Nogu Svelo! - Middle Period (1996-1999)

Middle Period (1996-1999)

Having gained popularity (they even appeared with Russian mega-star Alla Pugachova in a concert), the band spent the next two years maturing their sound. Wind and horn sections received additional attention, synth parts became more colorful, bass became more subdued. The vocals of Maxim Pokrovskiy changed significantly, from a lack of melodic nuance and subtlety in conveying the humorous and parodic aspects of the lyrics to having a wide emotional range, an almost crooning quality in the slower or melodic passages and a serious tone even in the most ridiculous songs. For example, in a song describing the romance between a lady and a soldier, he proclaims: "...save our women from the anti-war rabble of the world"!).

The band recorded two albums between 1997 and 1999: Счастлива, потому что беременна: Cиний альбом (Happy Because I'm Pregnant: The Blue Album) and Счастлива, потому что беременна: Зелёный альбом (Happy Because I'm Pregnant: The Green Album).

In 1997 “NOGU SVELO!” wrote music for Nikulin Moscow Circus. It is still used by Russian circus performers in France, Monte-Carlo, Germany and other European countries.

The band had planned the two albums to be released nine months apart. The "Blue" album was released in 1997, but the "Green" album was released in 1999, due to scheduling and other problems. The band continued their commercial success with two hits from the "Blue" album, both drawing from Russian Jewish folk melodies: "Лилипутская любовь" (Midget Love) and "Московский романс" (The Moscow Romance), the latter with an award-winning video presenting Pokrovskiy as a Southern Caucasian begging for money on the background of a sweeping Moscow panorama.

While songs such as "Недуги" (Illnesses) still have the loose bass-driven approach of "Хару Мамбуру", "Реквием" (Requiem) and "Четыре друга" (The Four Friends) attempt a serious, more subdued style, while "Китайские колокольчики" (Chinese Bells) predicts the "Green" album with its use of eclectic instrumentation and bittersweet melodies. The opening track has a retro-style rock and roll guitar riff backed up by a sweeping chord sequence. The bonus tracks include a self-made dance remix of 1993's "Лысая девочка" and a noisy cover of the Russian film music classic "На Тихорецкую" (To Tihoretskaya).

The "Green" album was a colorfully arranged and instrumented album. Most of the album is mostly humor, with only "Волки" (Wolves) and "Реки" (Rivers) - recorded with the Russian pop-star Natalya Vetlitskaya - being true pop songs. Only "Живая масса" (Live Mass) and "Искусство боли" (The Art of Pain) have anything less than immediately appealing melody lines. Eastern-tinged "Влюблённые оленеводы" (Reindeer Breeders in Love) and "Лесная школа" (The Forest School) are rich in melodies, drawing from folk music - the latter song employs a Ukrainian folk music vocal ensemble. In several songs the band employs guitar effects similar to those of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing". The acoustic-instrumental "Муж на работе" (Husband at Work) is tasteful and subtle. "Волки" is a slow dance and the Nirvana pastiche "День рождения" (Birthday) samples a bass line from that band's "Very Ape".

In 1999, the out-takes and non-album tracks compilation Каллы was released, drawing mostly on their earlier period, to mark the band's tenth anniversary. The album opens with "Кукла" (A Doll) which shows the more straightforward style the band had adopted. The other tracks run the full gamut of styles: classical parody "Ave Maria" (Schubert's famous melody interpolated with incongruous guitar noise), covers of two famous Russian film melodies probably originally intended for the "Blue" album, "Мясной брудершафт" (The Meat Brüderschaft) parodying German popular music, early songs like "I'm Blue" and "Sporting", and drawn-out psychodelic jams "Хрустальная ваза" and "Диблопопс" (Diblopops). "Трусики" (Panties) is a fully worked-out piece of 80s indie music.