Làszlò Benedek: Il Selvaggio
DVD Video I have it ★★★★
Great movie, now become a manifesto and cult film, with the protagonist, excellently portrayed by a legendary Marlon Brando, who during those years became a true youth icon.
Nice film about youth rebellion, it's not a masterpiece, it does feel a bit dated, but it remains one of Benedek's best works. 8
Le Orme: Verità nascoste
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
The album features three tracks of absolute excellence ("In Ottobre", the heart-wrenching hybrid between folk song and chamber music of the title track, and "Regina al Troubadour", with its wonderful final part, very much "Genesis" by the way) within an overall very solid work (see the opening and closing with two great pieces like "Insieme al concerto" and "Il gradino più stretto del cielo", but also "Radiofelicità"). With Serafin as the fixed guitarist, more in tune with the trio's characteristics compared to Marton, Le Orme return to paths they know well with the class and melodic inspiration that has always distinguished them, lightened in their electric approach compared to certain bursts of the past, but that's fine too. Excellent album, I really like it a lot.
Le Orme: Contrappunti
CD Audio I have it
Another beautiful album, it doesn't have much to envy from its three predecessors; I place it half a step below because, although good, two of the three instrumentals, "Aliante" and "Notturno," don't make me tear my hair out. However, it's an album with nothing to throw away, featuring at least three songs among my favorites from the band ("Maggio," the folk-pop ballad "Frutto acerbo" that once again reminds us how Le Orme were also connected to simple songwriting and not just prog, and "La fabbricante d'angeli," another pitch-dark gem to add to their repertoire of sunny and reassuring lyrics...). The excellent title track is instrumental and contrapuntal (well, otherwise they would have titled the album "Quel mona di Adalbertopiero" or whatever), and "India" is another great song with an interesting text. Beautiful, inspired as always in ideas and melodies, with the almost constant alternation of "instrumental-sung" and "rhythmic piece-quiet piece" making the listening experience varied. A stellar album, indeed.
  • dsalva
    7 may 21
    For me, it’s YES.
  • Kism
    8 may 21
    It's difficult to follow "Felona e Sorona"; there’s a lack of a certain cohesiveness, and perhaps a track that stands out from the others.
  • hjhhjij
    8 may 21
    Uhm, if I may say, for me there's no track that stands out above the others even in F&S.
Le Orme: Felona E Sorona
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
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.
Le Orme: Storia o leggenda
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
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."
Le Orme: Collage
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
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.
Le Orme: Uomo Di Pezza
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Second splendid album of the "triad" of the best works by Le Orme (although almost all the albums from "Contrappunti" to L'Ape are also very beautiful). Compared to "Collage," the lyrics here focus on themes, all "feminine," that are even more sunny, cheerful, and optimistic. On the contrary. Little girls being abused, stalking with attempted home invasions, women in asylums, etc. HURRAY! What a joyful band. All of this is sometimes "sweetened" by reassuring and delicate music and arrangements or by lyrics rich in evocative imagery that try to be as non-explicit as possible, with "Gioco di bimba" being the prime example in this sense, while I find the contrast between the musical sweetness (with the bonus of Pagliuca's electrifying solo on his newly bought synth) and the heartfelt and decidedly more explicit lyrics in "Figure di cartone" to be wonderful. This is one of my favorites in Le Orme's repertoire, alongside "La porta chiusa," which is instead the track where all delicacy is abandoned, especially at the musical level. It constantly maintains an unsettling atmosphere, dark, urgent, and electric, even anguished in the singing of the great Tagliapietra. Even more electric (the most aggressive and "rock" track on the album, as well as dark, no mistake about it) is the instrumental "Alienazione," with Pagliuca's Hammond and various keyboards diving deep into electric distortion, producing truly remarkable sounds in my opinion. Oh, and the cover is fabulous.
Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
And what can you say about the album with the symbols... The band checks the Blues box with the incredible reinterpretation of "When the Levee Breaks," the epic of blues. After paying homage to Harper, they honor another great like Joni with an acoustic gem like "Going to California." They treat us to two electric classics like "Black Dog" and "Rock'n Roll," along with their definitive acoustic masterpiece "The Battle of Evermore," enriched by a sublime duet between Plant and my beloved Sandy (complete with her very own symbol). They also offer two more unique tracks like Misty Mountain (beautiful) and "Four Sticks" (which gives me trouble because of Plant's timbre; did he inhale helium on this piece?). And then oh right... There's that devilish song that is wicked, and if you listen to it backward, all your albums turn into records by Nek and Biagio Antonacci.
Inspired by the beautiful Welsh hills, Page and Plant unleash their most intimate, acoustic, and folk side, which especially bursts forth in the second half of the album (but it starts with the beautiful "Friends"). Given that Led Zeppelin, as creators or interpreters of folk music, have always produced great work, we find four splendid songs one after the other: from their personal rendition of the traditional British "Gallows Pole" (which becomes a wild "dance") to the homage to their Welsh retreat in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp," passing through two gems like "Tangerine" and "That's the Way." It's also true that the masterpiece of the album remains in the realms of the most intense Blues with the immense "Since I've Been Loving You." The album is also inspired in its electric/hard-rock tracks, where the evergreen "Immigrant Song" reigns. It concludes with a special tribute to a friend and an immense, yet always underappreciated, master, Roy Harper.
  • First album I bought in my life, on December 23, 1970. The day after, I was buying Led Zeppelin II. After Christmas, I bought "Act One" by Beggars Opera and a few days later "Pendulum" by Creedence. I finished my Christmas pocket money after the Befana 1971 by purchasing "Very Heavy Very Humble" by Heep.
    Masterpieces: Immigrant Song, Since I've Been Loving You, Gallows Pole
    Excellences: Friends, Celebration Day, That's the Way, Bron Yr Our Stomp
    Decent: Tangerine
    Scant: Out on the Tiles
    Crap: Hats Off to Roy Harper
    It's a pity I couldn't fit Hey Hey What Can I Do (excellent) in place of that crap, rather than Out on the Tiles closing the album instead of the crap.
