Paul Ryan
The Day That Anastasia Romanoff Died

“Twisting on an empty spiral
Ending in the twilight of your years
Eyes that sparkle like a thousand jewels
They close on fools that had no tears
But they could not take your smile
And they would not close your eyes
Sweet Anastasia Romanoff there's nothing more to fear”

It is absolutely not my intention to bore you with yet another analysis of what the musical milieu of those years (mid to late '70s) was. Therefore, I will simply say that, while the winds of change were blowing fiercely around him, this marvelous romantic, as well as "reactionary," as well as visionary, reached the peak of his strange career with a work of the highest craftsmanship, timeless and beyond fashion. Paul Ryan: singer, author, producer, anti-character. 1976, the days of success with his twin brother Barry are long gone, and as we know, the public quickly forgets those who for one reason or another were never stars. Thus, his album "Scorpio Rising," exquisitely crafted, with sumptuous arrangements and atmospheres, absolute level songwriting, was criminally ignored.

In "Scorpio Rising," there is a full realization of someone who, among other things, was also the composer of "Eloise," which I mention precisely because the original model is just that: orchestrations and a meticulous attention to the more scenic, more theatrical side of compositions. "The Day That Anastasia Romanoff Died" is probably not the most sophisticated, most ambitious song of that unrecognized masterpiece, but as far as I am concerned, it is undoubtedly the most vibrant, the one that strikes immediately, a song whose images immediately come to life in the listener's mind.

A wonderful, powerful, and melancholic chanson clothed in baroque garments, with a sensitivity and aesthetic value difficult, most of the time impossible, to find in more recent artists and productions. Light, trembling singing, extremely evocative and imbued with a bitter and decadent aftertaste, mesmerizing melody with a fatalistic strength, harmonically unwinding between orchestral pianos and fortes, thrilling interlude with that mournful choir followed by a wonderful guitar solo, very short, extremely intense, a prelude to the grand finale.

I like to think that "The Day That Anastasia Romanoff Died" is a deeply poetic metaphor for speaking about the pain of losing something beautiful, and that "But they could not take your smile and they would not close your eyes" resonates imperishably in my mind, like a motto, like an inspiration. I consider myself very fortunate to have discovered this great, forgotten artist, this particular masterpiece of his, and it is right and proper to thank those who guided me in this direction. Finally, I would like to recommend listening to both the song and the album "Scorpio Rising" in general, obviously to all of you my readers, and also to certain artists who have the potential to follow the path traced by Mr. Ryan, I think of Patrick Wolf, Asaf Avidan, they who can, always keep this spirit, this style in mind.