Premiata Forneria Marconi -Chocolate Kings
hjhhjij
What a fantastic album, undoubtedly my favorite from Forneria; if "Storia di un Minuto" is somehow the most captivating, "Chocolate Kings" is simply the pinnacle of the band. This album features the best lineup of PFM (Lanzetti, Mussida, Premoli, Pagani, Dijvas, Di Cioccio) at the best moment of their career from every perspective; above all, there's Bernardo Lanzetti, finally a lead voice with real balls, this son of Chapman and younger brother of Gabriel, who brings to PFM a charisma and intensity, as well as a vocal ability that had never been approached before (and indeed it’s a much more sung album—thank you very much). Here they fully embrace the English model, and for the first time, Pagani writes lyrics in English, with the collaboration of Marva Jan Marrow—writer, poet, and partner of Dijvas). There are five tracks and they are five bombs; Franco Mussida is the great lord of this album, he is the one who dominates as the main composer (only in "From Under" is he joined by Premoli and—listen carefully—the guest Ivan Graziani) and he is at the artistic peak of his career; Mussida—and the band in general—proves they can keep up with the English masters (aside from Lanzetti, there’s a lot of Genesis in here) and then there's "Paper Charms"... "Paper Charms" that soars high, perhaps the only track from Forneria that gives me "the thrill", a fantastic piece, with a finally fantastic singer. more
Morgan
Yftcfuf
Yftcfuf

Morgan | DeRank™: 0,00

Well, just 2-3 little things from the time of his one and only true group that can be called AVANTI will have the dignity of remembrance... then, gossip triumphed and after the years of being a "discoverer of unlikely mainstream talents," he was overwhelmed by the daze of substance use, the rehabilitations of Maria-maximan widowed Costantii, and a couple of Sanremo deliriums. After a silent three years, he ended up switching back and forth between monologues and covers of his "English-speaking cornerstone" filled with autotune (uh, great, totally ridiculous!), and just now I could hear him from the neighbor's house redoing everything with fervor (?) The Football Draft, La Canzone del Sole, Cosa Succederà alla Ragazza (with Dolcenera) and "Tempo di Morire," but to sum it all up, for him, whatever happens, isn't it time to disappear? more
Zelensky
gianfrancogigio
gianfrancogigio

Zelensky | DeRank™: 0,70

despicable puppet of the Americans who has sent his people to slaughter more
MST -Evil Kids
LaMusique21
LaMusique21

MST — Evil Kids | DeRank™: 0,00

Musically, a fierce and stimulating track, the work of a metal rap band that tells the story of the discomfort experienced by the youth of the new generations, without excluding the anger that transforms into a strength to declare themselves ready to face a new musical and personal universe. Evil Kids powerfully releases all of this, disappointment and courage intertwining as emotion, shouted out loud, breaking every chain as a metaphor for personal rebirth. more
Locanda delle Fate -Forse le Lucciole non si Amano più
hjhhjij
This album is one of the most beautiful things to come out of our progressive scene, "late to the party," but of the purest beauty. The band from Asti delivers an album that embodies the pure and classic progressive-rock-romantic sound, intensely inspired by English models, with Genesis at the forefront (sometimes even too much—the intro of "Profumo di colla bianca" feels like it was copy-pasted from the sounds of "Wind and Wuthering"), but any English band representing the pop-rock and the more melodic prog-rock of the '70s fits perfectly, plus there are Gentle Giant influences in their previous repertoire (in the albums that collect material from the band prior to Lucciole—by the way, the romantic name of the band comes from a brothel; all of this is beautiful—we find two Gentle Giant covers). Even the stunning album cover follows a precise British model, that of Roger Dean (it's practically an "apocryphal" work of his between Yes and, even more so, Uriah Heep). The inspirations, however, are used brilliantly, and the trio Conta-Gaviglio-Vevey creates a world filled with melancholy and nostalgia that pours into every note, which rarely slips into overly sentimental territory ("Non chiudere a chiave le stelle," perhaps). It has so many wonderful melodies and is pure "rock-romantic" with its electric moments, accelerations, guitar solos, and even its more acoustic passages. Sasso's voice, by the way, is one of my favorites in the Italian prog scene. A stunning album. more
David Fanshawe
lector
lector

David Fanshawe | DeRank™: 0,00

A visionary more
Giovanni Block
pacificamente
pacificamente

Giovanni Block | DeRank™: 0,00

As a child, he was called Nanni, but today everyone calls him Block. Singer-songwriter, musician, composer. more
Golden Hands
lector
lector

Golden Hands | DeRank™: 0,00

Are you ready for Moroccan rock? more
Mare Sopra E Sotto
Green
Green

Green: Mare Sopra E Sotto Traccia 04 in Mare Sopra E Sotto Album - 1981

magical heartbreaking to die more
Lucio Battisti
Konrad66
Konrad66

Lucio Battisti | DeRank™: 0,00

Those who say that Battisti post-Mogol is inferior to the Mogol period haven't listened to it properly or are superficial; they want a catchy melody on the first listen. It’s not about the lyrics; the masses don't listen to lyrics that are simple, complex, or hermetic. The Battisti of the Panella period is not appreciated only by those who want the catchy chorus; they are musical sloths. Listening to a piece at least 3-5 times, right? more
Richard Thompson
bluesboy94
bluesboy94