Nearly 10 years since the first listen, it’s still one of my favorite records, a remarkable debut, a perfect work that for me remains the quintessential Hard-Blues album, despite the sublime forays into the electro-acoustic realm (more acoustic than electric) of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" or even the acoustic guitar instrumental by Page that ventures into pure traditional British (actually Irish) folk with "Black Mountain Side," which reprises "Down by Blackwaterside," particularly the version given three years prior by Bert Jansch, a tribute from Page to a great master. And "Dazed and Confused," acidic, psychedelic, and luciferian, is "My" Led Zeppelin song, extraordinary. And everything else... Wow, everything else... A masterpiece.
  • hellraiser
    25 feb 18
    My heart fucks you to death...
  • hjhhjij
    25 feb 18
    Ssshhhh it's still all quiet. But soon the II, the III, etc. will arrive. It's gonna hurt.
  • ygmarchi2
    26 feb 18
    I've always listened to II, III, and IV more; in fact, I probably never even knew the tracklist of the songs. I'll need to make up for that.
  • hjhhjij
    26 feb 18
    Be this one (along with "II" of course) is definitely the most seminal for the subsequent works of others, with its increasingly heavy and distorted take on Rock-Blues and classic Blues (plus other things I mention in the definition of course) and, in terms of the quality of the interpretations and the tracks, aside from its historical importance, I think it’s the coolest, oh, it just slightly surpasses the others, you know, but it does. It also has some nice little psych-acid moments. Just have fun counting Plant's "Beibe" in "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," which I believe are THIRTY :D
  • Of course, it ranks from *****0, 10/10, 30 e lode, 110 e lode. In any case, in my personal Zeppelin hierarchy, it has always been and remains in fourth place, preceded by the following three works.
    Certainly, having had it fresh in hand at the beginning of '69... at that point, the novelty, the discovery of that unbeatable sound would have contributed to considering it unsurpassed.
    I adore Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Dazed and Confused, Your Time Is Gonna Come, and Communication Breakdown. I love the drums and bass of "Good Times," but I'm held back by its "beat"-flavored vocals (the only case in the entire repertoire). I love Page's super soulful guitar in You Shook Me, the disorienting role of the Eastern interlude "Black Mountain Side." The other blues cover is excellent, the Telecaster is so expressive, even with its uncertainties here and there. The only track that, while notable, also carries scents of self-indulgence and insufficient consistency (measured against its duration) is the last one, "How Many More Times": great as a live jam session, but less justified in a studio work.
  • hjhhjij
    27 feb 18
    Beautiful intervention, Pier, thank you. I don’t agree (but it’s an understandable opinion) on How Many, and frankly I don’t know where you heard the East in that piece of traditional Irish folk/baroque folk in the style of Jansch; however, aside from that, your comment is truly beautiful. In any case, placing this album in the first, fourth, or second spot in a personal "ranking" of their albums is really a matter of tiny minutiae.
  • hjhhjij
    27 feb 18
    Oh God, thinking about it a bit maybe it does have an oriental touch...
It has the wrong cover, but it would be the second one, which is another masterpiece worthy of applause and a cornerstone of Hard-Blues-Rock after the debut, which I still slightly prefer. An album at the edge of perfection, not a second wasted, not even with the stage for Bonzo's solo outburst in "Moby Dick." Two masterpieces that induce ecstasy like "Whole Lotta Love" and especially "The Lemon Song" (that central section, Giovanni Paolo's bass...) and my other favorite from the album, that gem with a wonderfully British melody and great romance, "Thank You," penned by Plant-Page and with that Hammond ending from Jones, chill-inducing... Then the rest, all exceptional evergreens among which stands out that tesssooroo of a song, "Ramble On."
  • hjhhjij
    28 feb 18
    @[G] doctor doctor but how come the issue with the head of dick covers hasn't been resolved? How can it be done, even though it's such a silly problem that I almost feel embarrassed to bring it up?
  • hellraiser
    28 feb 18
    I'm sorry, but I can't assist with that.
  • Knolthom
    28 feb 18
    I have always preferred 3 and 4 to 2.
  • hjhhjij
    28 feb 18
    Nuo heart said that this way it doesn't bother her, so tough luck :D Knolthom, therefore, they're building up with you while I'm slightly decreasing but more with IV than with III that I adore. And I also adore "Houses of the Holy."
  • SalvaDM
    28 feb 18
    Beautiful beautiful, perhaps the most bluesy of the first 4 homonyms.
  • hjhhjij
    28 feb 18
    Between this and the first, it's quite a challenge; even the debut firmly sinks its roots into the Blues.
  • hellraiser
    28 feb 18
    But I think the first four are practically perfect on the same level. The first to try to pursue this path were Jeff Beck and his friends, but I think the Zeppelin were out of reach even for them.
  • hjhhjij
    1 mar 18
    Yes, the first 4 (for me even 5) are all at the same extremely high level, then everyone has their slight preferences for one reason or another, but those are just details...
  • IlConte
    1 mar 18
    Pointless to choose, four masterpieces. The 2 and the untitled have made History, the first rightfully belongs among the best debuts of Rock, and the three... is the three, special and unique, from the series "they say we only know how to make a mess," ciaoooooo.
    Then everyone has their personal taste, obviously.
  • hjhhjij
    1 mar 18
    Sure, but above all, who wants to choose? :D
  • IlConte
    1 mar 18
    It was to say, noble
  • hjhhjij
    1 mar 18
    But I know ahahahaha
  • IlConte
    1 mar 18
    Me too ahahah...
  • hjhhjij
    17 may 19
    Hey, you put the right cover on!
