Enzo Jannacci
One from the outside more
Survivor
Good job, technically competent... but I can't understand how one can get excited about stuff like this. I've seen five-star ratings given abundantly as if they were Mozart. The classic tacky American pop-rock that's disposable. They do manage to land a few master strokes, sure... but I've listened to all their albums from their golden period 1982-1988, and aside from the excellent vocal harmonies and great execution, I saw all the Reagan-era tackiness of the '80s... :-) I'm increasingly convinced that AOR is a genre to be approached with caution; you never know where that thin line is that separates tackiness from melodic rock done with class. Anyway, they save themselves in the corner. more
Levante
Better now. Before, it slightly made me cringe, with hit tracks like Alfonso and Pezzo di me. But since last year, they released a remarkable album like Magmameria, a Sanremo with an excellent track and another noteworthy piece. Let’s keep our fingers crossed; maybe they’re the only artist that breaks the mold without being annoying, but instead produces beautiful songs. more
Ho imparato a sognare
Like a parasite... it enters you and sucks your mind until it leaves. more
Grace Jones
The panther of fashion-rock. A character of substance, however you want to put it. From "Warm Leatherette" to "Slave to the Rhythm," always at very high levels. The latest album "Hurricane" is also outstanding, and in my opinion, it brings her back to the levels and sounds of 1985. I highly recommend giving it a listen. more
Enzo Carella -Barbara E Altri Carella
Another hit for Carella. I think we all know Barbara fairly well, but this album also includes the visionary Foto, powerful hits like Carmè, Malamore, and Amara, as well as small shards of madness like Parigi, Sentimenti, and Lupo. And let's not forget the cherry on top, the wild funk of Oh Rai! that crowns the album at the highest level. Carella is now a guarantee. more
J-Ax
"like Ax... no one!" And thankfully, I would add! more
Ivano Fossati -Panama E Dintorni
It's another Fossati compared to the one from the late 80s/90s, but overall it represents a significant step forward from its predecessors. Excellent album, packed full of gems, with the captivating "J'adore Venise", the (tragically) forgotten "Se ti dicessi che ti amo", and the wonderful and poignant "La costruzione di un amore" standing out. 7.5 more
Edoardo Bennato -I Buoni e i Cattivi
This is truly, truly beautiful. Second only to the emperor as far as I'm concerned... 5 full. more
Antonello Venditti -Cuore
Here Antonello was about to run out of steam, but he still managed to keep up the pace (“Notte prima degli esami” and “Qui” above all). The two subsequent albums would have a handful of good songs, then a total and definitive collapse. Millions and millions of copies sold of horrible albums. Rating? I’d say that a (almost) 4 would be fair. more
Antonello Venditti -Lilly
By now, I have no more words for this album, only a rating. Beyond masterpiece. more
Pino Daniele -Musicante
Great album, often underrated/misjudged. 4.5 more
Pino Daniele -Pino Daniele
no need for definitions, just "chi tene o mare," "il mare," and "je so pazzo" for the 5. more
Antonello Venditti -Benvenuti in paradiso
If between '84 and '88 a few pearls sprinkled here and there could still be spotted, from here on poor Antonello will ruin, with his own hands, what beauty he had previously created. In eight tracks and 43 minutes, only the arrangement of "Alta marea" is saved (well, thank you, it's a cover). However... considering that what’s to come will be even worse, I can't bring myself to give him a 1; I'd say that 1.5 rounded up to 2 is fair. And I'm being generous, I am. more
Edoardo Bennato -Abbi Dubbi
dignified album, the last one with some good flashes of edo. more
Goad
Music without genre boundaries, dedicated to the continuous creation of unexpected harmonies. more
Boris De Rachewiltz
Archaeology, Egyptology, ethnology, powerful and especially fascinating topics! more
Steve Hackett -Till We Have Faces
Hackett in Brazil (part two). Three years later, Stefanuzzo and his lady return to Brazil to compose some music, this time with more conviction compared to the ultra-relaxing vacation of "Cured." This is an interesting album, not spectacular but with some nice pieces and good ideas, and perhaps a bit underestimated within its discography. This time, some vaguely Brazilian influences can be heard, at least in the choice of musicians, all local (a substantial group of percussionists, but not only) except for Mosley and Magnus. But since Hackett is a joker, suddenly there are references to Japanese music ("The Doll That's Made in Japan," with Kim on vocals as the "Japanese girl," but they also pop up in the excellent "What's My Name") with Hackett playing the koto, things like that. Being a joker, the album closes with 40 seconds of instrumental from Disney's "Pinocchio" song, just because. "Myopia" is also a very particular piece by his standards. In "What's My Name" and Matilda-Smith... (great track, perhaps the best) there's excellent use of percussion (Brazil, not Africa, yes, but it's never been so close to Gabriel as in these snippets of the piece) "Taking the Easy Way Out" is a nice ballad and so on. Here Hackett experiments with something a little different, and it's one of the times he pulls it off well. In my opinion, it’s a solid work, an album to reconsider at least a little because it's really not bad at all. more
Antonello Venditti -UNICA
Another four years to give birth to this yet another musical turd. A few semi-decent passages ("Oltre il confine," "Ti ricordi il cielo," which weren't even written by him) absolutely fail to save the album. I won’t comment on the three big singles because today I'm in a good mood. In conclusion, a very ugly album but definitely less unbearable than the diabolical triad "Frutto amaro," "Goodbye," "Che fantastica storia." Almost 1.5. more
David Sylvian -Dead Bees on a Cake
“Darshan” of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma).
Those who follow Amritanandamayi use this term (“darshan”) to describe the embrace of Amritanandamayi. Amritanandamayi has been giving her darshans, that is, her embraces, since her late teens. Describing how this started, Amritanandamayi says: “People used to come to me to tell me their problems. They cried and I dried their tears. When they fell onto my lap crying, I embraced them. So the next person also wanted the same treatment… And so it became a custom.” more