Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: Io sono nato libero
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Sure, when Di Giacomo starts to act crazy on "La Città Sottile" (around the fifth minute), it’s really scary...
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 13
    Yes, it's incredibly unsettling. A chilling surreal piece.
  • SydBarrett96
    10 jan 13
    Among my favorite progressive Italian albums of all time. However, for me the most beautiful remains "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico," the opening is tear-jerking. By the way, last year here in Naples during the tour with Le Orme, they performed it, although not in its entirety.
Beth Orton: Central Reservation
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Chilling is the voice of this artist from Norfolk, one of the most beautiful surprises of the '90s, who confirmed the majestic "Trailer Park" with this delicate collage of folk, soul, jazz and the ever-present influence of her great inspiration, Nick Drake.
Big Star: Radio City
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
When he started 'O My Soul,' it wasn't the usual R'n'R. There was something unique about the chords. They were different.
  • Buzzin' Fly
    19 dec 14
    Third is an album I would save from the flames.
  • hellraiser
    19 dec 14
    Great album, great band
  • SilasLang
    19 dec 14
    "Third" is among the records of my life... but we can barely call it a Big Star album... it was the beginning of Chilton's delirium (which would continue in the subsequent, wildly disjointed two solo LPs...)... this, on the other hand, remains a pop gem, alongside the first album..
Billy Joel: 52nd Street
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Only Mr. Donald Fagen and a few others know how to perfectly balance rock, jazz, and exotic elements as they are blended in the central trilogy "Zanzibar"/"Stiletto"/"Rosalinda's Eyes". Three masterpieces but not the only ones: the classic "Joelian" pop of "Honesty" and "My Life", the soul of "Half A Mile Away", and the epic "Until The Night", on par with the Boss in "Born To Run".
  • GIANLUIGI67
    12 oct 13
    I've never heard a Billy Joel album; it's not really my thing... maybe the only song I know is the one with a ridiculous music video shot in a workshop. I really believe that Billy Joel is something else entirely.
  • Lao Tze
    12 oct 13
    I don't think it's for you - as a genre, but the '70s deserve it. After Glass Houses, it's not worth it; it has really declined.
  • BARRACUDA BLUE
    12 oct 13
    Central triptych? I have always waited for those last grooves on the first side; I’ve never been able to shake off Zanzibar. Turning the record, here comes Billy from Until The Night playing the Neil Diamond of the situation... surpassing him!
  • Lao Tze
    12 oct 13
    "central" because I was referring to the tracklist of the CD, so as to encompass all three pieces. Oh well, Zanzibar is amazing, on vibraphone there’s A CERTAIN Mike Mainieri...
  • ranofornace
    13 oct 13
    I love the Billy of the Hassles, this one and his genre gives me "milk to my knees," "meam angustia!"
Blondie: Autoamerican
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Um... on a scale from 1 to 10, how EPIC is a piece like "Rapture"...? I think 250...
  • darth agnan
    21 jan 14
    Is this album really that good? Is it worth it? I don't know, I only know her famous songs... and I like them too. But I've always had this gut feeling that she's made some forgettable albums. But maybe I'll take your advice and check it out ;)
  • Lao Tze
    22 jan 14
    If you don't like eclectic albums (more styles, many) and "commercially appealing" ones, maybe this isn't the recommended first step. Better to start with the first two. I'm obviously talking about the band, not Debbie solo.
  • hjhhjij
    22 jan 14
    Just reading "Blondie" brings her image to mind (at least from 1976 until Cronenberg's Videodrome) and it makes my head spin. Cip...
  • Lao Tze
    22 jan 14
    ...and the face of James Woods, in front of the television...
  • London
    22 jan 14
    I recently re-listened to "Koo Koo" by Debbie, a truly weak album despite the Chic.. what a shame.
  • Lao Tze
    22 jan 14
    I agree, London.
  • chiaccheroni
    23 jan 14
    this is the level of lao ..... what a masterpiece
Blue Öyster Cult: Agents Of Fortune
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Looking closely, the first signs of decline (which will rather be the plunge into the abyss) are already noticeable, but the album with "The Reaper," "Debbie Denise," and "The Return of Vera Gemini" featuring Patti Smith can’t deserve less than a 5... no, no, no. And the lyrics, what can we say about the lyrics?