Led Zeppelin: Presence
CD Audio I have it
An album where the declining phase (already hinted at in various less successful tracks of "Graffiti..." but justifiable due to the fairly common double album syndrome) makes its presence felt forcefully for the first time. Moreover, it was recorded at a terrible time for the mental and physical conditions of all the band members (except perhaps John Paul? Who knows). Yet in some tracks, the dragging suffering and gloom of the moment, even Plant's hoarse voice, combined with the obvious craftsmanship of such a band, becomes almost an added value for songs like "For Your Life," "Nobody's Fault But Mine," and the slow, sluggish blues of "Tea For One," all more than valid tracks. Then there's "Achilles Last Stand," which is a crazy last hurrah, "mature" hard rock with an extraordinary Page (the whole band, to be honest, including the voice crack effect of Robert) that encapsulates the "mood" of "Presence" and is naturally also its qualitative peak. The rest is pure filler, three songs of which the most enjoyable is definitely "Royal Orleans," while the other two are honestly less than "one type" and quite forgettable. Notice how they played it safe here, abandoning the experiments and eclecticism of the previous two albums (especially) and focusing on Rock-Hard-Blues as a secure landing. With all its flaws, "Presence" is an album with some very valid elements.
  • hjhhjij
    4 dec 21
    And @[IlConte] was right. UH!
  • Flame
    4 dec 21
    For me, it comes right after the first 4 from thankgodinthesky in the preferences, and the others follow suit. For me, it's a great album; it could have made millions of bands famous, but they are The Led, so...
  • IlConte
    4 dec 21
    Presence was, for the specialized critics, the fall of the airship after they believed the band had reached its apex with Physical Graffiti. I've already expressed my thoughts on Presence, and it's a miracle of an album given the state of the band at that time… Page and Plant locked inside a room for weeks, one destroyed by drugs and the other by his psychological and physical situation. It’s practically the opposite of Houses of The Holy from only three years before, the most sunny and joyful album by the Zepp. Over time, it has been rightly re-evaluated. Moreover, it was released shortly after the live album that took all the attention with the film and everything surrounding it - parties, celebrations, events.
    As for Physical, it would have been an epic album without those 4/5 songs to make it a double. But the other 10/11 are top; just read the titles (Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot, The Rover, In My Time of Dying, In the Light, Ten Years Gone, Down by the Seaside ... and I really like Black Country Woman).

    I agree with the comment. It is essentially Page's record, a fractured Page but one capable of recording and producing a small great miracle.
  • Onirica
    4 dec 21
    Achille's last stand is probably my favorite solo by Gimmi Pagina, without a doubt.
  • Onirica
    4 dec 21
    @[IlConte] So, shall I go ahead and make a nice quadruple on Presence?
    I'm waiting for your approval!
  • IlConte
    4 dec 21
    Only 3 reviews?!
    Scandalous!!!
    There should be at least double that!!!
  • IlConte
    4 dec 21
    It's already 7, I think... there might even be an eighth, savansadir. You will earn my ONE.
  • hjhhjij
    4 dec 21
    Ahahahahahahahah. Anyway, all the guitar parts in Achilles are truly amazing, some of the best from Jimmio. @[Flame] yeah, I remembered your passion for this album but, aside from the fact that Led are among the undisputed masters of Hard-Blues, I prefer them to be more eclectic (even the more contained eclecticism of the first 4, which is just fine, with the folk peaks of the third) and this troubled album, all "rock-blues" in general, doesn’t give me the chills like the others do, yet it has more beautiful things than I remembered, that’s for sure.
  • hjhhjij
    4 dec 21
    @[IlConte] I totally agree on Physical, the first album is excellent, it's the second one that fluctuates more, but even there there are some real gems for sure.
  • IlConte
    4 dec 21
    For me, there are three or four songs that were avoidable
    (I would keep the Rocchenrolle tribute to Stu in, though)
    You arrived at a crossroads between 15 to 11/12… either you eliminate another 3 and make an album, or recycle just as many for a double. Since they aren’t awful, they did well; we always focus on the small flaw in front of the masterpiece. A band with just Kashmir could have made its own history and fortune, and it's funny to think that it’s not among my favorites.
    But the beauty of great bands that can interpret various genres at their best is that everyone can have totally different albums and favorite songs.
    I think that if no one knew anything, all the individual albums could belong to 8 different bands. Perhaps only the 2nd and 4th are “similar” masterpieces.
  • Onirica
    4 dec 21
    @[IlConte] I will surprise you: I will say things that no one has ever said, like "They do hard rock", "Jimmy Page is a great guitarist" and "the album is very beautiful". I can't think of anything else, it's hard to be original with the z'pplin.
  • Flame
    5 dec 21
    @[hjhhjij] It’s a pain to call you out by choosing among a thousand fakes. I actually like this return to the essentials a lot; I almost feel like they’ve stripped themselves bare without any frills. And then there's Tea for One, which I like more than you can imagine; once Conte told me that he finds it beautiful but it has that since I been... without that intensity. I perceive all their sorrow from that period.
  • Flame
    5 dec 21
    I know I'm not on the same level as Since, but I still like it a lot.
  • hjhhjij
    5 dec 21
    "Since I've Been Loving You" has much more strength, electric charge, energy, "Tea For One" is very slow, dark, with a tired air like they were at that time. In fact, you’re right when you talk about perceiving in certain tracks (like Tea) the sorrow of that period, which, as I’ve said, is also the added value of an album that makes its vulnerability its best card, being bare, imperfect, and limping, which otherwise would have been just a decent but rather boring album, and instead, in some way, at least 4 tracks managed to give that “something” extra. I mostly agree with what you said, Flame, except that in the end I find the average quality of the previous albums to be higher and the versatility more intriguing, which, as I see it, was absolutely within their capabilities. That said, this is an album that I have “rediscovered” with pleasure.
  • Flame
    5 dec 21
    I feel more uncertainty and a touch of boredom (forgive me, Conte) in Houses, aside from No Quarter, a fantastic piece, and Rain SONG, and perhaps the one I listen to the least along with the last one before Bonham's passing.
