Red Wave: An American in the Soviet Music Underground

“Red Wave” embraces all the right one-word virtues: Loyalty. Commitment. Love. Passion. Charity. Tenacity. Dedication. Reverence . . .and Irreverence. The characters’ focus on art while ignoring government controls is what the 1980s Leningrad scene was all about. The Tusovka culture waned in unison with Soviet regulatory overreach. The two were interconnected. People judge government policies on their intentions and not their outcomes. The authors’ constant inability to correctly transliterate Russian into English corroborates that they’re both victims of a California “education,” which makes the text all the more credible. Thank you Stingrays for telling this story. One person can and did make a difference.

This book took me on an international adventure. It shows how kindness, persistence and music can make big changes in the world.

I don't write reviews very often, but this book deserves a few words: Joanna Stingray is an important figure in Russia, and she's known for the Leningrad musicians she documented and helped get known in the West. You fall in love with these people as she did as you tumble into their world. But this is also a story of a woman rockstar, what it takes to make it, how much it costs personally to be in that business, and how she came into herself because of her open mind to the people of Russia. It's a tribute to cultural diplomacy, and the woman's story at the heart of the book is what humanizes the fan-aspect of the rock 'n' roll and punk scenes she was a part of.

Joanna Stingray shares with us not only her remarkable journey and pivotal role in Soviet rock's contribution to Glasnost, but insight into the artistic drive behind the underground Soviet rock movement in the 1980's. Not only is the tale of the irrepressible creative energy of the musicians allowing this flower to blossom in the dark cave of Soviet repression fascinating, but her determination, despite scrutiny from both the FBI and KGB, to bring a ray of sunshine to support its growth is inspirational. In addition to the excitement of the cloak and dagger adventures she experienced along the way, it is equally fascinating to join in her evolution from an entitled "Beverly Hills Brat" to a human being devoted to making a positive difference in the world.

I really enjoyed this book. It was such a fascinating story and an on-the-ground perspective of what occurred and what was seen within the underground rock culture in Russia. The author's experience was page-turning, and each character you meet only expands the intrigue. I especially found the interplay between Russian rock and American rockstars really interesting.

Started reading this book! This is just incredible and unbelievable! Thank you Joanna for this edition and everything you did for opening Leningrad Rock to the WORLD!

Joanna Stingray is a legend. Her story is very unique and inspiring. Her life in the USSR is a proof that a rock-n-roll musician can change a country and the world.

It's easy to see why the FBI might have suspected Joanna Stingray was a Russian spy. Her memoirs read like a Cold War espionage thriller: clandestine meetings, tapped phone lines, interrogations, smuggled tapes, and shadowy KGB agents hiding around every corner. That said, her story features way more screaming Stratocasters than your average John le Carré novel. Our main focus is a vibrant cast of eccentric Russian musicians and artists operating under the radar of the Soviet Union - a hidden world of rebellious creative expression in which our protagonist finds herself utterly enraptured. When she realises the underground treasure trove of culture she's stumbled upon, it becomes Joanna's mission to bring this music to the West and unite the world in rock and roll.Red Wave is a beautifully written account of Russian rock history, as well as a fascinating revelation of Cold War politics through the eyes of a twenty-something valley girl who saw it all. It's also a deeply personal story, filled with highs, lows, and very-very lows. But in the end I was left with a new Youtube playlist of Kino, Stingray, and Aquarium that I'd cobbled together as I read it - and I feel like that was the whole point.But yeah, if I'd been the FBI agent assigned to her case, I would've totally thought she was a spy.

I highly recommend this book! It's full of life and has many interesting stories! I don't read books often but this book drew me in and I read the whole thing! The many things Joanna did for russian underground rock scene with her friends without fear makes them legends in my eyes! Dude you got to read this!

As a big fan of Russian rock music, and especially of Boris Grebenshchikov (BG) and Viktor Tsoï, since my first trips to St-Petersburg in the mid-90ties, I have always been curious to know more about the genesis of their music.Joanna Stingray's book gives an in depth understanding of the wave of freedom in music and art in the 80ties in Russia, more specificaly in St-Petersburg (Leningrad at that time). I could already feel it in Serebrennikov's film "Leto" which depicted the year 1981 at Leningrad Rock Club. Starting from 1984, the book covers a much wider period. In addition to the bands Akvarium and Kino, I coud read more about other Leningrad bands like Alisa, Strannye Igry (Strange Games) and Popular Mechanics. I also discovered with great interest and surprise that David Bowie supported Joanna's enterprise, and even envisaged a film about Russian underground rock through its main figure BG.The way Joanna shares her knowledge and passion about Russian underground performers, as well as about the relationships between USSR and the US, is fascinating; and the fact that she personally knows the artists makes her writing so full of life.We can only be grateful for the fantastic work Joanna did in the 80ties, so that these artists could be discovered in the Western countries. We can feel her ongoing passion in "Red Wave". I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in rock, Russia and more generally in human relationships and understanding !