Bauhaus -This Is for When...
A live from cristiddio "This is For When..." Remastering and remix of the original recordings from November 9, 1981, has done an excellent job of refreshing the sounds (and so it’s clearly polished in the studio, but that’s typical of many live recordings, and who cares) and the band is highlighted, in an exceptional shape. In short, this live is a blast. Of course, "Mask," freshly released, is the most represented, offered almost in its entirety (8 out of 10 tracks, almost half of the live set, which has 17 tracks) and how beautifully they come across here, the already beautiful songs from The Mask, the live outfit gives them more energy, a newfound strength, both in those performed faithfully to the studio versions and in pieces where Bauhaus really give them a new garment (the live version of "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" is stunning); then there are gems like the preview of the next album with a beautiful "Silent Hedges" and the cover of another guiding spirit of the band, John Cale, "Rosegarden Funeral of Sores" (otherwise found only in singles collections). And then phenomenal versions of "Dancing" (with Daniele Cenere having fun on the sax with much more freedom than in the studio) and "Stygmata Martyr" and so on. Exceptional live from a band full of imagination and in an exhilarating form. A masterpiece. more
Tangerine Dream
Fabulous, I have almost all the albums from one of my favorite bands. more
Gianluca Grignani
Cocaine mixed with plastic and snorted from nowhere.. more
Gorillaz
A redundant group like few others. Aside from the singles that made it onto the radio and MTV, the tracks on the rest of the album were more than questionable, and Albarn's mumbling (typical of most English singers from Brit-pop and indie bands of the '90s and 2000s, with rare exceptions) only made things worse. Over the years, they've gotten even worse. Just think that the lead track from the new album sounds incredibly similar to "SexyBack" by Timberlake (...and I've said it all). more
Pussy Galore -Groovy Hate Fuck (Feel Good About Your Body)
Recipe for Pussy Galore: take a hefty chunk of the rawest Garage Rock possible, preferably a bit rancid, cousin of the Cramps and nephew of the wildest garage bands of the '60s, mix it with its natural twin of Rolling Stones-style R'n'R, soak it with a good liter of Blues, but the Blues left to rot, darkened, that murky and shamanic cult brother of the Birthday Party's blues drift, and stuff it with a generous dose of everything that was the fury of Punk (and maybe even Hardcore-Punk) about ten years before. Alright, now blend it all; is the blender making noise? Great, because there's a need for plenty of "Noise" to cover the final result, along with a vocalist, Jon Spencer, who is a wild, shamanic voice, a beastly singer worthy of the Morrison-Iggy lineage, a younger brother of the Cave and Inner Light; of course, this is when the three guitars, divided between garage riffs and delirious noise clatter (Hagerty, Cafritz, and Spencer himself) don't almost completely drown out the furious performances. On drums, still John Hammill and not Bob Bert.
So, what does Pussy Galore sound like? The fiercest Garage, violent in sonic assault and dirty, that you can imagine. Or Garage/Noise/Blues/Punk/R'n'R to create the collage of terms. more
Pussy Galore -Live: In the Red
The true epitaph of Pussy Galore. An incendiary live recording from August 1989, a band that was already unraveling, Hagerty lost in drugs and Royal Trux, Cafritz already out of the group, Bert off doing his own thing, the Spencer-Martinez duo caught between Boss Hog and the last attempts to keep this band of crazies afloat. What emerges is a fabulous live performance, as dirty and raw as few, with the greatest jolts coming from the 4 tracks of Right Now! The garage-blues-noise that sets everything ablaze. more
Bauhaus -In The Flat Field
Masterpiece. For the captivating beauty of the songs contained within it and for the paths it has opened; "In the Flat Field" is undoubtedly the work in which they push their gothic-dark side the most, the one that identifies them as pillars of the "Dark-Wave" and more somber Post-Punk genre; yet their scenarios of gothic horror, their vampiric aesthetic (especially that of Murphy), the dramatic gloom of the sound, the desperate and furious tones of many tracks, are always, evidently, theatrical performances carefully constructed and never taking themselves too seriously, driven by a child of Glam-Rock like Peter Murphy, who takes the exaggerated aesthetics of Rock and Glam (sprinkled with VU, why not) and immerses it in gothic horror (thus = Gothic-Rock), with his unmissable theatricality and the shamanic power of his interpretations (one of the main shaman-performers of those years, one who in the "post-punk" scene was to Glam what Nick Cave or JLP were to Blues), also unleashing his most instinctive and animalistic side on some occasions. Tribal obsessions, modern paranoia, clanging irregular guitars, pulsating rhythms, shamanic sexual rites, ecstatic visions of blood ("Stygmata Martyr" is the ultimate example of their theatrical play of gothic post-punk), sudden outbursts, painful tones in the voice, guitars that squeal like rats... Or like bats. Epoch-making. more
