Grasshopper

DeRank ™: 5,88

DeAge™ : 7973 days • Here since 11 august 2004

Francesco Guccini Radici

21 apr 05

Voto:

With the lack of music, I would tread a bit carefully. Certain ballads like "La locomotiva" are almost pure narration, but I wouldn't just throw away the melodies of "Incontro" and "Il vecchio e il bambino," despite the antics that the good Pier Farri builds around them.

Lucio Battisti Don Giovanni

20 apr 05

Voto:

Perfectly in tune with sylvian1982: musically a Battisti in a state of grace, but after almost twenty years I still haven't managed to digest the riddles, the charades, and the locks of Panella. Hearing the beautiful melody of "Le cose che pensano" being violently assaulted by an endless and cacophonous series of rhymes in "ai" gives me the wicked temptation to add a line that ends with the word "tranvai." After all, the meaning would remain more or less the same.

Rickie Lee Jones Pirates

13 apr 05

Voto:

Good, good... this time you didn't steal the album for me to review, but it was a close call: what I had in mind was the equally excellent "Rickie Lee Jones," a great debut. Given the quality of the review, my task becomes difficult: better to let some time pass, hoping that someone else (e.g., Ezekiel) doesn't get ahead of me.

Astor Piazzolla Astor Piazzolla and His Tango Quintet (live in Lugano 13/10/1983)

12 apr 05

Voto:

Am I angry with you? And why should I be, because you have merged your opinion with Hal's? Well, very well: those are two opinions that I care about a lot, and they are often positive towards me, so what's the problem with reading them together?

Enya A Day Without Rain

12 apr 05

Voto:

It's true that Enya's albums seem a bit formulaic, but what class, what instrumental perfection, and what an angelic voice! And then the mold they come from is "Watermark," a true masterpiece, which I've also had the pleasure of reviewing. "The Celts" is beautiful, but it stands a bit apart: it's an initial soundtrack project, later transformed into a captivating journey through the world of the Celts. And now, after "The Lord of the Rings," will something new be coming?

Enya A Day Without Rain

12 apr 05

Voto:

Finally, someone else remembers this wonderful and authentic musician, even though this is probably her least compelling album.

Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die

11 apr 05

Voto:

I’ll try to explain myself: it seems to me that the so-called "Traffic sound," both for its use of jazz elements and for its extreme care and perfection, anticipates in many ways what artists with varied backgrounds like Paul Weller (Style Council) or Joe Jackson will do in the '80s, with equal technique but a bit less inventiveness, as they will probably find their best expressive form in a strongly jazz-infused sound.

The Beatles Rubber Soul

11 apr 05

Voto:

Socrates, I'm warned and therefore I won't joke around, but here we go again: a Rickie Lee Jones album was on my waiting list. At this point, I reveal my cards: mine was the self-titled one. I hope yours is "Pirates," so we can share the spoils. I almost forgot the Beatles: I know I'm going against the trend, but for me, they deserve a solid 5 for the most ambitious and "organic" albums, starting from "Revolver." This still feels like a collection of 45s (even though they're GREAT 45s), and to me that represents a limit.

Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die

11 apr 05

Voto:

To Kosmogabri: your esteem and compliments make me feel like a big cat being stroked in the right direction, that is, not against the grain... What can I say to you, other than "Purrrr...."? Ah, yes, one thing: if you come across "Astor Piazzolla and his tango quintet live in Lugano," you'll see that to make up for having invaded your area of expertise, I mentioned you, albeit not directly. Again, "Purrrr..." and goodbye.

Traffic John Barleycorn Must Die

11 apr 05

Voto:

To Socrates (and to Ezekiel): it seems we will have to come to terms with the situation, but from now on it will be increasingly easier to snatch the prey from one another, since the milestones of a certain kind of music are not a renewable resource. Patience: at least so far, whoever has caught the prey has always made good use of it, sometimes excellent.