Medvedev and Rock and Roll

First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who Vladimir Putin is now backing in his run for the presidency, is a rock and roll aficionado. From RIA Novosti: In a recent interview with the Russian magazine Itogi, Medvedev revealed his passion for rock music, saying that, “vinyl really sounds better than CDs.” The man who may well become leader of the largest nation on Earth said he had spent much of his youth compiling cassettes of popular Western groups, “Endlessly making copies of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple.” All these groups were on state-issued blacklists during Medvedev’s Soviet-era schooldays. “The quality was awful, but my interest colossal,” he said. Medvedev went on to boast of his collection of Deep Purple LPs, saying that he had searched for the albums for many years. “Not reissues, but the original albums,” he added, concluding that, “If you set yourself a goal you can achieve it.”