Big Boy Pete
Return To Catatonia

LA RECENSIONE

Guys, with a great leap across the Atlantic, we return to "old England," and with our "musical trips" we'll frequently shuttle between the two continents, from the vast American production to the authoritative and prolific powerhouse of the United Kingdom, to once again turn our attention towards artists who are often overlooked. This is still the time to pay homage to that inspired music which, for various reasons, did not gain significant recognition in history. So it is a pleasure to present to you a sui generis character, mysterious and somewhat bizarre like Pete Miller, also known as Big Boy Pete, a legendary underground figure, a trailblazing genius and co-creator of the current psych-pop genre, one of the key promoters of the fundamental historical-cultural phenomenon that was the "British Invasion," a composer since the early '60s of countless delightful gems, including this "Return to Catatonia" - the further psychedelic adventures of Pete Miller - (Tenth Planet 1998), a collection of psych songs (lasting 2-3 minutes) recorded in 1967.

The album cover features Indian paisley arabesque decorations that clearly hint at what awaits us inside. Big Boy Pete puts all his visions to use, given the relative disinterest in show business for its own sake, and he mainly focuses on experimenting with every form of sound to incorporate into the melodic pop structure. He uses all the innovations of the era for his creations, from effects to electronics, to the use of mixing techniques like collage and overlays (Beatles school: many were greedy for "strawberry" in those days), to meticulously craft grotesque marches, flower lullabies, and typically British catchy tunes with great artistry. Fourteen tracks are added to the previous ones from the twin album "Homage to Catatonia" (Tenth Planet 1996). There's no need to analyze each track individually, as the work should be considered as a whole; it stands out mainly as a historical testimony. However, we note the inevitable use of the sitar in addition to guitars and vocals by Pete, especially in the first two tracks, which present it as an exotic citation of a very popular sound stereotype during the London summer of love. Should we really attribute the paternity of certain melodic-pop or psych styles to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones just because they appear in "Sgt. Pepper's" or "Satanic Majesties Request"? However, I believe that the "manner" of playing a certain genre that became "fashion" was a circulating heritage accessible to many, a mutual influence that affected everyone indiscriminately. Some formal innovations (excluding Zappa) should undoubtedly be attributed to the illustrious "beetles" more than to the tempestuous "rolling stones," but in any case, our prolific and insatiable beat-freak elf, in 1967, was busy shaping strange sonic concoctions, scented with exotic urbanized spices, at the Olympic Studios in London, while outside, an unprecedented storm of psychedelic-love acid rain raged bountifully. How can we not be tempted, today, not to get carried away by such a disturbance?

In 1972, Pete Miller, aka Big Boy Pete, moved to California, where he opened a recording studio to continue his work as a composer and enrich his already formidable output. In 1986, he was also a co-founder of the "Audio Institute of America" in San Francisco, an important school of sound engineering. Today, his name is listed in the prestigious "The Rock and Roll of Fame" for recognized merits in the history of rock music.