Decibel
Punk

"Punk Before You" is one of the mottos, as well as a tribute album by Enrico Ruggeri, one of the most underrated songwriters in the Italian music scene, a cultural pioneer together with others of an attitude more than a genre in Italy, where Battisti (I bow to his genius) with fellow songwriters and progressive rock were still the dominant forces at the end of the '70s. Where was rock n' roll on the peninsula? In England and the United States, Mother Rock was crazily giving birth to extraordinary bands. Italy was still watching and bowing to its pathetic foreign inclination. Exceptions? Milan, Bologna, Pordenone, and later Florence are the main centers of a youth subculture aimed at spontaneously subverting old paradigms, where new languages were truly experimented with, intelligently adapting them to the Italian language in many cases.

Milan 1978. It's not a good period; the Moro case, the strategy of tension, urban and economic frustrations perfectly fit the backdrop on "Punk", debut of the Decibel, in layman's terms: Enrico Ruggeri (vocals), Pino Mancini (guitar), Enrico Longhin (bass), and Roberto Turatti (drums). For Ruggeri's detractors, it is strange to discover how a common songwriter could be so transformative and a forerunner of a necessity in Italy. Punk is an attitude, as we said; going against the tide using this subversive language from abroad, creating a perfect amalgam of rock n' roll, hard rock, and punk-rock where the greatest inspiration comes from bands besides the new at the time Stranglers, Sex Pistols, The Clash, especially the glam of David Bowie and the darkness of Lou Reed. Sparse music, sonic impact, and killer lyrics using rhyming lines tear the scene with social and heartfelt topics, with an unprecedented violence.

"Figli di..." is the opening Molotov of the vinyl. Saturated guitar riff and unstoppable chasing rhythm; the children of the "NO future" sing all their nihilism and unease towards their fathers; "We are the children of those who work for you. We are the children of those who mind their own business. We are the children of those who read the Corriere. We are the children, we are the children of those who serve this power. We want nothing, we are your product. We want nothing, the gear is broken. We want nothing, you created us. We want nothing, we won't turn back anymore". "Paparock" is an instrumental parody that opens to Turatti's obsessive drums with the drugged "LSD Flash", continuing with the hard rock of "Superstar" where the obsession for the success of a fan mimicking their idol anticipates the frustrations of Chapman, Lennon's murderer two years later; "Now I've become aware of the great power of those who want something. Certainly, I'm crazy, but I've decided: I'll kill him just while he's resting. I'll put back the decomposed body of the rock 'n' roll star". The political movement of the late '70s is cited and mocked in the violent "The Leader"; "This morning there's a nice collective, I'll go and feel more alive. I'm playing a vital role in the fight against capital. A nice emotion for occupying; but ideas, however, I have none". The journey and dream of the Big Apple of "New York" precede the necessary ridiculing of feminism in "With the Finger...with the Finger"; "Running down the street with raised fingers and condemning an injustice that has never been. You invoke equality that the male is the master, and you want to experience power with the revolution. With the finger what do you do...". The 33 rpm closes with the Pink Floyd-like bass on "One of These Days" of "Brainwashing", foreshadowing in the lyrics the television years of the '80s with the media "seizure" of the masses, especially by private TV "What TV says is now law for everyone. Behold the product; you won't regret it. If you raise your head in this immense flock, they'll quickly show you Italy-Brazil"

Shamefully, as has happened for many albums in Italy, "Punk" (Spaghetti Records) has never been released on CD and you will never find it in stores, making it a very rare record for vinyl collectors. It can be found with much luck on the internet with P2P. The Italian "Never mind the bollocks", scorned by the public and critics of the time. In the country of Pulcinella, what can we expect? I recommend you carefully read the lyrics at the following link: www.angolotesti.it/D/testi_canzoni_decibel_2889/