  • March Horses
    20 dec 13
    What do you think of Tyranny and Mutation? I bought it, but I wasn't into it at all, so I sold it... did I make a mistake?
  • extro91
    20 dec 13
    Very bad! For me, up to Agents Of Fortune, they are DEADLY!
  • Lao Tze
    20 dec 13
    You did great, there's no point in insisting when something doesn't resonate. Don't worry if you read around "masterpiece," what matters are the emotions. With B.O.C., the engagement has to be natural; otherwise, they'll never say anything. That's why there are fundamentalists like me and, at the same time, people who listen to hard but for whom they mean squat.
  • Lao Tze
    20 dec 13
    Extro. I agree, even though this is a bit of a step down compared to the first ones...
  • hjhhjij
    20 dec 13
    No, I listened to this again not long ago, but it doesn't say anything to me anymore; I found it empty and "flaccid." I struggled to finish it, sorry Lao :( The first three, on the other hand, are beautiful to me.
  • BARRACUDA BLUE
    20 dec 13
    My favorite album is Fire Of Unknown Origins; it may be a decline, but it has an amazing sequence of tracks and a closing like Don't Turn Your Back. It's definitely my answer to anyone who asks me: but Blue Oyster Cult? It's really a matter of involvement, as I also love more recent stuff, like the underrated Curse Of The Hidden Mirror.
  • perfect element
    22 aug 16
    For my part, the guys have always maintained absolutely dignified levels, with 'Imaginos' above all.
Blues Traveler: Blues Traveler
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
I’ve been revisiting these days with the Spin Doctors, with whom they had quite a bit in common. One of the first CDs I bought, this debut (year 1990) by the Princeton band led by the incredible harmonica player John Popper, is almost entirely played on a funky-blues groove where the powerful bass of the late Bobby Sheehan took center stage.
  • SilasLang
    2 feb 14
    Well, I remember these much better than the Spin Doctors... they're really from another planet! I also saw them live, at some festival that I can't recall precisely at the moment...
  • Lao Tze
    3 feb 14
    Less pop than the Spin Doctors, the SP were a pop-rock band that could play (very) well live, almost like a jam band, while the BT were a true jam band. Anyway, they knew each other well. There's a bit less guitar here, because most of the space for solos is taken by the harmonica. And as a bassist, Sheehan was one who slapped very little, unlike the one from the SP - but he had a touch and fluidity like few others.
Blur: Parklife
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
With a bit more patience than the one who threw it in my face after hearing the beat of 'Girls & Boys', it’s an album that already overflows with ideas, musically diverse, with above-average and over-the-top lyrics (ferocious satire akin to the cover), 101% English - and yes, a 'Tracy Jacks' contains a "decent" percentage of Jam... honestly, over the years I’ve heard absurdly negative judgments about this album, but there you go.
  • De...Marga...
    24 mar 15
    It's not the masterpiece by Blur, but it's pretty close; the "carefree" video of Girls & Boys is an additional merit. You put it perfectly: 102% English album.
  • Alexander77
    24 mar 15
    For me, it's rubbish, and the guy who threw it in your face after "Girls & Boys" (assuming he actually listened to the whole album, including the vile title track) is someone who saw it clearly... of course, tastes vary, with all due respect to Mr. Gatto, but to pass this thing off as nearly a masterpiece is quite a stretch. It's just fine, as the good old Donjunio used to say, for the Anglophiles who can tolerate Albarn's accent... Ah, the video for "Girls & Boys" isn't carefree; it's pathetic, worthy of a boy band...
  • SilasLang
    24 mar 15
    Back in the days of 'Parklife', I really hated them. Luckily, they came to their senses with the self-titled album and especially with "13", which is a fantastic album...
  • Lao Tze
    25 mar 15
    No.. don’t tell me, Alex.. from you, who I knew to be a long-time fan of Damon.. from you, who must have been right in the front row at the big concert in London in 2012, singing 'Tender' at the top of your lungs.. I really didn’t expect this from you, knowing about your adoration..
  • madcat
    25 mar 15
    Among their masterpieces, without a doubt, true, it overflows with ideas and is musically diverse like everything they've done, after all, with Mr. Coxon's riffs being a literal delight. How strange, really, Alex, I was convinced too that I was going crazy for them; I also used to see you right there in the front row at their live shows. Tonight, I think around 9, they will post the live performance with the entire new album in preview on YouTube, by the way (I say this especially for Alex), and "Go Out" and "Lonesome Street" from the new "The Magic Whip" are splendid.
