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Murmur is a truly memorable debut album (previous EP aside) and despite a career rich in great records at least up until 1996, it ultimately stands at least on some step of the podium of their best works. Which step I cannot ascertain nor am I particularly interested in determining precisely, but it's a beautiful record. They are children of the Byrds and Jingle-Jangle, updating that sound for the '80s by filtering it through New Wave, focusing on those wonderful acoustic guitar frameworks that dominate and support the entire album, and managing to develop an excellent personal style, entirely their own, especially in the melodies that, starting from this album, become a trademark that has made them one of the most immediately recognizable bands ever. On "Murmur," all the songs, the melodies, Stipe's vocal harmonies, the guitar arpeggios create a wonderfully delicate Janglism from Buck and the others, whispered (indeed), played on tiptoe, almost as if they never wanted to disturb the listener too much. Even in the slightly more upbeat tracks, there’s this feeling. There are only beautiful songs here, particularly phenomenal are "Pilgrimage," the sublime melody of "Perfect Circle," the jangle manifesto "Shaking Through," and also the more "nervous" "Sitting Still" and another phenomenal pop-jangle like "Talk About the Passion," but everyone will have their favorites.

"Reckoning" is one of the R.E.M. albums that I digested more slowly; for quite a while, it struck me much less than their other works. Then the spark happened. It's beautiful, after all, even if it gets overshadowed by two of their albums that I personally adore, which are "Murmur" and the underrated "Fables...", and compared to which I still like it less, but we're talking about a "less" that is quite relative. There are many beautiful songs, indeed, ranging from anthology-worthy jingles ("7 Chinese Brothers") to perfectly catchy killer choruses ("Don't go Back to Rockville"), extraordinary fusions of their classic melodicism and the 60s acid ballad sound in yet another personal homage to the old masters in "Time After Time (Annelise)" (Buck's guitar here is wonderful), the slow, very calm, melancholy of "Camera," and various scattered gems ("Letter Never Sent," to mention one). While I don't consider it one of their masterpieces, it remains a very valid album that I will return to more frequently in the future.

A splendid album and unfortunately one of their least appreciated and most underrated. Composed during a time of intense tension within the band, it absorbs the frayed nerves, and there’s a veil of gloom, a greater darkness that envelops their typical melodic tapestries, which are particularly inspired here, especially noticeable in some tracks, with the masterful opening "Feeling Gravity Pull" acting as a manifesto of this mood and the great music the four Georgians have produced (as often happens in art, from crises emerge works of immense artistic value). And just as it opens with a masterpiece, it closes in the same manner, with the heartbreaking melancholy of the killer melody "Wendell Gee," one of my favorites in their vast repertoire, which follows the almost equally beautiful "Good Advices." In between, a sequence of beautiful songs is delivered relentlessly to the ears, showcasing their usual delicacy and that extra touch of "tension" I adore in this album ("Life and How to Live It," the fabulous "Auctioneer"). But the other two masterpieces for me are "Driver 8" and "Green Grow the Rushes," must-have diamonds in the R.E.M. discography.

One of the most brilliant works by R.E.M before they became mainstream. Perfectly consistent with their previous path and their now established style, yet capable, with Gehman's production, of steering some tracks in decidedly more electric and rocking directions, featuring a rock-powerpop energy that partially replaces the electric nervousness closer to the wave sound that emerged in certain songs from their early albums (with the first EP and "Murmur" at the forefront, but not only). Meanwhile, there's a triplet of songs that are among my favorites from their rich repertoire: "These Days," "I Believe," and "Just a Touch," the latter exploding with the "rock" soul of the album, unleashed, pulsating, pounding like Mills' piano, irresistible. These are songs that thrill me, alongside other gems like "Begin the Begin" or "Swan Swan H" or the other "rock-pop R.E.M." track "Hyaena." A varied album, full of little treasures. You feel the most classic ballad-lullaby of the group ("Flowers of Guatemala") or a cover of the late '60s band The Clique ("Superman," which seems to say, "Yes, we love '60s pop, didn’t you notice until now? Are you stupid?" Stipe) and finally, something that even sounds like it was played by Marc Ribot suddenly pulled into the album while recording for any contemporary Tom Waits record ("Underneath the Bunker," and no one can convince me that these four hadn't just listened to "Rain Dogs").

A really beautiful debut EP, which works in harmony with that rich number of stunning mini-discs that popped up like mushrooms in those years. These are the most new wave R.E.M. you could ever listen to, and this is clearly evident from the typical rhythmic nervosity, the tension in the flow of some of the five songs present here (especially the beautiful "1,000,000"), unmistakable features of that segment of Wave/Post-Punk or however you want to call it; but even so, the nod to the Jangle sound, that acoustic guitar style and the forefathers of this style back in the '60s was already present, along with that delicate melodic taste, personal enough to become a trademark, which in this EP particularly shines with "Gardening at Night", the gem within the gem. All five songs are really beautiful, a perfect warm-up before truly starting to whisper. Belo belo.