  • IlConte
    5 dec 21
    I can't make too many distinctions between the band's albums (except for the latest one) because I associate each album with its specific period. On paper, for example, HOTH might seem the least interesting, when in reality it represents the utmost expressiveness of the band's most serene and fun period. Recorded with maximum laid-back vibes at Stragroves in the countryside by Jagger and then at the Rolling Stones' mobile studio, it marks the happy peak of the band, which indeed doesn't worry about standards and plays everything. From the oceanic classic rock of "The Ocean," dedicated to the crowds that attended their concerts, to the incredible reggae from Jamaica, the playful tribute to James Brown in "The Crunge," or even more experimental stuff like the initially instrumental "TSRTS." But then there are two standout tracks like "Rain Song" and the phenomenal "No Quarter," the beautiful bucolic "OTSAFA," and the true emblematic song of the period, "Dancing Days," a nearly pop piece that is nothing much but showcases the four happy members dancing in the countryside...
  • IlConte
    5 dec 21
    Then it's obvious that, regardless of tastes, you can't discount a single song from the first 4... but that's beyond the rankings.
  • hjhhjij
    5 dec 21
    Boredom is entirely subjective and we can find it anywhere, so it's understandable, but the craft in Houses, absolutely not, and neither is uncertainty, precisely for the reasons expressed by the Count above: it was their time of peak glory, success, and carefree-ness. At most, it's an album where they experiment with a lot of instinctiveness, yes, doing things they wouldn't have tried before, without overthinking it. But the craft, in the sense of that experience and skill with which you bring out decent/valid material even in difficult situations, is stuff from "Presence." It's not that it's such a negative thing for me, eh, don't get me wrong, and here I found many things rightly identified by @[Flame] that give it greater depth. I remembered it as flatter; overall, I've changed my mind quite a bit (let's say by 4-5 sevenths) and I'm happy about it.
  • IlConte
    5 dec 21
    Is this the happy gift!!!
  • fedezan76
    5 dec 21
    I still think that Achilles Last Stand, Nobody's Fault but Mine, and Tea For One are three absolute masterpieces. And it's the slowness of the latter and those "gaps" filled with tension that make it perfect.
  • Flame
    6 dec 21
    I don't want to pile up more walls on the zebedei. Just one more slips out, I hope you'll forgive me. My taste leads me to have an opinion on Houses of the Holy that differs from yours. Some tracks are definitely out of focus for me, Jamaica and Crunge, one because I don’t think it’s really their territory, and the other I don’t find so exceptional. Ocean and Dancing Days are pleasant but far from the quality of the tracks from the first 4 (and for me, even from those of Presence), and TSRTS is the only Zeppelin song that I really don’t like; for me, those from In Through the Out Door are much better. The rest is obviously nutella for the eardrums.
  • IlConte
    6 dec 21
    But flame, nobody contests tastes, that would be absurd. It's obvious that they go to places not suited for them because it represents their period of maximum fun, joy, and togetherness. Sure, as individual pieces, it might be the weakest, even though just Rain Song and No Quarter are enough to make it stand out. Every piece represents something about the band in that 1972. Whether you like it or not is a matter of personal taste; as for me, I’ve always loved Jamaica a lot. The last album, on the other hand, I find just barely sufficient, but to me, it’s not even a truly Zepp album (all the other albums bear Page's signature, which is missing here; I believe the only three tracks in the discography where he is not among the authors are on this album, if I remember correctly). Coda is much better for me… but not so much for the quality of the pieces but for the sound. ITTOD is already the '80s, while Coda brings back pieces with that Zepp sound. Everyone has their noble tastes, but then everything should be contextualized to the period, that’s all. For me, obviously. I would have been curious to hear the next album… Bonzo and Page were angry and pumped up to the max… but I’ve always thought that fate didn’t want the band to enter that decade of synths and electronic stuff.
  • Flame
    6 dec 21
    I understood your speech about contextualization; I just wanted to explain my tastes a bit better, and the comparison with In Through was with The Song Remains the Same, not with the whole album. I also much prefer Houses and Coda to In Through.
  • hjhhjij
    6 dec 21
    TSRTS really doesn't appeal to me much either; it's one of the weaker tracks on an album that I love a lot. The experiments in genres that aren't usual for them instead seem spot on to me (they're not masterpieces, more like divertissement, but beautiful) and "Dancing Days" has always been quite pleasing to me.
  • fedezan76
    6 dec 21
    Of Houses of the Holy, I find that the only experiment not perfectly successful is The Crunge. Dancing Days, The Ocean, and TSRTS are, as far as I'm concerned, splendid. Dyer Maker, although not among my favorites, still seems good to me.
  • IlConte
    6 dec 21
    Anyway, let's wait for those who are "scripted, arrogant, pretentious, even mediocre and obviously overrated.”
    Ahahahahahah
  • hjhhjij
    6 dec 21
    Tvoppo Meinstveam
  • IlConte
    6 dec 21
    Givsto
    Fuck
Another great album by Led Zeppelin, the last truly great one in my opinion. Compared to the previous ones, this one already shows signs of decline, mainly due to its double album structure, with the band having used many tracks already recorded in previous years during the sessions for "III," "IV," and "Houses of the Holy" – basically "leftovers" that sometimes turn out to be very valid ("The Rover" is perhaps the best example, but there's also "Black Country Woman"), while at other times it's clear why they were left out. Even in the unreleased tracks, there is an alternation between fantastic pieces (almost all on the first disc, with "Kashmir" and their version of an old Louisiana gospel, "In My Time of Dying," standing out, though I have a soft spot for "Trampled Under Foot") and a couple that do very little for me ("The Wanton Song" and "Sick Again").
  • Custard Pie: good
    The Rover: masterpiece
    In My Time of Dying: masterpiece
    Houses of the Holy: good
    Trampled Underfoot: very good
    Kashmir: masterpiece
    In the Light: masterpiece
    Bron Yr Our: very good
    Down By the Seaside: good
    Ten Years Gone: very good
    Night Flight: good
    The Wanton Song: very good
    Boogie with Stu: modest
    Black Country Woman: good
    Sick Again: good
  • hjhhjij
    8 aug 18
    I'm sorry to be a voice out of the chorus regarding "Sick Again" and "The Wanton Song" (and then what you'll find in "Down by the Seaside," one of their less interesting and pleasant "experiments" in my opinion), which frankly excite me and convey little; they seem frankly obvious. "Night Flight" is already more enjoyable. I agree with everything else. "Trampled Under Foot" is a true gem.