  • Alexander77
    25 mar 15
    I join Silas! 13 is a great album, I certainly won’t scream miracle but what a leap forward compared to this! Don't be funny, I'm sensitive, now I'm off to listen to the latest from the new one, brace yourselves! :D
  • Alexander77
    25 mar 15
    Christ, Mad, but what's so great about lonesome street??????! Oh, I swear I'm trying, I'm putting in the effort, but I haven't heard garbage like this in ages (well, aside from the radio). It's just a continuous strumming, aka the usual coxon chords, some sampling, and Albarn's sleepy vocals! I mean, are you serious?! Do yourself a favor, take Koi no Yokan, any track from that album, and forget about lonesome street; I'm telling you this from the heart—if you genuinely say that song is beautiful, then I'm sorry, but you don't know shit about music and you're just like those who say Fabio Volo's books are great (mind you, I'm not arguing that you like it; I like it too, I really do, but I don't go around saying it’s wonderful, even though it’s 100 times better than that dull and despicable single!).
  • SilasLang
    25 mar 15
    I have to agree with Mr. Alexander. I listened to the two new tracks, but frankly, they seem like rubbish to me. Then again... maybe the album will be good. Although I have a certain..."suspicion" about it. de gustibus.
  • Alexander77
    25 mar 15
    I repeat, I'm not discussing your tastes; if you like it, you may find it cheerful and carefree, and that's perfectly fine! What I contest is the splendor because that song is utter CRAP! Boring, bland, without a hint of style, without imagination; even the worst of Radiohead is better than Lonesome Street. I can get someone who isn't used to the genre to listen to Rosemary or Digital Bath. With Lonesome Street, it's not a matter of genre; it simply has nothing. Tell me one good thing about that piece. I swear I don't understand you; sometimes I do, but not this time, it seems like the ridiculous nonsense of Vrensis with "sophisticated Brit Pop." Whatever.
  • Alexander77
    25 mar 15
    Silas, you’re not the type, like me, if I'm not mistaken. Please, find me one quality in lonesome street because I swear I don’t see a single one. And I can’t understand how someone can call it wonderful; to me, it’s on par with those who speak highly of a book by Fabio Volo or Moccia!
  • madcat
    25 mar 15
    Alex doesn't like Lonesome Street: something that shocks me, and in fact, he rightly left 3 comments to say so.
  • Lao Tze
    26 mar 15
    Everything's fine Alex, but I just ask you: what sense does it make for someone who hasn't taken anything good from 90% of what Blur has done so far to go and listen to a Blur single in 2015? I mean, it would have surprised me if it were the opposite. 'Lonesome Street' is, in every way, a track you can expect from Blur, and I find it hard to believe it helps anyone to reevaluate anything. As for how the album will be, I don't know; I find the track well-constructed, not trivial in the sense of a radio-friendly ditty, but if 'Parklife' is "filthy," this one will be even worse, precisely the worst crap you've heard in a while.
  • madcat
    28 mar 15
    Have you listened to "Go Out"? The guitar in that track is exactly one of the things I would have wanted to hear from Coxon in the new Blur album :)
  • Lao Tze
    29 mar 15
    it is also said - exactly one of the things Alex would never want to hear on a record.. if he also has the misfortune of being a Blur, I feel even worse.
  • madcat
    29 mar 15
    AHAH! :)
  • Alexander77
    31 mar 15
    Here I am! Dear ones, it’s not true that I only get 10% of positivity from Blur; it’s certainly not my cup of tea, and their so-called "carefree" style literally disgusts me. However, I can appreciate a catchy tune if that same "tune" has an aspect that strikes me. It’s a long story, and I don’t feel like reopening it because, quite honestly, I’m sure Mad would appreciate even a symphony of burps and farts if it were made by Blur, and because I honestly believe that he’s quite in the dark about guitars. That said, don't dismiss the comment on "lonesome" with "I find the piece well constructed, it’s not trivial in the sense of a radio-friendly tune," because that means nothing. True, as Mad says, music is emotion, but I know why something moves me. You explain to me why that little piece of trash should evoke anything. Feel free to open a poll on Debaser; help me understand. And don’t come at me with Mad’s gynecologist excuse, because that’s nonsense; keep the populism out of it. You can try it with technique or your own words. It makes no difference to me. A song that has nothing at all cannot move anyone except a fanatic.
