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I own a couple of their albums; Live in Prowinzz is probably the most enjoyable one even though I cannot say that I really hate any of the others. They are the first band that plays the Beatles’ Back in the USSR in a way that makes you feel they actually are back in the USSR. There is some happy shouting right there! The Beatles sound like a bunch of little boys stuck somewhere in Great Britain, not back in the USSR at all. 

When the Leningrad Cowboys sing California Girls, they bring back an unknown joy about the subject matter, you want to stand and yell out with them, they sound entirely happy about California girls. Happy as in ’going to get them a drink’, happy as in ’marvel’, happy as in ’California is the place to be’ - and that quality had not been with that previously relatively civil if not boring rendition of that song – not since The Beach Boys came up with it. Then, the Leningrad Cowboys turn the well known Wild Cherry’s Play That Funky Music – a very funky song – into an almost hymn like pitch black rock ballad and deliver it with a rare melancholy, with dark aggressiveness and thrive; melancholic reinterpretation
of music designed to be energizing and loud often has a special kick to it which we know since Pink Martini gave us Never On Sunday.

The LC’s These Boots is played as a folk song with happy absurdity that matches the somewhat outlandish text (why
would boots walk over anyone to begin with!); however, by far the best version of These Boots in my view is found on Megadeth’s album Killing is my business..

With I'm Gonna Roll, the Leningrad Cowboys place themselves way ahead of bands such as Cheap Trick, Status Quo or Toten Hosen. When I hear them have a go at Dancing in the Street, it is the street part singing with the lead singer -
the choire - that was missing from so many other renditions: the choral part has a Russian shouting to it that makes you want to give all of your dollars to Russian Oil; this is not saying that Van Halen (pounding rhythm) or the Carpenters (soothing, soft) don’t have something going for their version of that song as well. With Gold Finger, this unbelievable rock band brings the attributes male prowess, respect out of fear, kiss of death and self representation back to this great song which probably should never have been sung by a woman in the first place seeing as if Uber-Kerl Gerd Froebe played that part. Delilah has us enjoy the performance of a lead singer and supporting choire that thoroughly transport their abundant joy in this song – a type of joy lost from so many other contemporary interpretations. The saxophone solo goes way past the call of duty to give you that extra feel of Harlem Nights.

Overall, precise instrumental play, good rock vocals and a keen eye for adequate mood, pace and ornamentation provides a rare intelligent sense about the songs that are delivered.

In the same context and if you still bear with me, I should recommend the album Strummin’ with the Devil - The Southern Side of Van Halen that had David Lee Roth (former front man of Van Halen) assemble sharp, precise, top notch country interpretations of top Van Halen songs. The result is, with very few exceptions, beyond astonishing. Panama starts you off from beat 1 with a banjo picked sound carpet; the rhythm paces fast, while accurate strumming keeps the beats interesting throughout the many breaks of this song. To hear Unchained – that had Van Halen feature
screaming vocals, scratching guitar strings, a pounding bass line and absolutely escalating guitar solo play – now presented in a racing country arrangement that would have Earl Scruggs go pale is nothing short of surprising. And The Cradle Will Rock is probably one of the finest songs the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band ever recorded, featuring a bunch ofwell coordinated instrumental solos.