THE NEW YORK TIMES

September 14, 1988 Wednesday
A Rock Album Aimed at Soviet Youth
BYLINE

By Terry Trucco

Twenty-four leading rock musicians and groups, including U2, Terence Trent D'Arby and Sting, are donating some of their biggest hits to a new double album that will carry the latest Western rock music to the Soviet Union.

The album, entitled ''Greenpeace - Breakthrough,'' is to be released in other countries as well, including the United States, with proceeds to benefit Greenpeace, the 15-year-old international environmental advocacy group. But its main target is Soviet youth. ''We're trying to give the Soviets the absolute quintessence of Western rock music during the last five or six years,'' said Ian Flooks, the album's executive producer.

The album is also intended to raise Soviet awareness of Greenpeace's environmental concerns, including efforts to protect whales, dolphins and seals and to close down nuclear power stations. ''Since Chernobyl, the Soviet attitude toward environmental issues has changed completely,'' said Cornelia Durrant, a Greenpeace official who helped organize the album.

Seeking An Audience Work on the album began in May. Although independent advocacy groups have only begun to be tolerated in the Soviet Union, Greenpeace hopes to open chapters there eventually. The group also hopes the album, which is to be released internationally in January, raises money. All of the album's artists and producers have donated their time and royalties.

At present, Greenpeace expects to sell five million copies in the Soviet Union, where the album will be produced by the Government record agency, Melodiya, and another five million in the West, where nearly all the cuts have already been released. The records are to be priced in line with other albums in each country, Mr. Flooks said.

The record, which has a colorful jacket designed by Neville Brody, a popular English graphic artist, will feature liner notes and a booklet on Greenpeace, with the group's name translated into each country's language. But for the most part, the music will convey the message. 'We Picked Hits' A number of the selections are about environmental issues, including Peter Gabriel's ''Red Rain'' and ''Look Out Any Window,'' by Bruce Hornsby and the Range.

Others carry a softer message of peace and friendship, like Sade's ''I Will Be Your Friend.''Some have no particular message at all. '''We wanted hits, so we picked hits,'' said Miss Durrant. But most of the hits will be new to Soviet audiences, Mr. Flooks said. Though rock music tapes often make their way into the country, Melodiya has released only a very limited selection of Western rock, mostly by artists from the 1960's and '70's, like the Beatles, Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues. ''This is certainly the first time anything like this has been done in the Soviet Union,'' said Mr. Flooks.

''The album is a real example of perestroika in action.'' The songs' lyrics are to be printed in English on the Soviet album, with only key phrases translated into Russian. Miss Durrant said that although Greenpeace originally wanted full translations, it was told by Melodiya that young Russians would understand what was being said.

''In Russian rock encyclopedias and music magazines, the lyrics are always in English,'' she said. ''It's the language of rock.'' Other artists on the album will include the Pretenders, the Eurythmics, Dire Straits, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bryan Ferry, Simple Minds, INXS, Basia, Belinda Carlisle, R.E.M., Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Talking Heads, Waterboys, Bryan Adams, Aswad, World Party, Thompson Twins and John Farnham.