  • Grum
    8 aug 18
    But not really, this is a pain in the ass for the first, and especially the second, who is really a drag.
  • IlConte
    9 aug 18
    This album is strange, we know that. It was the first "accepted" record, at least in part, by the valiant anti-Zeppelin music critics of the time, and even remember that after the band's breakup in the '80s, it was referred to as their "definitive" album, the sum of all their worth. Of course, that's not the case; the first four, for different reasons, shatter any "competitor." If we think that even Blackmore changed vocalists and bassists to "sound like their first two albums," and if Geezer said they recorded "Paranoid" with the same albums blaring and themselves high on the floor of the recording studio… pretty solid testimonies… I place it a notch below the four, alongside "Houses." I’m not excited by either "Sick Again" or "The Wanton Song," while I have a soft spot for "Down By" and "Black Country" (perhaps because of how they were recorded and what’s behind them). I'm also weak for "Boogie With Stu," but it’s the only true homage to a great, cowardly forgotten even by those who owe him a life-long monument (Richard, Jagger ????!!!!). Then there are the masterpieces and some less known, amazing stuff like "Ten Years Gone." Anyway, five stars because the first four don’t even deserve the rating… a masterpiece is not "rating-worthy." I don’t like their last album, as you already know, made up of four good tracks and three duds (the only three insufficient songs in their entire discography, in my opinion). But what's beautiful about Zeppelin is that they are so varied… that everyone has their own favorite album… nice, nice like that. Thanks, hj.
  • IlConte
    9 aug 18
    Of course, Grum, why not, ahahahahahahah
  • hjhhjij
    9 aug 18
    Sorry Grum, but I've read so many fake nonsense in years of deb that I can no longer find your stuff amusing. I'm sorry, maybe you even put effort into it... Conte, what can I say: I still find it "funny" that critics snubbed Zeppelin (who sold a ton of records though. Oh my... They were commercial ahahahah) but you know, critics are a strange breed. However, I agree with you on black country woman, it's beautiful (I love John’s tribal and basic tumtumtum) and I'm glad to find someone else who doesn't go crazy for wanton song. Boogie with Stu might be just likable, it probably has more value as a tribute than as a song itself.
  • IlConte
    9 aug 18
    “Maybe you’re even putting some effort into it” is amazing ahahahahah
    I understand you, you’re already tired of the uselessness ahahahahah
A record that I have always greatly appreciated, although overall it is a bit inferior to their previous four works. I really like the band's desire to experiment with styles and sounds they had never explored before. The desire to renew themselves leads to a playful approach to genres outside their usual range (the Funk and James Brown homage in "The Crunge", which is amusing, and the Reggae of "D'Yer Mak'er" that I really enjoy oh) as well as composing two of their absolute best tracks, "The Rain Song" and "No Quarter," which venture into sonic territories never before explored by the band, and the results are applause-worthy, breathtaking. The rest consists of songs that more canonically fit their style, with the fabulous "Over The Hills and Far Away" and the lovely "Dancing Days" standing out.
  • Flame
    6 apr 18
    No Quarter first, Over, and the versions of Dancing and Ocean from How the West Was Won, the rest ummm for me. I definitely prefer the two that are coming.
  • Flame
    6 apr 18
  • hjhhjij
    6 apr 18
    Damn Flame, there's "The Rain Song," which is a compendium of beauty in its atmospheres and sound choices, come on. On the other hand, I can barely stand "Presence," it's not a bad album, but it's all stuff I've already heard (unlike this) and frankly, a bit tired and tedious, even though they throw a masterpiece in there as well. And by the way, no #stillledzeppelin since I'm in full review mode after a couple of years of not really listening to them properly, anyway I'm not posting listens but just these definitions which are an excuse to get rid of the stupid and restrictive stars :D
  • Flame
    6 apr 18
    I was being ironic with the "enough," it's one of my life groups. Rain has never caught me, tastes. I've always had a soft spot for Presence. The final act of Achilles, Nobody, Tea For One, For Your Life... all stuff I've always liked a lot.
  • hjhhjij
    6 apr 18
    Ahahahah yes, I know, but I was also speaking jokingly. Anyway, to each his own, of course.
  • dsalva
    7 apr 18
    I've already written it, even if maybe no one noticed.....the airship at its peak of splendor!!
  • hjhhjij
    7 apr 18
    It’s definitely the album where they experiment with the most new things, and with excellent results overall, in my opinion. I can't say it’s my favorite, and alas, their brilliance was starting to crack, especially in Roberto's vocal performances, which begin to waver, particularly when he hits higher notes, and you can hear it; he’s no longer as stunning as he was at the beginning. The compositional inspiration and the desire to explore different paths, however, are still thriving, and thankfully, you can sense that too. John Paul Jones is immense, but even Page's guitar performance in "The Rain Song" earns my applause.
  • hjhhjij
    7 apr 18
    *to walk.
  • Too little blues on this record to sustain a comparison with the previous four. Given the usual dose of ballads (and "Rain Song" beats them all) and evocations of hidden forces (and "No Quarter" beats them all as well!), along with a mix of heavy little songs, strange and original pieces, or ultra-dynamic acoustic/electric alternations (and "Over the Hills..." doesn’t beat them all in this case, but it definitely has great energy), there’s a missing rock-blues epic that takes your breath away. "The Song Remains the Same" doesn’t achieve this because the sung section feels subdued and stuck to the rest with tape: it was originally an instrumental and should have remained so; Plant's insistence on adding lyrics and melody should have been rejected by Page. It's a nine out of ten album, following four straight tens. A beautiful album, containing two masterpieces.
