pi-airot

A beautiful film, the only one I know that, in a metaphysical (almost ahistorical) atmosphere, manages to depict the disorienting effects of British colonialism. I’ll just be nitpicky about one detail: the film, through the final news snippets and fake newspaper clippings, makes you believe it’s based on a true story. But the picnic at Hanging Rock never happened - or perhaps it did, in some other mysterious dimension...

I’ve been re-listening to it lately, not without a certain pleasure. It can never be defined as an epoch-making album like the band’s official ones, but there’s no lack of beautiful ideas: the variations on a single theme link it to a certain exquisitely German musical discourse (one could almost invoke Bach), the choice of sounds can sometimes seem dated, but often also joyful. And there's certainly an experimental character, not only in the more quirky tracks, but also in a piece like "Dänzing," with its incredible use of advertising jingles heard in "86 commercial trash." And then there’s that energy and joy you find in all of Klaus Dinger’s recordings, as well as Rother’s serene guitar. In short: I like it.

When imagination takes the lead... don't underestimate "Trespass," though, as I often like it even more than this album.

The Battiato of Fetus and Pollution is something unique, and this track listens well too. Nice review, although I don’t think a country's musical offering necessarily has to be experimental to be valid.

It’s probably Cocciante's most rock album (although I can’t say I know his discography well), but I’ve always found it a bit boring. From a symphonic standpoint, his "Concerto per Margherita," although notoriously more pop, is much more intense and, in my opinion, also more interesting (I'll tell you, as a fan of progressive music, I appreciate it a lot).

Very pleasant album and, perhaps because of the cover, in my opinion, very summery.

The voice is annoying, you've already said it. Better the instrumental pieces, among which I have a clear preference for the lively "The Nature of the Sea."

Since you mentioned (and interpreted) the cover, I’ll add some information: it’s by Roger Dean!

I've been waiting for this review for days. Well done! Indeed, in these days when my Kate-mania has returned (I've had it since I was five years old and was struck by her performance at the 1978 Festivalbar... oh dear, I've revealed my venerable age), I rushed to buy the work in question and I feel a certain dissatisfaction. It’s the same feeling I get when someone lets me taste a bite of a delectable dish and then makes me wait before serving it. I’m also waiting for a new album of unreleased tracks from Kate (especially since everyone has been talking about it for a while, starting with the loyal Del Palmer), and this appetizer makes me even more restless. However, I somewhat understand her. "Flower of the Mountain" has a completely new meaning today, more serene and sensual; you can really feel Molly Bloom speaking. The tracks that are truest to the original still have a creamier, fuller sound—which is nice to think about, especially considering that sometimes record labels just pile songs into a "best of," and coincidentally, "The Sensual World" and "The Red Shoes" were precisely the ones left out of her previous collection (the now dated "The Complete Story"). And then there are those complete reinterpretations, particularly "Moments of Pleasure," which is so beautiful and moving today that it would be worth buying the album for that alone (I know I’m speaking as an ardent fan). Perhaps Kate just wanted to make a compilation of two albums that have generally been a bit snubbed by critics... but I also heard that these more immediate arrangements correspond to the Divine's intention to go on tour... if that’s the case, I’m already front and center (and I would be the happiest man in the world). I apologize for writing so much, and bring on the next one.