  • Alexander77
    31 mar 15
    For the record, I could have used a degustibus, and you're free to do so if you find this boring, but at least spare me the fanboy comments that mean nothing. If you'd rather chat about nonsense, well, we’re on debaser and even nonsense can become constructive… at least for me… maybe I can figure out what a human being might find in a concentrate of nothingness, banality, and clichés like lonesome street.
  • Alexander77
    31 mar 15
    Ah, for the record, much much much much better Go out, if it weren't for the oh oh oh oh oh oh by Albarn, I would download it...let's be clear, nothing original, but at least there's a bit of drive and groove...
  • madcat
    31 mar 15
    Forget it, Lao, it's better if we drop it; talking to Alex is like talking to a wall. We’ve explained it to him in a thousand ways that “don’t worry, it’s not a big deal, some people like some bands, others like different bands, it’s called variety, it’s called taste, it's obvious Alex, you liked a few things by Blur, not the rest, it’s normal if you don’t like the new songs, or if you don’t feel anything special about them, get over it, don’t post 52 comments on this topic.” Nothing, oh well :D (oh, by the way, I strum both acoustic and electric, even if Alex will now throw in some sterile extreme technical discussions that only he understands and that nobody else cares about :D)
  • Lao Tze
    1 apr 15
    "A well-built piece that is not trivial in the sense of a radio jingle" means nothing, while "the so-called carefree style of Blur" reveals truths about Blur that have never been told before, truths that have eluded everyone until now. And what if I said, even more simplistically, that I like the combination of chords? And what if you replied, "they're four chords, what do you want to like about them, they're worn out and overused"? And what if I said again, "but who cares how many chords there are, if I want to hear pieces with 40 chord changes on average, I'll go listen to a power-pop album, not Blur," would it change anything? Uhm, uhm...
  • piendepei
    9 apr 15
    I can't stand the singer anyway, he even makes me become ungrammatical.
  • madcat
    9 jun 15
    I'm rereading the lyrics of this, Modern Life Is Rubbish and The Great Escape from a recently released book by Arcana about Blur's tracks: the sarcasm and anger that come through in the songs via a satire, as you rightly say, fierce, is really impressive; I haven't focused on their lyrics like this in a while.
  • Lao Tze
    11 jun 15
    From that perspective, they are much closer to the writing style of Kinks or Jam; it's that "British" quality that is completely absent in other '90s "brits," no matter how much they tried to play the part of some John Lennon or flaunted the Union Jack everywhere.
  • madcat
    19 jun 15
    Absolutely Lao (I don't know why your response slipped my mind)
Bob Dylan: Slow Train Coming
CD Audio I have it ★★★
The first chapter of the "conversion" is the usual alternation of highs and lows that (with few exceptions) we’ve been accustomed to for 40 years. A lot of craftsmanship, several mediocre pieces, too much gospel-rock and formulaic R’n’B that amounts to little. The bluesy "Slow Train" stands out (but 90% of the credit goes to Knopfler) and the magnificent "Precious Angel" - to be immediately registered in the list of Masterpieces of Mr. Zimmerman.
  • Mr Funk
    28 mar 13
    I don’t agree. One of Dylan's best albums and one of the most underrated, along with the previous Street Legal. Overall, the second half of the '70s, starting from Blood on the Tracks, was of the highest level for Dylan.
  • Lao Tze
    28 mar 13
    two discourses in one - Street Legal, which to me is still superior to Slow Train, was REALLY underrated; but only because it was ruined by that atrocious mixing, to the point that in the original version the horns were barely audible and sounded bad, while the CD Remaster version is significantly better. Slow Train was polished with more care, detail by detail, precisely because of the criticism Dylan received about the sound. When it comes to lyrics, I’m sorry but in my opinion it’s the religious theme that makes this album quite heavy. There’s this pride of conversion that seeps through everywhere, and in the end it makes it one of his most thematically monotonous albums. Despite being well played.
Bob Dylan: Saved
CD Audio I have it ★★★
I only keep it for "Covenant Woman," which is wonderful. And also a bit for "What Can I Do For You" and "Pressing On." For the rest, I just can't stand this Dylan of "conversion."
  • De...Marga...
