and rock 'n' roll hype - since the late 1990's their main theme has been ideas of Christianity, Russian patriotism, and Slavic unity.
Konstantin is in good relations with the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially Andrey Kuraev. Alisa has participated in many religion-supporting festivals, such as 'Musicians for the Christ Savior Cathedral'.
Рикошет
АлисА Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Свистопляс, отрава, мор –
Чехарда отпетых лет.
Кровью отпылал сумрак в перебор,
Посягнув на рикошет.
Конченый герой –
Тех, кто принял бой,
Смертью не унять!
Тихий подвиг слова "Верь",
Торный путь в открытый Свет.
Думал, что войду раньше в эту дверь,
Оказалось – Рикошет.
The lyrics to Алиса's song Рикошет appear to be a tribute to the memory of A. Aksenov, a Russian writer who passed away in 2009. The opening lines, "Свистопляс, отрава, мор" (whistle dance, poison, sea) paint a chaotic and dangerous picture of the past, filled with violence and uncertainty. The phrase "Чехарда отпетых лет" (a circus of long gone years), suggests that these events were part of a distant past, but their effects are still felt today.
The next two lines, "Кровью отпылал сумрак в перебор, Посягнув на рикошет" (the darkness was dusted with blood, aiming for a ricochet) further reinforce the idea that the past has left a mark on the present. The phrase "посягнув на рикошет" suggests that the actions of the past have had unintended consequences that are still being felt.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that those who fought and died are not forgotten, despite their ultimate defeat. The lines "Конченый герой – Псам помеха спать. Тех, кто принял бой, Смертью не унять!" (The conquered hero - is just a nuisance for the dogs who sleep. Those who took up the fight, cannot be subdued by death!) evoke a sense of defiance and resilience, despite the odds.
The final lines of the song, "Тихий подвиг слова "Верь", Торный путь в открытый Свет. Думал, что войду раньше в эту дверь, Оказалось – Рикошет" (The quiet act of faith in the word "Believe", the thorny path to the open Light. I thought I would enter this door earlier, but it turned out to be a ricochet) suggest that despite the challenges faced, the singer still holds onto hope and faith that they will eventually reach their desired destination.
Line by Line Meaning
Свистопляс, отрава, мор –
This chaotic dance with death, poison, and the sea represents the crazy ride of the past.
Чехарда отпетых лет.
This is a circus act of old memories, a mix of good and bad ones.
Кровью отпылал сумрак в перебор,
The struggle of overcoming darkness and the cost of it - blood was shed in excess.
Посягнув на рикошет.
Trying to accomplish something so grand, it had the potential to backfire.
Конченый герой –
The fallen hero, defeated and gone.
Псам помеха спать.
The noise of their defeat may have disturbed others but not those who truly understand what they went through.
Тех, кто принял бой,
The fighters who bravely took on the challenge.
Смертью не унять!
Even with death, their memory and impact will live on forever.
Тихий подвиг слова "Верь",
The small yet significant act of believing in something greater than oneself.
Торный путь в открытый Свет.
The painful path towards the light, the truth, and ultimately, freedom.
Думал, что войду раньше в эту дверь,
I thought I would be the first one to step in and succeed.
Оказалось – Рикошет.
But instead, I was just a ricochet, a result of those before me paving the way and sacrificing themselves for me.
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Пчолко Владислав Сергеевич
Светлой памяти Рикошету.
Николя Покровский
Светлая память Рикошету
Андрей Булатов
Класс!
drabbad
С юбилеем, Рикошет.
Scobaru
Сейчас даже никто не в состоянии представить, что тогда Рикошет, хотя уже уступал в популярности Кинчеву, соперничал с ним в серьёзности и подаче материала (тексты в частности, бунтарский дух).
Scobaru
@Vol Deineko
У Рикошета одна из самых хороших и смелых вещей была "Любовь к оружию", звучавшая на 6-м рок-фестивале Ленрокклуба и вошедшая в виниловый сборник. Ошибкой всех этих бунтарей было вовлечение в антисоветскую пропаганду, в результате чего после "победы демократии" они стали никому не нужны, и проблемы были уже у "Алисы" и "Арии", которые, дабы не оказаться опопсёнными, испытывали большие проблемы разного рода (финансовые, организация концертов, конкуренция с новыми группами, т.к. "главным роком" стали "Чижи" и "Агата Кристи", а выход в широкий доступ "оригиналов" "Арии" - "Iron maiden" и "Judas priest" - был одним из поводом исчезновения со сцены после 1991 до самого 1995 г.).
Vol Deineko
@leo stepanoffне скажи - я их помню еще с 87-го в Таллинне: Объект Насмешек и Алиса - самые запомнившиеся, ну да, и Телевизор тогда был крут
Scobaru
@leo stepanoff
Да, что ж тут поделать? "Телевизор" тоже, НО только с той разницей, что Миша Борзыкин ещё жив.
leo stepanoff
Дык, сейчас и название "Объект насмешек" ничего не скажет.
Виталий Бельский
"Обнимаю. Рикошет."