Marco Travaglio
The biggest scoundrel, unreliable, know-it-all, arrogant, pretentious, and ridiculous figure of Italian 'journalism.' Since he became a 'progressive count,' peddling simplistic propaganda for his national hero in his piece of junk newspaper for years (giving a warm middle finger to all the idiots who believed in 'direct democracy' and 'neither right nor left' or in 'politics as civil service for a period of time' and all the nonsense fired off by Grillo), he's almost made me reevaluate Sallusti, who has never sunk to such levels of subservience. No consideration or respect for those who still pay to hear this guy's nonsense in theaters or buy his books. more
Bauhaus -Bela Lugosi's Dead - The Bela Session
A precious gem for those who adore Bauhaus like myself, an EP that finally brings together the first studio recording session of the band, dated January 26, 1979, and of course, from this came the legendary single that erupted onto the "post-punk" scene of the late '70s: "Bela Lugosi's Dead," which, even in an era of total experimentation in that "new rock and pop music," was something never heard before. The strong "dub" component serves as an exoskeleton, painted by Ash's irregular guitar strokes that certify their belonging to that sonic kaleidoscope of "post-punk/new wave," combined with the dark-gothic atmosphere marked by the essential, somber bass notes of David J, paying homage to the iconography of old black-and-white horror characters and figures, all with a singer who, as the cherry on top, has the theatricality of a glam rocker but all bent towards darkness. A sublime thing, a masterpiece; but with this EP, we also get the rest, the other gem of "post-ska-punk," "Harry" (first released only in 1982 as a b-side) but above all their more rock'n roll/glam side, their starting points. Without this record, we would have missed out on a bomb like "Bite My Lips," and what the hell, rock'n roll (vaguely post-punk) where Murphy the vampire unleashes his wildest glam-shamanic rock fervor. A masterpiece EP, just what we needed. more
Björk
I still haven't figured out how to associate experimentation with Bjork. more
John Grant
A songwriter by apolide vocation, between the most inspired Elton John and Northern European electronic experimentation, an unprecedented mix excellently supported by the undeniable vocal and compositional talent of John Grant. more
John Grant -Queen of Denmark
The album cover is somewhat misleading; it suggests a 70s punk artist, while once you listen to the entire CD, the image that comes to mind is that of an elegant and cultured guy with a crooner's voice and a pianistic style somewhere between B. Joel and E. John, enriched by classical references. The lyrics are innovative as they tackle themes from the perspective of a middle-aged gay man, a point of view rarely heard in music. more
Le Orme -Storia o leggenda
The Parisian album by Le Orme, which takes inspiration from the French capital where it was recorded, is reflected in the settings of the lyrics, the atmospheres, and, wanting to follow some clichés, in the melodic elegance that characterizes the album and its refined, melancholic mood, always present in the band but here truly at the center of gravity of the album. It is also the quintessential pop album by Le Orme, composed of songs—refined and never trivial yet still "songs" in every sense—highlighting a side of their music that has always been present even in the years '71-'74, the most "progressive" ones. Mazzieri returns for the artwork, five years after "Uomo di Pezza," and I rejoice because I adore these covers, and this one is even cooler than the previous one. "Storia o Leggenda" is very beautiful but, in comparison to the equally excellent "Verità nascoste," it lives less in high peaks, yet overall, it is more homogeneous and compact, perhaps just a bit too focused on the slow sweet-melancholic melody (but what melodies!)... Until the final rush of "Al mercato delle pulci," an electric instrumental, nervous and driven that takes you right back to the times of "Collage" and "Uomo di Pezza." more
Piero Ciampi
"Recently 'listened to'... once I wouldn't have given it a thought, I didn't 'have time', now I 'have time'. I would have gotten along with him... perhaps too well; arguments between exhaustion and brotherly hugs right after, a few drinks away from everyone, adventures without being heroes... more
Antonio Albanese -Personaggi
The Italian madness seen through comedy, the masks, and the fantastic "monsters" of Antonio Albanese, from the beginning of his career to today. They are all there: the Minister of Fear, Alex Drastico, Perego, Epifanio, Cetto La Qualunque, the sommelier. more
Phil Collins -Hello, I Must Be Going!