    22 mar 14
    I agree with you regarding the lack of excellence of the Dylan album; I also place the subsequent "Shot of Love" on the same level, the last of Bob's famous conversion trilogy. Instead, I consider the first one, "Slow Train Coming," particularly noteworthy for the presence of Mr. Knopfler on guitar.
  • hellraiser
    23 mar 14
    A notable album for Pressing On and Covenant Woman, the rest is forgettable... better than Shot Of Love in my opinion, however, as you well said, Slow Train remains the best of the Christian trilogy.
Boris: Heavy Rocks
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Masterpiece
Brian Eno: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
The grandfather of "Tin Drum".
Bruce Palmer: The Cycle is Complete
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
The palpable (and certainly unrepeatable) demonstration of the genius of an extraordinary musician. On the edges of a California that served as a gateway to the sky, a wild shard of improvisation and exotic folk jazz, a brilliantly dazzling spark. A legendary album that everyone should do themselves the favor of listening to.
  • Psychopathia
    3 feb 13
    I have it but it's not my thing... too jazz/folk indeed. Bought it in a store in Pisa that no longer exists. sob
  • Lao Tze
    3 feb 13
    yet I wouldn't have said this... I thought the vintage Palmer would fall within your preferences. I had blamefully ignored it until a person, whom I still thank, recommended it to me. I also bought it, in a shop in Macerata that still exists. It's on Corso della Repubblica, and it's the only one truly well-stocked around my area.
  • fiomamyblue
    7 feb 15
    absolute genius
  • Lao Tze
    9 feb 15
    here we go, here we go..
Bryan Ferry: Boys And Girls
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Practically perfect Pop Disco. It's the kind of Pop that doesn't settle for the easiest melody but tunes into the frequencies of funk and reggae, feeding on exotic and ethereal atmospheres. You arrive at the final title track and reach sensory ecstasy. Because it's a record for the senses, not for the mind.
Buffalo Springfield: Buffalo Springfield Again
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
The record of "Mr. Soul," the record of "Expecting To Fly," the record of "A Child's Claim To Fame," the record of that standalone Masterpiece which is "Broken Arrow" - an album within an album. An album whose importance to Rock as a whole is today impossible to quantify. Countless roads have passed through here.
Buffalo Springfield: Buffalo Springfield
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
The Geniuses of Melody ALL (the Wilsons, the McCartneys, the Costellos...) would not have frowned upon having a "Flying On The Ground Is Wrong" among their own jewels - pure supreme beauty of notes, nothing less. I've always felt the echo of this piece in "Swinging Party" by the Replacements. Perhaps because the initial chord sequence is strikingly similar...
  • korrea
    30 sep 13
    Absolutely true.
  • rossana roma
    23 oct 13
    I really like them and they deserve to be remembered. Well done!
Burzum: Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
If I limit myself to saying that it's a great album, not his peak but great nonetheless, no one (I hope) can arrest me for terrorism or possession of firearms...
  • hjhhjij
    21 nov 13
    Except Geenoo and LAPOLIZIAPOSTALE
  • Lao Tze
    21 nov 13
    But why, did Geenoo happen to have anything to do with Vikernes on some occasion...? If that's the case, I've missed something... ;)
  • hjhhjij
    21 nov 13
    No, but Gino can have anyone arrested with his personal collection of POLIZIOTTIPOSTALI.
  • Lao Tze
    21 nov 13
    Damn, you’ve given me half a disappointment… LAPOLIZIAPOSTALE always watches over us, whether it responds to Geenoo or not, but enjoying a nice "debate" of the Geenian kind on Burzum's political/Arian proclamations would frankly be priceless...
  • hjhhjij
    21 nov 13
    Unfortunately, it seems to have vanished into thin air.
  • Lao Tze
    21 nov 13
    I went back to reread ZannaB's comment under which his last - so far - comment was posted... no, I don't think he left because of that friendly response... there must have been compelling reasons... ones so deeply rooted in Debaser that they can't do without it, it's hard for them to just leave... 90% chance there will be a return to the fold.
  • hjhhjij
    21 nov 13
    "There's a 90% chance of a return to the fold." I agree. For Caz's joy, who, in my opinion, feels a bit lonelier without Gino, at least here.
  • SilasLang
    21 nov 13
    He is a man to BE TAKEN DOWN... but I have to admit that Filosofem, with its decaying sounds and lo-fi ambient textures, I quite liked it...