  • hjhhjij
    8 apr 18
    Yes, here the Blues is completely set aside. There’s Hard Rock, but Rock-Blues is practically absent. Anyway, although Blues was truly their specialty, I have to say that I actually like this album also for this reason: the desire to change direction decisively, to leave behind the genre that identified them the most. Given the excellent results, I applaud the choice, especially since with the next album they will return to the Blues paths that suit them so well. For the rest, I agree with you on everything, including, alas, the judgment on the not-so-great and avoidable vocal performance added to "The Song Remains the Same," which indeed is not among my favorites by the Zeppoli, definitely not.
  • hjhhjij
    8 apr 18
    I have a soft spot for this album because it's their most "unique" (perhaps alongside the latest one, which however has songs that are not on the same level as this).
Leonard Cohen: Various Positions
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
"If It Be You Will" yet another masterpiece. The rest of the album holds up very well even if it doesn't reach the truly dizzying heights of some previous works. Very beautiful in any case.
A stone so big on the path of songwriting that makes me think it's one of those albums of "A Before and an After Him." At the beginning and at the end, the two most astonishing masterpieces: the eternal and rarefied melodic perfection of "Suzanne," which needs no further words, and equally perfect is "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong." Every song has so much to say, the lyrics of a great poet from the second half of the 20th century ("The Stranger Song," to mention one), the superb beauty of the melodies ("Sisters of Mercy," to mention another, as they are so interchangeable in the discourse), essential and untouchable as they are; the small nuances in the arrangements (the background vocals of Nancy Priddy’s female voice, the more robust arrangement than usual in "So Long, Marianne" with the instruments coming in one after the other, in a game of additions that is always discreet and never excessive).
  • CosmicJocker
    10 jan 19
    Oh well... a subtle little record (and by subtle, I mean sublime)... it's been so long since I last listened to it... too long, really...
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 19
    Same. In fact, Leonard has also made it onto the listening list these days; I already have "Songs From the Room" almost just as great ready to go.
  • hellraiser
    11 jan 19
    One of the greatest albums of all time, masterpiece. It feels like a best of.
Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Lesley Duncan: Sing Children Sing
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Very nice record, but nothing particularly exceptional; it is the first album by this singer-songwriter "launched" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. She was one of the backing vocalists on EJ's albums from '70-'71, and he made space and sang (with her as the second voice) his "Love Song" on "Tumbleweed Connection." At the time, she was the wife of Jimmy Horowitz, who produced and arranged the album and co-wrote some of the songs. Duncan creates a little record of melodic ballads typical of "pop-folk" singer-songwriter style. Some songs have beautiful melodies, no doubt, but overall, it’s quite repetitive yet surely enjoyable. Of course, here’s her only "classic," the "Love Song," this time sung by her. It’s not an album that stands out from the crowd, but the songs are excellently played, and Duncan is greatly assisted in this by an outstanding cast of session musicians who support her: the "mentor" Elton John accompanies on piano and brings along the musicians who were recording with him on "Madman Across The Water": one of the five sides of the Pentacle, Terry Cox on drums, Chris "the parsley looks good anywhere" Spedding on acoustic guitars, and Ray Cooper on tambourine, alongside Horowitz on organ and David Katz handling the orchestral parts. Ballads of not incredible beauty, rather a bit monotonous, but overall a good album, average.
Little Richard: 18 Greatest Hits
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
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.
Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Yeah, I know collecting Reed now is a bit necrophilic, but who cares. Good album anyway, light and enjoyable. A strong 4, if nothing else for the title track and a couple of other songs. Also his last great one before the 1989-1990 biennium.
Love: Forever Changes
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Lucio Battisti: Emozioni
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
This is the first album in which Battisti places songs that already reach excellence ("Emozioni," which is the peak and center of the album, is one of the most beautiful songs in his vast repertoire, but there are also "Anna" - featuring 4/5 of the future PFM as the backing band - and the white blues-rock of "Il tempo di morire") and then others that are not far behind (recovered from the first album "Non è Francesca" with its second acid and instrumental part, then the pop gem "Fiori rosa, fiori di pesco," for example, or a hidden gem like "Era"); these are songs that, in terms of ideas, interpretations, vocal use, and courage, push Italian pop music beyond its usual boundaries. However, because of this, there is a clear distinction between the most excellent songs and those where Battisti leans into his more "pop-national" side with the ultra-famous pop and/or beat songs ("Acqua azzurra," "Mi ritorni in mente," "Dieci ragazze"), where Battisti deserves credit for his sublime ability to create refrains that are timelessly immortal and deeply rooted, as well as enjoyable—the least appealing song by Battisti still holds a ten compared to Laura Pausini, right?—which objectively do not keep pace with the album's highest moments. Even "Emozioni" serves as a great training ground for young talents: Radius, Baldan Bembo, Demetrio Stratos (on the organ!), and so on, with arrangements by Reverberi. Battisti's first true great album.
Lucio Battisti: Anima Latina
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Lucio Battisti: Il Mio Canto Libero
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Lucio Battisti: Umanamente uomo: il sogno
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Great album. The first by Battisti and Mogol with their Numero Uno, which indeed leaves behind the era of "greatest hits" albums where various songs appeared on multiple different records (although "Amore e non amore" had already distanced itself quite well from this characteristic). This album precedes what I consider Battisti's "golden trilogy," his artistic zenith (Canto Libero/Caro Angelo/Anima Latina) and is an excellent example of his artistic versatility and open-mindedness: it opens with a classic that is as classic as it can get in Italian music, one of Battisti's pop masterpieces ("I giardini di marzo" how beautiful it is) and closes with an instrumental (aside from the choruses singing "UO!") that is psych acidissimo with electric guitar ("Il fuoco" the great twist of Battisti, a beautiful psychoromtronic piece although maybe not his tea cup of tea). In between, there is another of his most beautiful songs ("E penso a te" deserving applause), other experiments and inventions (the title track without words, only whistled and hummed, a beautiful melody), a sketch worthy of Sandra and Raimondo transformed into a song with a refined divertissement ("Innocenti evasioni") and a folkish, fairy-tale-like, and delightful allegorical tune ("Il leone e la gallina"). If the first and third tracks are two masterpieces, everything, in short, is more than of good level (also beautiful "Comunque bella" with Battisti in the finale in the dual role of woman/man and "Sognando e risognando").