8/10

Without a doubt, the best album by Rainbow and the finest example of that epic and fantastical Hard Rock/Heavy sound that would later give rise to so many monstrosities (no, not in a good way), but that does not apply to this "Rising," which is an excellent album of driving and pumped-up Hard Rock (more than standard Hard Rock, I mean) and features the best lineup of Rainbow, with a significant contribution from the keyboards, especially in "Tarot Woman" and "Light in the Black," alongside a great Cozy Powell on drums. Of course, we have the established duo of Master Blackmore, the mastermind and absolute dictator, and Ronnie James Dio as frontman and voice (dellamadonna, to stay on theme). Here there are 6 songs and they are all solid; the album is cohesive and has no weak points (of the three shorter songs, my favorite is "Run With the Wolf"), but, of course, it has a specific peak: "Stargazer" is THE track by Rainbow, their programmatic manifesto, and objectively perhaps their highest point, driven by a sublime performance from R.J. (possibly at the top of an entire career? That could be). For me, however, towards the end, it’s also a bit TOO grandiose and overblown, so much so that, to be contrarian, I’d say that my favorite by Rainbow is "Tarot Woman," a great song and a tad more "measured." Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic album.

Debut album of the band of a Riccardo Nerodipiù, who has self-exiled from Deep Purple for the crime of lèse-majesté against others, and is ready to create a project all his own (yes, with Black Jack and a luxurious Ronnie James Dio) where he can fully express his idea of rock in an epic-fantasy style, emphasizing the most grandiloquent side of folklore and merging it with a genre, Hard Rock, that has never really been known for its sobriety, quite the contrary, in none of its aspects (from the living comics of Kiss to the expansive muscular power of the Purple themselves, or even folks like Uriah Heep, who have been "discreet" pioneers when it comes to refined Hard Rock that is simultaneously "epic" and majestic) and the result is an Hard Rock that aims for exaggeration and epicness in lyrics and melodies, with RJ's voice clean and wide, ringing without annoying high notes every three seconds, proving perfect for the operation. No one like Rainbow had pushed Hard Rock to such epic (and "clean" and "airy"... and even a bit kitschy, if you allow me) territories. I can't say that the result excites me incredibly (my favorite track is the one that strays the furthest from their style, and it's a cover too) but some songs ("Temple of the King" "Catch the Rainbow") are indeed beautiful and evocative as intended and the album is good. Better will be "Rising", the definitive manifesto of Nerodipiù's epic and pompous music.

6.5/10

5.5/10

5.5/10

5/10

Really a great job this debut by the English band Raw Material. It certainly lacks the "spark" for a leap to a real masterpiece, it lacks the inspiration of geniuses, devoid of that "spark" possessed by other so-called "minor" groups (but what does that mean) like the Spring or Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, who are true stars. Anyway, this album has no qualitative dips; all the tracks are nice even if none stands out in particular, from the hybrid prog seventies and beat sixties of "Time and Illusion" to the pop-rock with a blues-rock touch of "Pear on an Apple Tree," passing through the rock-blues of "Traveller Man" and the heartfelt recitation of "Destruction of America." My favorite track, however, is "Fighting Cock," a gem. A note for the cover, stunning, it has become my favorite cover alongside that of In the Court. Nice little disc.

10/10

9/10

Second album I buy from Ray Charles and I've hit another bullseye. An absolute masterpiece, even superior to the other one I have, that is the debut from 1957 which I already liked a lot (of course, with tracks like "Mess Around," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Losing Hand," "Sinner's Prayer"). This is an album practically without flaws, just over half an hour long and filled with only great songs, some on the edge of perfection. Beautiful.

1963. Ray Charles releases this beautiful album for ABC in which he interprets 10 great classics (or traditional if you prefer) of song; classics already at that time, in '63. From "Over The Rainbow" to "Ol' Man River," passing through "That Lucky Old Sun" to "You'll Never Walk Alone," Charles's interpretations are, as always, exceptional, with his stunning voice reaching incredible emotional heights. Another great album from an immense artist.

Also very beautiful. The title track and "At the Harbour" are stunning (the latter a masterpiece of the album), "Let it Grow" and "Carpet of the Sun" are two jewels of pure beauty. In my opinion, the other two tracks are less convincing. The wonderful voice of Haslam frames it all. Not a masterpiece, but one of the many excellent albums by Renaissance (at least until 1978).

