Lenny Kravitz -Mama Said
Among the musicians on this album, there was also Sean Lennon on piano. more
Bruce Hornsby and the Range -The Way It Is
Of this excellent album, there is an equally excellent review by silvietto here on DeBasio written on February 5, 2016, in the late afternoon... more
Ultravox -Quartet
The artistic production is curated by George Martin, former producer of the Beatles from '63 to '70.

It is certainly very difficult to stay afloat in England, where trends and rhythms follow one after another without pause.

However, "Quartet" succeeds fully, tapping into what others have overlooked: simplicity.

The lyrics of the songs and their attire have changed.

Perhaps part of the credit goes to the measured production by George Martin; the fact is that the sound has undergone a significant improvement (it must have definitely been those "visions in blue").

Ultravox shakes off the burden of age with a single gesture: "Quartet."

One last thing to note: the recording, like the album, is excellent.

It's digital.

(quote G. Jandelli) more
Ultravox -Lament
Of this album, there is an excellent review written by Indio for DeBasio on July 11, 2008, around noon. more
Ultravox -Rage in Eden
“Rage In Eden” often takes on the density of a religious chant, stripped of arches and columns, light and incense scents.

The light that filters through is that of day, at any hour, but never with a direct beam of sunlight.

The filter is the gray color of glass.

The physical place is the cold stone of the cemetery.

The four musicians choose fierce moments to chew on despair.

Their skill is as icy as the memory of Lennon or Marilyn's death (“I Remember - Death In The Afternoon”).

And everything is systematically filtered through the cold use of keyboards and electronic percussion.

There is more meditation and less improvisation; the album's recording took three months.

Billy Currie increasingly feels his classical influences, between Tchaikovsky and Béla Bartók, and the warmth of his viola.
(cit. P. De Bernardin) more
Ultravox -Vienna
In this album, Midge Ure takes over from John Foxx, who leaves the band to pursue a solo career. more
Ultravox -Ultravox!
I M P E R D I B I L E

is the first album by the English group released in 1976 and features none other than Mr. Brian Eno as the producer. more
Max Gazzè -Ognuno Fa Quello Che Gli Pare?
Inevitably, this fourth chapter also confirms the good things that have been said previously about its original ability to synthesize a pop language that draws (unconsciously?) from Battiato and the typical ferment of the Roman singer-songwriter scene, which is now more nuanced than ever.

And “Ognuno fa quello che gli pare?” seems to have been conceived by seeking nuances rather than a conceptual line that perhaps characterized, more or less, the previous albums.
(cit. rockit.it) more
Max Gazzè -La favola di Adamo ed Eva
The lyrics are written by Max together with his brother Francesco Gazzè, poet and lyricist. more
Üstmamò -Tutto Bene
For those who may not have encountered them before, it is important to highlight that, although the definition of pop combined with the use of electronics can be misleading, Ustmamò fortunately have absolutely nothing to do with various Subsonica, Monovox, etc.

The group formed by Mara Redeghieri and Luca Rossi is, in fact, endowed with great creativity and refinement, and is able to utilize electronics with immense intelligence and discretion, often leaving it merely as a backdrop to give space to the use of various instruments, from acoustic guitars and metallophones to electric guitars and even strings, while also being able to range from more typically pop sounds and rhythms to almost acoustic atmospheres, alternating complex arrangements rich in sounds with much more minimalist ones. (cit. kronic.it) more
Üstmamò -Stard'Üst
Almost all the work was inspired by the comet that was visible during the making of the record. more
Frank Zappa -Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
It contains live recorded material from February 1976 to December 1980, except for the last track "Canard du Jour," a duet between Frank Zappa on bouzouki and Jean-Luc Ponty on baritone violin, recorded in 1973. more
Frank Zappa -Jazz from Hell
Entirely instrumental and with a rock-jazz setting, it was recorded with the Synclavier synthesizer, except for the track St. Etienne.

Zappa won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with this album in 1988.

An unusual fact about this album is that it was given a Parental Advisory sticker for explicit content by the RIAA, even though the album is completely instrumental.

This is due to the title of the fifth track (G-Spot Tornado), where G-Spot refers to the female erogenous zone known in Italian as Punto G.

All tracks are composed and arranged by Frank Zappa.
(quoted from Wiki)

1. Night School - 4:47
2. The Beltway Bandits - 3:25
3. While You Were Art II - 7:17
4. Jazz from Hell - 2:58
5. G-Spot Tornado - 3:17
6. Damp Ankles - 3:45
7. St. Etienne - 6:26
8. Massaggio Galore - 2:31 more
Frank Zappa -The Man from Utopia
I wore this out back then; I used to listen to it even in the shower as a soundtrack with the stereo dragged into the bathroom.

The cover designed by the Italian artist Tanino Liberatore depicts Frank Zappa busy with a fly swatter trying to kill mosquitoes during a concert, referring to the American musician's performance on July 7, 1982, at the Laghetto di Redecesio in Segrate and to other concerts from that Italian tour. more
Frank Zappa -Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
The title of the album translated into Italian means: "Ship that arrives too late to save a drowning witch" and takes its name from a Droodle (humorous book/game) by Roger Price. more
Frank Zappa -You Are What You Is
The album relies heavily on overdubbing; it was the first to include material recorded by Zappa in his home studio. more
Frank Zappa -Joe's Garage
Joe's Garage (Acts I, II & III) is a triple album. more
Frank Zappa -Sheik Yerbouti
Sheik Yerbouti is a work in perfect Zappa style, featuring humor, improvisation, and satirical references.

Structured as a single sequence of interconnected tracks, the album mainly consists of live performances, along with two studio recordings. more
Frank Zappa -Apostrophe
Considered one of the two lightest and most commercial albums by Zappa. more
Bob Dylan -Street Legal
The album marked a significant musical shift for Dylan, who embraced more pop-rock arrangements, collaborated with a large group of backing vocalists, and decisively moved towards black music.

From the title itself, Street Legal is a statement of intent: "street illegal" referred in the fifties to gambling machines, but "street legal," in street language, meant a "cool guy," a "hip," or a "straight shooter."

Moreover, "Street legal" also refers to modified car engines that, after passing safety inspections, become legitimate and legal. (source: wiki) more