For me, Collins' best album, slightly above the previous one. It's a good pop record where Phil seems to remember he's a musician and not just a mere printer of complaints. Alongside him, the loyal Stuermer on guitar and, as in "Face Value," once again John Giblin on bass for some tracks, his rhythmic companion in Brand X or on Gabriel's "III." "I Don't Care Anymore" and "Do You Know Do You Care" are probably the best songs from Collins as a solo artist, with "In the Air..." and "Thru These Walls" right behind. "You Can't Hurry Love" is so perfect that it covers itself, while "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning," with its flutes, oboes, and horns, feels closer to certain pop Genesis from the years just before. Nice little record, a couple of avoidable tracks but the stumbles don't go beyond that. more
Phil Collins -Face Value
Oh, I keep saying that Phil Collins as a solo artist started off well, with two nice albums of that pop-fusion-blue eyed soul-r&b that he loves so much, being a born entertainer. This first album is one of the thousand faces of Collins (in the same 1981 there was also “Abacab,” but during that time there were also Brand X, the collaboration with John Martyn, in short, the usual one, none, and a hundred thousand) and especially the first half I must say is a little gem, with at the top that standout track “In the Air Tonight,” of course; there are the ideas, like bringing back the dry drumming without cymbals due to the experience from the year before with Peter in “III-Melt.” The ballads/slow songs are sometimes really nice and other times they are a bit of a Collins whine but 10 times more enjoyable than the Collins whines that will come later. From the “marital crisis” sessions of '79-'80 came out some beautiful pieces, there’s groove here, a great rhythm section (there’s the buddy John Giblin, just to mention, you know...) a singer at the peak of maturity and expressiveness, a musician who hadn’t yet forgotten how to be one. Of course, in the second half it drops a bit but remains pleasant overall. And anyway, it's quite obvious that he reserved the leftovers of his own songs for Genesis, just think of “No Reply at All” on the contemporary “Abacab.” more
The Gun Club
Immense up to "Las Vegas Story." more
Le Orme -Collage
Fabulous record, the first major work of another one of my favorite Italian bands (and as far as I'm concerned, one of the great names of the international prog scene of those early '70s). With this album, they truly made a leap in quality ("Ad Gloriam," for goodness' sake, was already a nice beat-pop-psych-rock album, but it doesn't particularly drive me wild); in my opinion, 7 tracks that range from good to excellent, whether they are the more "prog" and elaborate pieces (and here we have a stunning duo with "Cemento armato" and "Evasione totale") or those that stick closer to the song format (or are simply "simple" songs), of which Le Orme were true masters, always balancing between pop sensibility and that "progressive" vibe they were among the first to bring to Italy in 1971 with such maturity, skill, and awareness. And here there are gems like "Era Inverno" and "Sguardo verso il cielo," etc. There's the beautiful instrumental title track, which pays the toll (typical for many bands or artists of the time) of classical inspiration. A very complete album, there's electric power (from the Hammond) and strong bursts, as well as melodic delicacy and refinement. There are (few) sunny passages musically, and there’s (a lot of) darkness, especially in the lyrics, always very beautiful and so cheerful and optimistic that they make Joy Division seem like a New Year's Eve train ride band. more