trickykid

I thank the attendees... with indie and grunge, the desire for rock briefly returned, even among the MAINSTREAM audience and the charts. The "renaissance" brought about by INDIE lies in the simple truth of putting songs and musical ideas at the center (sometimes quoting and drawing from the pot of what rock culture already possesses) with few frills. The EPICNESS of ROCK returns, featuring absolutely normal (and sometimes awkward) kids attempting to reach for the stars, the illiterates producing culture, the bands organizing themselves to leave their mark in the brief history of rock. In fact, for many of these bands, one album was enough to remain memorable. For the PIXIES, it took two (SURFER ROSA and DOOLITTLE, both essential). Going beyond that, for them and for countless INDIE (or rather, BASE) bands, was physiologically impossible. Also, because the (unexpected) success that the genre and certain figures experienced caught the same artists off guard, who often didn't feel like artists or couldn’t withstand the pressure of success (it’s one thing to play in a smoky pub, another to find yourself thrust into TRENDY MUSIC MAGAZINES and on everyone's lips).

ALBINI ... !!! everyone was looking for him in the 90s, to artificially recreate an "indie" sound, even when they were signed to major labels (see, NIRVANA, PJ HARVEY, etc.). Indie was the true trend of the 90s along with Trip-hop and grunge.

a great indie record (by the way mentioned by COBAIN&Co., so see above regarding the legitimization of the INDIE genre). Short review, but all in all, essential.

Well, let's give it a try. INDIE is the diminutive of independent, that is, music produced by small labels, outside of the so-called commercial music circuit. Emerging in the decade between the mid-80s and the early 90s, Indie music is characterized by the sparsity of instrumentation used by musicians and, consequently, by their reference to the phenomenon of GARAGE MUSIC, which was popular in the States between the 60s and the early 70s. Stylistically, it is impossible to categorize INDIE music – as rightly pointed out by some – since it is produced (and often SELF-PRODUCED, see FUGAZI and DISCHORD) with limited resources, no advertising, etc. It is obvious that the reference point is PunkRock, certain tremors of the new wave, and some avant-garde and noise rock experiences (all genres that developed between the late 70s and the early 80s, that is when the heroes of INDIE music were young).
The phenomenon was thus destined to be (happily?) niche until SONIC YOUTH first broke the taboo by signing with GEFFEN and then released the MULTI-CITED (and award-winning) album DAYDREAM NATION, which emerged in the higher echelons of the MAINSTREAM charts, legitimizing the genre. Thus, there was the discovery of the INDIE genre (and the financial gain for those record stores mainly dealing with IMPORT): names from the underground became popular among the throngs of alternative youth around the world in the early 90s, many formed their own INDIE bands, and the historic INDIE bands thus became (let's say it!) POP, serving as reference points for the average audiophile... Through indie (and its commercialization, that is, being absorbed into the system in the 90s), rock (bass + drums + guitar and a lot of rage) came back into vogue, with direct references to the heroes of the good old days (YOUNG above all).
The success of NEVERMIND by NIRVANA has made the genre historically significant and definitively POP, that is, easily accessible and ready for consumption (also radio-friendly and chart-oriented).
N.B. probably the first epiphany of the INDIE genre is the album NO NEWYORK produced by Brian Eno.

an unripe disc, but fundamental for understanding the genesis of Italian singer-songwriter music: all aimed at looking across the Channel for its points of reference. Today, for me, listening to it all in one go is IMPOSSIBLE. It's the music I listened to as a kid and provides satisfaction for those trying to strum the guitar, as it's so simple, and for those seeking points of reference and “engaged lyrics.” The rating is also influenced by the affection I have for this record. A three and a half stars is the right rating.

I align with donjunio: this album is where NEIL's solo career "begins" as it will be expressed in the subsequent albums to come, and where the sound, structure, and atmospheres of YOUNG's style are defined. For these reasons, and for the undeniable power of the record, for the inspiration that permeates it, and for the presence of at least 3 unmissable EVERGREENS, I insisted on the *****.

Imagine being back in those days, at 20 years old, and holding this vinyl in your hands... how would you judge it?!?

Well, everyone is making comparisons with the subsequent great albums of YOUNG... that's not how you rate them. When this album came out, the later ones were still to come; how can you compare such different ages, records, bands, and inspirations? It's like saying, "since I'm crazy about ELECTRIC LADYLAND, ARE YOU EXPERIENCED is a 4 and BAND OF GYPSIES is a 3.5." When, in reality, Hendrix made only straight 5s). Think about it, people, think about it.

Well, everyone is making comparisons with the subsequent great albums of YOUNG... that's not how you rate them. When this album came out, the later ones were still to come; how can you compare such different ages, records, bands, and inspirations? It's like saying, "since I'm crazy about ELECTRIC LADYLAND, ARE YOU EXPERIENCED is a 4 and BAND OF GYPSIES is a 3.5." When, in reality, Hendrix made only straight 5s). Think about it, people, think about it.