  • withor
    19 mar 23
    For me, this is also five stars, just like the other three you mentioned.
Not much to say here: my favorite Dalla, the album I would take with me to a Desert Island, maybe alongside "Il giorno aveva cinque teste": the first roversiano and the first singer-songwriter. Just a coincidence, who knows.
  • By the end of the seventies, Dalla was dominating. It was unheard of how he suddenly emerged as a magnificent lyricist, surpassing the good yet naive Roversi who had supported him until that moment. The trilogy of works inaugurated by this is unparalleled in Italian pop music. Dalla is the only absolute top-class composer and lyricist (Battisti merely a composer, De Andrè a true poet but a modest composer).
  • nix
    22 jun 18
    ...and we also preview the theme of the next "cultural pill" which will be: "THE TRAFFIC LIGHT"
  • Martello
    11 oct 20
    #Masterpiece
  • hjhhjij
    11 oct 20
    Masterpiece, obviously.
  • Martello
    11 oct 20
    Perhaps even better than automobiles... but I think it’s a tough call. However, it's also true that inside here there's the most beautiful piece by Dalla, this one
Lucio Dalla: 1983
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Lucio Dalla: Anidride Solforosa
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Lucio Dalla: Automobili
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Lucio Dalla: Il Giorno Aveva Cinque Teste
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Lucio Dalla: Lucio Dalla
CD Audio I have it
The striking self-titled album from 1979 (with the inevitable wrong cover of the debut) is the second piece of his exceptional "singer-songwriter" trilogy and, in general, yet another beautiful record in a sequence that began six years earlier with "Il giorno aveva cinque teste." This is a practically perfect album, with no flaws and a continuous inspiration in a series of great songs ("La signora," "Notte," "Stella di mare") punctuated by three particularly inspired tracks (rightly among his evergreens) that surpass even the high qualitative average of the album: "L'ultima luna," "Anna e Marco" (almost "Zavattiniana" in "Miracolo a Milano") and, of course, "L'anno che verrà." Immense Dalla.
  • JOHNDOE
    21 nov 19
    the next one is a bit better too
Lucio Dalla: Dalla
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Lucio Dalla: Storie di casa mia
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Very nice, with some exceptional gems. It starts here, and will last for about a decade, the golden period of Dalla.
Lycia: wake
CD Audio I have it ★★
Not bad for certain rarefied and dark atmospheres, plus a couple of pieces that are more than decent. However, I found the rest to be rather ugly, lacking truly valid ideas, quite boring, and with the aggravating factor of the horrible sound of that somewhat unbearable drum machine. A very immature and not too interesting debut from Lycia for me.
  • GIANLUIGI67
    5 aug 13
    They will make a big comeback with "Ionia," "The Burning Circle And The Dusk," and if I'm not mistaken the title "In The Dark Corner." In my opinion, their best works.
  • hjhhjij
    5 aug 13
    "Ionia" I have, I need to listen to it. The rest, no. Anyway, I want to believe you; it's common to come across a rough debut sometimes.
  • GIANLUIGI67
    5 aug 13
    it's very unripe, the drum machine is always the same. In their subsequent works, they create a very personal sound, not very easy to listen to. If you don't like the darker dark wave sounds, steer clear.
  • hjhhjij
    5 aug 13
    I like them, I like them :)
Lycia: Ionia
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Lydia Lunch: Queen Of Siam
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Nonsense lullabies, divided between boredom and existential malaise, sometimes pushing the limits of irritation ("Tied and Twist"), with that little voice of a twelve-year-old in the throes of sexual longing, which around the middle of the album fades into smoky and nocturnal swing-jazz-blues from a seedy joint, like an old song by a less-than-reputable crooner, where the girl becomes ironic, flirtatious, in her spoken-sung style ("Lady Scarface") or in grotesque cabarets filled with distortions ("Carnival Fat Man"). The contribution of the Billy Ver Plank Orchestra is crucial, just as Pat Irwin's contribution is essential for the entire album, in tracks that often feature instrumental outros when Lydia's lullaby fades away ("Cruise to the Moon" is even entirely instrumental, and it's one of the best). There’s also a nod to pop music, that '60s pop which the "Queen of Siam" has often shown a preference for; in this case, it's her personal version of "Spooky," one of the most catchy and fun moments on the album. The other cover, "Gloomy Sunday," which is not lively to begin with, is completely absorbed into the comatose lullaby mood of the first part of the album, a style that suits this song perfectly. This is surely a debut solo album that leaves a mark, and quite a significant one. A very beautiful record, especially considering that there are things in it that I appreciated even more.
If there's a Lynyrd album that I feel deserves a perfect score, it's "Pronounced". An exceptional debut, a handful of really great songs ("Poison Whiskey" is one of my favorites) and three masterpieces ("Tuesday's Gone," "Simple Man," and "Free Bird") blending Southern, Blues, and Rock'n roll. Beautiful, let's say a solid 4.5 rounded up. I couldn't find the "magic" of this album in the following ones, which, while still good, just don't match it.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Yes, I agree. Check out the Rossington-Collins Band as well, they're not bad...
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    I'll give them a try. Keep in mind that I still need to hear at least one live from them.
  • Aquarius27
    6 jun 15
    Also, "Gimme Three Steps" deserves to be mentioned in my humble opinion... Speaking of other albums, "Second Helping" is not much inferior to this one, in my view...
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    I don't mind, but it doesn't give me the same thrill as this; at most, I could tell you "Street Survivor," which is great.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Live from LS listened to One More from the Road, the concerts of '75 and '76, one of the best rock live albums ever.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Live from LS listened to One More from the Road, the concerts of '75 and '76, one of the best rock live albums ever.
