pugliamix

A bit chaotic, but it suited it well... anyway, getting ahead of magomarcelo in writing a review is like stealing candy from a baby. ;)

Live in Imola, they played A Hundred Years from Pornography, much to the delight of me and magomarcelo who was over the moon...

I was that one in the mood for some fun. But don’t get mad about the "wanting ill" part, the tone was clearly joking, I didn’t think it could be misunderstood. Aren't you a bit of a permanent sulker, before? ;)

@H. I read The Aleph, and indeed the story about the minotaur struck me too... thanks for the recommendations. But are you Hal?

I'm sorry, I replied to you almost immediately... the gist was this: "Emma Zunz," I've read it again now, the woman who avenges her father after all those years, fragile but ruthless, really beautiful. I also have Borges' "The Brodie Manuscript" (a collection of short stories) and "Other Inquisitions" (a collection of literary essays that straddles between criticism and a new work, as penetrating and sharp as they are wonderfully written) and I feel I can recommend both. My favorite story is without a doubt "The Library of Babel," found in "Fictions." I don't know Borges' work completely to recommend more... As for Buzzati, I must confess I have never read him, even though often, in bookstores, I feel a sense of remorse at least in front of the cover of "The Tartar Steppe" (one of those books that you simply must know). I will try to remedy that. What do you recommend by Buzzati?

Did you receive my private message with the answer, zaireeka?

"Style never so close to the glorious Manchester band of the '80s"? I don't know if that's a virtue or a flaw. Let's be clear, I loved the Smiths (I liked Morrissey's solo career a bit less); this album was nonetheless one I was looking forward to, but I would be disappointed if it sounded anachronistic, in an attempt to retrieve a sound or a musical style that is now irretrievably gone (unfortunately). I would like to know if nickghostdrake's judgment depends precisely on this or on other factors. Of course, if kosmo likes it, one could trust it, but I'm hesitant... I do like the review, anyway.

Ayeah.

I saw them last night here in Padova, and they put on a splendid concert. The lineup was the same: Aidan looked like someone who had just woken up, with hair still tousled from the pillow and a dazed expression, almost like he was wondering "what the hell am I doing here?"... Often, during the long intros of the songs or in the parts where he wasn't singing, he wandered around the stage messing up his hair, nervously checking his watch, or frequently going to the drums to grab a can of beer for a quick sip, often facing away from the audience. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable, as if he didn’t know what to do in those moments. Really strange. Here they played as supporters for the Sophia, who I honestly found rather boring, repetitive, and lacking any originality, with unnecessarily long and tedious songs, lightyears away from the peculiar poetry of Arab Strap and the strong personality expressed by Aidan's voice. It naturally raises the question: why were the Sophia not the ones supporting Arab Strap? Injustices...

I completely agree with Fosca. Even in person, they are disappointing and boring.