Richard Thompson | DeRank™: 0,00

Simply one of the greatest singer-songwriters and guitarists in the history of English music. more
Enzo Carella -Se Non Cantassi Sarei Nessuno
stefaudio
Another masterpiece by Enzo, the chimera of Italian Music. more
Premiata Forneria Marconi -L'Isola Di Niente
hjhhjij
Be "The Island of Nothing" is a beautiful album, no doubt about it. With "Photos of Ghosts," the international period for PFM began, marked by their collaboration with Peter Sinfield (a great man) for the English versions of the songs from their previous albums. With this album— the first featuring Djivas on bass— PFM confirms itself as the Italian prog band most inclined to embrace and replicate the style of the English masters. If it weren't for the vocals mostly in Italian (the choice to sing everything in English had already been made, as Lanzetti would soon follow), and for some moments more personally "peninsular," it would seem entirely like an English prog-rock album, not exceptional but quite valid. Yet, amidst the blend of inspirations that covers the entire range of the great names in English progressive rock (the King Crimson influences are evident, though they also draw from other KC—with sounds reminiscent of Fripp's contemporary albums—let’s reiterate, they were collaborating with Sinfield during this period, but various influences pop up here and there; we know those names well), some nice tracks do emerge, but in the end, my favorite remains the sweet and bucolic watercolor from early PFM (the one that mixed the melodic inspirations of the early KC with those of a Battisti) of "Dolcissima Maria," with a melodic taste worthy of ten and praise. There’s also an English song here, the lovely "Is my Face on Straight," with lyrics by Sinfield. more
Hank Williams
bluesboy94
bluesboy94

Hank Williams | DeRank™: 3,00

The greatest country artist of all time, devoid of any definition?! Oh debaseranians, you disappoint me! more
Watchtower -Control and Resistence
Vega1
Vega1

Watchtower — Control and Resistence | DeRank™: 0,62

Every time I listen to them, I get chills!! I can't find worthy substitutes... yet so intricate like them... every time I listen to them, you have to select each artist to follow the track... fantastic!! It's a shame there are so few clips and live videos of their concerts... more
Big brother & the holding company -Cheap thrills
hjhhjij
A record gem. I would say practically the only one of the Big Brothers and mainly thanks to an overflowing, immense Janis Joplin of course, who will soon embark on her solo career (short-lived, but that’s another story…). Here are some of the most famous and rightly celebrated tracks from Joplin's repertoire, wonderfully emotional interpretations of songs like "Summertime" (Gershwin, no less) and especially an immense version of "Ball and Chain," undoubtedly among the highest peaks reached by Janis. Compared to the later works, this album has a generally more rock-acid feel typical of California in '68; however, it shines when Joplin tackles Blues, Soul, and yes, Rock as well. I'm less convinced when it takes purely Californian psych-rock directions, as in "Sweet Mary," which is nice enough, but the standout tracks of the album lie elsewhere. In any case, great record. Immense Janis. more
Elton John -Here and There
hjhhjij
hjhhjij

Elton John — Here and There | DeRank™: 3,00

The live album remains the definitive one that marks the years of the Elton John Band, even though it would have been better if it had remained a unique record, the first one, that from London at the Royal Festival Hall in May '74; this live performance is a bombshell and showcases the Elton John Band in splendid form (Dee Murray on bass is fantastic) with a great selection of tracks mainly from "Elton John" and "Tumbleweed Connection" plus some from '72-'73, featuring phenomenal renditions of songs like "Burn Down the Mission," "Bad Side of the Moon," "Your Song," or "Honky Cat," just to name a few. Unfortunately, including the second disc (from the MSG in NY in November of the same year, featuring a special guest appearance by John Lennon, historically significant but honestly the part that bores me about the live album) perhaps stretches it a bit too much, even though the NY concert begins strongly like the one in London ("Funeral for a Friend," "Grey Seal") and, therefore, in the end, "Here and There" maintains the status of the incredible live album of the best Elton John ever (I mean in general that '69-'75 period) that no one can take away from it. more
Quella Vecchia Locanda -Il Tempo Della Gioia
hjhhjij
A cover as beautiful as that of the previous album frames a work even more stunning than the last one. In "Il tempo della gioia," Jethro Tull have now left the old inn, but the Shulman brothers have briefly stopped by (in the title track, the inspirations from GG are evident at a couple of moments; it's a true "gentlegiantata"), and at certain melodies, the ear is drawn to the very early King Crimson; otherwise, in style, the band renounces their rock side (only guitar passages and the rhythm section remind us that we are still close to the "electric rock-pop" territories of the '70s) and the redundant pessimism of the lyrics (which remain a weak point, but are of the kind that—this often happens in prog—can slide away in the face of the central importance of the musical framework). Piano and violin are absolute protagonists; the backbone of the album is much more acoustic and has "classical" tones, the flute serves as a connector or performs in moments of beautiful calm ("E' accaduto una notte"). Basically, one finds oneself in areas of strong classical inspiration (especially "Villa Doria Pamphili" and the splendid "A forma di..." with its constant crescendo of volume and a start that is a whisper) and then it flows into distinct tones of that typical Prog-Jazz-Rock of those years, particularly in the beautiful "Un giorno, un amico" (marred only by those idiotic backing vocals, seriously, guys... Why?). more
Bob Dylan
bluesboy94
bluesboy94

Bob Dylan | DeRank™: 6,00

The most influential, but not necessarily the best of the English-speaking singer-songwriters. Nonetheless, I can only give the highest rating. more