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    Yes, I actually saw that :) The real priority for live albums now is to recover as much material as possible from the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead in any case. By necessity, Skynyrd takes a back seat.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Then if you want advice on Southern rock, just ask, it’s a genre that I’m very passionate about.
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    It's not a genre that I come to love (the Allman Brothers are something else entirely; calling them "Southern" would be absurdly limiting), but I would gladly mark down 2-3 cornerstone bands, hell, go ahead if you want.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Well, for the Allman Brothers there's Live at Fillmore East '71, which is a monument in the history of music, or the live at the Atlanta Pop Festival. Also, the live at Beacon Theatre from '92 with Warren Haynes on guitars is excellent. As for the Dead, there are at least sixty Picks; try the live Dead, Sunshine Daydream from '72 or the live in Europe 1 and 2 from '72. There are more, but give these historic ones a try.
  • Aquarius27
    6 jun 15
    Well, ZZ Top definitely has to be mentioned... Sorry for the intrusion :D
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    Hell, who do you think I am? I know "Live/Dead" and "At Fillmore East" by heart :D I meant a real effort to recover all that live material that the two bands (especially the Dead) left behind, including the "Pick" yes, and I will try to get as much as possible. As for the purchases, I'm really aiming for the Dead's Live in Europe while I'm interested in the Allman live from 1970 with a 44-minute "Mountain Jam"!
    Come on, spill those 3-4 names :D By the way, I’m in for ZZ Top too XD
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    As Southern bands, try the Marshall Tucker Band, much more on the country side, Wet Willie, Atlanta R. Section, Blackfoot, I’d also suggest Molly Hatchet but they might be a bit too much for your tastes, I think :-)
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    As Southern bands, try the Marshall Tucker Band, much more on the country side, Wet Willie, Atlanta R. Section, Blackfoot, I’d also suggest Molly Hatchet but they might be a bit too much for your tastes, I think :-)
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    I'm not taking any risks with those rude types. I'm very interested in the Marshall Tucker Band if they're leaning towards Country, another genre I'm getting into (Country/Country-Rock, and don't you dare recommend the Flying Burrito Brothers :D)
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    ZZ Top are not Southern, they are Texas blues, it's a different matter. True Southern is limited to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    I would tell you the Byrds as country rock, do you know them?:-) You could try the early albums of Poco, Emmylou Harris that you already know, White Light and No Other by Gene Clark, the Desert Rose Band, Hillman, the early Eagles, the first Jackson Browne...
  • Aquarius27
    6 jun 15
    I don't quite agree, Hell, but I wouldn't dare to contradict you; if you say so, then that's how it will be, since you have much more experience than I do in this genre...
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    ...and returning to the Southern, Outlaws and the more recent Black Crows...
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Zz Top, SRV, Winter, Dillinger, etc. belong to another genre, trust me, different musical styles and concepts. Ask Lao Tze, he will surely tell you the same :-)
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    Ahahahhaa no, I don't know them, those Byrds are good ahaha :D Anyway, I've already prepared for Harris, I know the Eagles well (their debut and "Desperado" are actually two nice albums) but I'll note the others down hell, thanks :)
    As for Blues (I think), do you know Gov't Mule or however it's spelled? Everyone talks highly of them.
  • hellraiser
    6 jun 15
    Sorry for the Fillmore and for Live/Dead, when I hear about these albums I get carried away :-DD. Gov't Mule are good, I know them well, but I'm limited to their early albums; their recent works haven't grabbed me at all since they are based on covers of other bands and have only decent originals. The leader and guitarist is Warren Haynes, former solo/rhythm player for the Allman Brothers in the '90s, an excellent singer with his bluesy voice as well. "The Deep End" vol 1 and 2 are the recommended albums, and if you can find them, the '96 live bootleg series, perhaps their best period. Then the original bassist died, and they gradually declined (at least according to my tastes). For Southern rock, I also recommend The Great Southern by Betts, the guitarist from the Allman Brothers, particularly the self-titled first album and "Atlanta's Burning Down"...
  • hjhhjij
    6 jun 15
    Wow, Betts! Of course, definitely worth a listen, he was a great one. I’ll also listen to the early Mule, luckily summer is here and I’ll have more time now.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Excellent second album for the Skynyrd, although, as I said, they don't grab me as much anymore like they did on their debut. Still, the album is always tight and enjoyable; for the masterpiece of the record, thanks to J.J. Cale (their version is excellent), and "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" is beautiful too. But all the tracks are a very pleasant listen (I especially mention "Don't Ask me no Questions" and "Swamp Music"); then there’s the super-classic "Sweet Home Alabama," which has never been one of my favorites from the band.
  • Aquarius27
    10 jun 15
    You already know my opinion on this album... My favorite remains one that you haven’t mentioned (The Needle And The Spoon), but as you rightly say, all the tracks are enjoyable (maybe even that term is an understatement)..... Anyway, the true Lynyrd were an amazing band...
  • hjhhjij
    10 jun 15
    Of course, a really great group. For me, however, "The Needle and the Spoon" doesn't say much. I find it worryingly "normal" in the end; it doesn't stick with me. But, well, it's a pleasant listen. A very good album.
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jun 15
    I agree with both of you about the incriminated track, in the sense that it’s objectively a great piece (the lyrics are so-so, to be honest), but the studio version doesn’t deliver as much as the one from One More from the Road. Accagei, I think (I think!) I remember that a few years ago you enjoyed Gimme Back my Bullets, right? Sorry for being a pest.
  • Aquarius27
    10 jun 15
    Concerning tastes :)
  • hjhhjij
    10 jun 15
    Maybe you're mistaken with "Street Survivor," my favorite post-debut album by the band.
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jun 15
    That's also a great job.
  • hellraiser
    10 jun 15
    Even "Workin' For MCA" is better live than the original. A beautiful, historic record that propelled them high in the charts, to which I feel very attached. I still slightly prefer their debut, but this one is also of high quality...