Phil Collins -Face Value
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Phil Collins — Face Value | DeRank™: 0,00

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
bluesboy94
bluesboy94

The Gun Club | DeRank™: 0,00

Immense up to "Las Vegas Story." more
Le Orme -Collage
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Le Orme — Collage | DeRank™: 6,05

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
Le Orme -Felona E Sorona
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Le Orme — Felona E Sorona | DeRank™: 3,00

What can you say. It closes the triptych of masterpieces by Le Orme, it's the deepest album, where the very cheerful themes and the joyful lyrics of the band take on planetary dimensions, literally. The unmistakable optimism in the lyrics, the themes, and the style close to those he expressed, had drawn admiration and appreciation from Peter Hammill, none other than him, who translated and adapted them into English for the anglo-speaking version of the album. High-level lyrics, even better music, instrumental passages and melodies, sung and unsung, are the peak product of the serenest trio, although—I must admit—I'd personally prefer at least "Uomo di Pezza" for sure and perhaps even "Collage"... Maybe it's because "Felona e Sorona" transmits too much anguish at times; but it is a masterpiece, of incredible beauty, depth, and maturity. more
Mel Brooks
Martello
Martello

Mel Brooks | DeRank™: 0,00

Whoever hates it is a jerk. more
Mario Biondi
Poldojackson
Poldojackson

Mario Biondi | DeRank™: 0,00

WHAT IS IT FOR EXACTLY? more
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso -Io sono nato libero
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Last of the excellent triad (but certainly not the last worthy album of Banco) from the Roman/Lazio band. As mentioned for "imprinting" with the group, my heart tells me that Salvadanaio is their best album; however, my brain would argue this one, the record of definitive maturity, probably the most complete and eclectic of the three: from the 15-minute prog of Canto Nomade to the BMS, which reveals itself as perhaps an excellent songwriter like never before, pure and linear songs of the highest quality, with the splendid "Non mi rompete" (legendary title, even just that...) and then Gianni Nocenzi pulls out my other favorite Banco song, the surreal and restless madness of "La città sottile," pure wonder with a taste for the theatrical and the absurd, what a fabulous piece. So much variety in this album, in style, atmospheres, lyrics ("Dopo...Niente è più lo stesso" closes the circle uniting classical prog and the anti-militarist and "political" lyrics of Canto Nomade). Among other things, besides a very theatrical Di Giacomo and the keys of the Nocenzi Bros, it is precisely in the album where the handover between Marcello Todaro and Rodolfo Maltese occurs that we find the most beautiful guitar parts and intertwining I have ever heard in Banco. more
Tom Waits -The Heart Of Saturday Night
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Almost as beautiful as "Closing Time," this second chapter of Tommaso that Awaits's career dives much more decisively into the realms of Jazz—swinging Jazz, Jazz from a Jazz Club. Even when the "folk" songwriter song peeks out (like in the stunning title track, with its nighttime, intimate singer-songwriter vibe, almost a bit Fred Neill-esque), it’s a moment and it immediately becomes a classic. The slow crooner sound that comes straight from the debut album isn't turned down either, with equal quality ("Shivers Me Timber" especially); however, Jazz overflows, and it’s quite enjoyable, both in the ballads ("Drunk on the Moon") and in explosive and exhilarating tracks like "Fumblin' With the Blues" or "New Coat of Paint." The melancholic, at times explosive and touching, nocturnal stroll we undertake with the young old 24-year-old passes through an impeccable series of beautiful songs, with no chance of faltering—music, melodies, arrangements, and lyrics. Waits's first two albums would already be worth a career for a "classical" singer-songwriter, and for him, they were just the appetizer of the appetizer. more
Paolo Belli
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Yftcfuf

Paolo Belli | DeRank™: 0,00

Leaving aside the choice to set (to) certain trivial football anthems to music, the Fred Buscaglione of the third Millennium. more
The Smiths -Rank
JohannesUlver
JohannesUlver

The Smiths — Rank | DeRank™: 0,00

Thanks to my Rosaspina! (02/23/2023) more
Sparks -Kimono my house
JohannesUlver
JohannesUlver

Sparks — Kimono my house | DeRank™: 2,80

Thanks to my Rosaspina! (02/23/2023) more
Death -Individual Thought Patterns
JohannesUlver
Thanks to my Rosaspina! (02/23/2023) more
Brian Eno -Discreet Music
JohannesUlver
JohannesUlver

Brian Eno — Discreet Music | DeRank™: 0,00

Thanks to my Rosaspina!* (02/23/2023) more
Antonio Albanese
Trofeo
Trofeo

Antonio Albanese | DeRank™: 0,00

Antonio Albanese is an actor, director, comedian, writer, cabaret performer, impersonator, and voice actor from Italy. more
Anthony Phillips -Sides
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Anthony Phillips — Sides | DeRank™: 0,00

The third album, if we consider the "PPP" series as a separate section of his discography, is overall a very beautiful record, but its quality is sharply divided in half. In the first half, there's an Ant who gives a bit too much to a light pop, perhaps with a hopeful eye on the charts, resulting in mixed outcomes (a couple of songs are frankly not great, especially "I Will Love You," a cheesy slow-pop number that's really far from his usual style, but others are quite nice, like "Um & Aargh" and "Lucy Will"). However, in the second half of "Sides," the level clearly rises; Ant moves away from hesitant "pop-rock" attempts and alternates between returning to his typical acoustic territories and experimenting with harder, fuller sounds ("Nightmare" is very Hackett, for example), definitely more electric and far from the pop songs of the first half. In this latter half, every piece is excellent, just great songs for Ant, which elevate "Sides" to an absolutely valid album, with just a couple of throwaway tracks at the start. As always, Ant plays all the guitars and keyboards, but here, except for a few songs, he often hands the microphone over to various other singers. Ah, the cover with the foosball is beautiful. more
Grinderswitch -Pullin' Together
Kopalsky
Kopalsky

Grinderswitch — Pullin' Together | DeRank™: 0,00

I can't compete with certain comments, so I'll keep it to a minimum. Solid southern rock band, nice album, with at least a couple of truly remarkable tracks. more
Anthony Phillips -Wise After the Event
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An album that has grown in my esteem over the years. From being a very valid work, it has become, for me, a stunning piece, imbued with all of Ant's particular sensitivity, his intimate melodic, harmonic, and compositional delicacy; Ant's style in this album reveals itself more than ever as a child of the great POP melody Masters of the '60s and '70s, as well as of British folk in general, yet all of this is filtered through a highly personal and immediately recognizable style, the same one that indelibly marked the early phase of Genesis' career. Ant is so unique in his classical essence that on certain occasions, in some of these beautiful songs, the melodies, his singing, the touches of shy, discreet notes sound so fragile, so ephemeral almost, that they frighteningly remind me of the delicate and often painful melodies of much singer-songwriter or folk-pop "indie" (let's say...) from the '90s and '00s, something I hadn't noticed before but now sounds quite evident; not always, but sometimes it emerges strongly. Ant, who here begins to skillfully navigate keyboards and piano in addition to his mainly acoustic guitars, and who lends his voice—perfect for these songs—to the entire album, creates a masterpiece of intimate songwriting with a melodious sense that is simply sublime. Stunning. more