8.5/10

A great new beginning for the Renaissance formation 2.0 (which, with a name like that, was already at an advantage, I would like to see). "Kiev," "Bound for Infinity," and "Rajah Khan" are my favorites but the whole album is beautiful, without any missteps. More curious is the clear division of roles between composition and performance. The band is entirely new, dominated by Tout's piano and Haslam's voice, but the tracks are all composed either by McCarty, who continued to write for the band even though he no longer played with them, or by Michael Dunford, who in "Prologue" wasn't even an "active" member of the band, along with the lyricist Tatcher (no, not Margherita, but Bettina). In short, the usuals wrote the songs and the 5 of the new formation were practically excellent interpreters/performers. But anyway, great album.

My favorite by Renaissance, I find it to be their most compact and cohesive album, with no weak points or less successful pieces. They are perfect when you seek music that is both refined (full of piano and "classical" references) and light and easy to listen to, almost "Pop" in its intentions, brimming with crystalline and extraordinarily inspired melodies (sometimes delightfully dark/melancholic and dramatic), elevated in the sung parts by the chettelodicoafare voice of Haslam. The lyrics aren't bad either, in fact. Here you have "Mother Russia," "Black Flame," and "Things I Don't Understand," all of which are among the best tracks of the group ("Running Hard" is nice too, but I find it a bit cumbersome in some passages), with spine-tingling moments and melodies, and then there is "Cold is Being," a dark and chilling landscape of death, drawn from the Adagio by "Albinoni" (which actually seems not to be by Albinoni) and played after having stripped the spine from Nico's grandfather, from Sardinia.

And this is, however, my favorite album by Jack Skeletron (yes, because always saying "the potions professor from Harry Potter" gets boring), just beautiful songs, some of which I think are truly great, undeniably valid work. Then there’s, for me, his most beautiful song of all, "Hanno arrestato Paperino," a little masterpiece, with a touch of irony and a lot of melancholy, a very bitter song.

Nice and with 3-4 good tracks, but overall I definitely like it less than the three previous ones and the three that follow; it's the least impressive in my opinion from his best period, apart from the debut. And then "Il triangolo" is one of those songs of his that could even get a bit annoying, come on.

The latest album by Zero that I think is worth listening to is one of his best works, although it suffers from the gigantism of being a double album, especially since 20 consecutive songs from Fiacchini feel a bit heavy in the end. Overall, it's a nice album; there are missteps like the song about the little mice that I always skip (and I almost never skip songs on albums...) because it really annoys me, but there are also some of his best songs like "Lungara," "Marciapiedi," "Ecco noi," and "Domicilio coatto," as well as the heartfelt dedication to Stefania Rotolo. Perhaps overall the second album "Antartide," arranged by Elio D'Anna, is better, who can also be heard on the sax in some tracks of this double album (there are some talented musicians here, eh). And then that crappy "I figli della topa" is on the first album so... After this, I only listen to Zero in the role of Jack Skeletron.

I listened to it again, inspired by last night's conversation with two de-users. One of Zero's best albums, I find it very compact and qualitatively homogeneous. "Il carrozzone" is one of his best songs (practically a new Roman popular song) as well as "Periferia." His ballads are inspired, and the more (Glam) rock pieces are engaging, very well done and fun, ironic and biting. Zero's charisma was at its peak here with his theatricality, his powerful vocals, his unique style, his spoken parts and exclamations, along with the excellent inspiration he was experiencing as a songwriter back in 1979. Nothing, this is really a great album, for me his valid period will last another couple of years and then bai-bai.

The most complete film by Linklater, an excellent and faithful adaptation of Dick's novel, and the best science fiction film of the 2000s. Intriguing, engaging. The technique used to portray the characters is beautiful. Reeves impressed me quite a bit (the only time), Downey Jr. is fantastic, Ryder is great (her first and only significant role in an important film for her since 2001), and the dedication written at the time of the novel by Dick to his friends who were victims of drugs is poignant.

Nice, it would have been a great conclusion. Still inferior to the first 2.

Simply one of the most beautiful albums of the '80s, probably his best solo album (excluding the duo with Linda) and... Is there really anything else to add in front of this? devonside Richard Thompson Artwork.

