Bluvertigo
Metallo non Metallo

THE REVIEW

The three stages of the heart's adventure. First, the obtusely satisfied immediacy of reality, which is the a-problematic childhood, then the disturbing intellectual discovery of diversity and conflict with things, namely the loss of adolescence, and finally the recovery of a spontaneous harmony and a new, regained immediacy.

Quoting Faustiko from rockit "He went to a science high school and it shows", so Morgan reveals in the CD booklet, the emotional conception of the chemical trilogy, which in 1997 reached its second installment. After the expressive urgency of "Acidi e basi", the Monza band took all the time needed to create, in Mauro Pagani's "Officine Meccaniche" in Milan, one of the most courageous and controversial albums in the history of Italian music. Through direct citation as an artistic tool (Quentin Tarantino), Morgan & company create a sound cathedral that sporadically recalls: Brian Eno, new wave, Robert Fripp, Battiato, Bowie, Roxy music, Depeche Mode...with the recovery and modernization of synthetic sounds in contrast with acoustic ones. Glam image, fake hedonism à la Duran Duran, and sumptuous arrangements. Morgan was omnipresent on MTV (Tokusho with Andrea Pezzi), and specialized magazines gave plenty of space to the Bluvertigo phenomenon, also thanks to the airplay of their singles on the radio, and with absolutely unique and original music videos in rotation on TMC2 and MTV. A deserved and perfect promotion that led the band to win the MTV Europe Music Awards as the best Italian group, and to sell 400,000 records, making it their best-seller. From the original lineup, Marco Pancaldi (guitar) left, still present here in some tracks, and the less skilled but more technological Livio Magnini joined. It starts with "Il mio malditesta," based on a splendid Beatles-like riff supported by arrangements à la Bowie Berlin period, to continue with "Fuori dal tempo," describing the stupidity of the famous three days of the military visit, with a techno-pop base, Devo-like structural cadence, and a long psychedelic tail surrounded by synths and keyboards. "Vertigoblu" is their ideological manifesto; a Frank Zappa-like piece, with dissonant guitars and countertempo rhythm, with a bass à la Les Claypool. The instrumental "Tele cinesi" sets the atmosphere for one of the masterpieces of the album, "Cieli neri," a delicate and passionate ballad that gives chills, featuring (also present in other tracks) Mauro Pagani (former PFM) on flute. "Oggi hai parlato troppo" with a big guitar riff à la Tommy Iommi along with a very aggressive sax precedes "Il nucleo," another manifesto of the album, with its existential and philosophical questions, through an industrial base à la Nine Inch Nails. "Ebbrezza totale" is disarming, like the irony of "Altre forme di vita," 80s techno-pop and another brilliant text with a now memorable chorus "E' praticamente ovvio che esistano altre forme di vita". The album heads towards the conclusion without boredom, with the Talking Heads-like "Le arti dei miscugli," the very original "Ideaplatonica" which recalls the concept of trilogy, the alternative-rock anger of "So low-l'eremita," and the dark "Troppe emozioni" featuring the splendid Alice on vocals.

The most courageous and intelligent album ever made in Italy. Intentionally difficult to categorize and review. Superb compositions in which the arrangements and very original and egocentric lyrics give vigor to a slightly homogeneous work, but of great taste and impact. The album's artwork is splendid. To be listened to with headphones to appreciate the extraordinary work done at the mixer. Their limit? Being Italian, because if all this had been done by an English or American group, the press would have, as usual, shouted a miracle, but many due to incompetence and superficiality, unfairly considered this work "egocentric" and "presumptuous".

To be re-listened to and rediscovered. One of the masterpieces of 90s Italian alternative music, released the same year as "Hai paura del buio?" by Afterhours and "Rosemary Plexiglas" by Scisma. So many memories...