Another great album for Thompson in the midst of the '80s. This album can be considered a bit of a younger sibling to the masterpiece "Hand of Kindness" (which remains a record of sublime inspiration that this one doesn’t quite reach, it would be asking too much) since in various songs it follows that same musical and thematic trail. In this sense, three particularly successful and irresistibly lively tracks are "I Ain't Going to Drag My Feet No More," the energetic "Fire in the Engine Room" (with a fierce opening), and "She Twists the Knife Again," but traditional ballads like "When the Spell is Broken" and "Walking Through a Wasted Land" are also beautiful, the latter, in my opinion, bearing the "stigmata" of a classic. However, it presents some substantial differences from the "older brother": on one hand, there are some concessions to more explicitly pop songs, though always "refined" and enjoyable ("Shine on Love" I like a lot). On the other hand, there is a mood that wasn't present in the previous album, darker and more somber, which particularly shines in the concluding and stunning "Love in a Faithless Country," a magnificent song. The sounds unleashed by his guitar are incredible as always; I love Thompson's guitar style (or styles), always balancing between originality/innovation and classicism. After all, this album is in a transitional phase that comes after and precedes his collaborations with David Thomas and Fred Frith. In short, a really great album. A guarantee.

Another very beautiful album from Riccardo, probably a "minor," but this, to my taste, only gives an idea of the exceptional quality of the "majors." Beautiful ballads and pop-rock pieces with that irresistible rhythm, featuring lovely "catchy" arrangements, some marked by the participation of Tony Levin on bass. His talent lies in crafting simple songs without ever making them too linear, seeking that touch of uniqueness in the arrangements, in the sounds, especially thanks to his wonderful guitar and his notes with an acidic tone, featuring jagged and irregular rhythms. "Gypsy Love Songs," "Jerusalem on the Jukebox," "Don't Tempt Me," and "Can't Win" are some of the best tracks. Not to mention "Waltzings for Dreamers," which feels a bit like hearing a "Waits" piece sung "Thompson-style." Even in the more linear pop songs, he never crosses the line into banality and flatness; there's always that reassuringly inspiring melodic pleasure, as in "I Still Dream" and "Turning of the Tide." Truly an album I appreciate very much. Mitchell Froome produces and plays all the keyboards. Kirkpatrick is the sound bridge to old England, with his accordion and concertina.

A bullshit that I’m a bit ashamed of having appreciated in the past... weak parts and awful sounds, I'd say Wakeman has done better (not as a solo artist, I know his first three and they’re pretty basic) at least with Bowie and Yes, I’d say.

Excluding the trilogy of masterpieces "The Duellists," "Alien," and "Blade Runner," this beautiful road movie remains Ridley Scott's best film, superbly acted (Sarandon, Davis, Keitel make a great trio), engaging, and with an ending that is excessive and quite exaggerated, but undoubtedly very beautiful. In short, a stunning film.
Keitel's desperate (and pointless) race towards T&L's car launched into the void is magnificent; it has definitely stuck with me.

Immensely overrated product, Scott made a couple of films in the 2000s that are even better than this. Mediocre Crowe, better Joaquin Phoenix, a rhetorical film, historically inaccurate, a continuous alternation of sentimental nonsense and battles. For certain aspects, it remains an absolutely decent film, with beautiful sets and excellent music that save the film quite a bit.

Well, it’s a bit superior to movies like "The Gladiator," but also significantly inferior to "Thelma & Louise" (the trilogy of Duellanti, Alien, Blade Runner is obviously unreachable and from another planet). It would be a good crime movie, a more than decent action film at 3.5, but I still don't know whether to round it up to 3 or 4. The first part is excellent, with beautiful scenes, lovely sets, good direction, the plot is quite engaging; then it loses its way, and quite a bit, especially with the feel-good and somewhat cheesy ending. What a shame.

Less ugly than I remembered. A film directed with skill by Scott, for style very different and for quality much lower than "The Silence of the Lambs", it relies mainly on the charismatic performance of a flamboyant Hopkins and benefits from the excellent Florentine set design in the first part (with a good Giuseppe Giannini added) and a couple of remarkable scenes. Julianne Moore did not convince me at all, good performance by Oldman, decent Liotta, experienced and skilled Scott.

One of the 5 most beautiful science fiction films of all time. Although it is not the most faithful adaptation of a Dick novel, it is the one that is qualitatively the most successful: a masterpiece that could be discussed for hours. The atmosphere, the direction of the best Scott ever, the wonderful ending (the one from The Final Cut, of course), the unforgettable Rutger Hauer, the excellent performances by Ford, Daryl Hannah, and Sean Young, the soundtrack. A timeless masterpiece.

Unsettling, dark, claustrophobic, trapped on a spaceship facing an unknown and highly lethal and cunning enemy (Alien, the most complex and fascinating monster in the entire history of science fiction cinema), which creates a crisis because it knows where they are, but they don’t know where it is or what it is, along with the internal enemy (the android Ash and the very computer that controls the ship). Tension skyrockets, eyes wide open, a heart-pounding finale. Exceptional.