pi-airot

An annotation to my neighbor, who passed away about twenty years ago, is a bit impossible to make. What he meant (I remember we used to talk when I was in middle school, thanks to a literature teacher who encouraged us to discover history directly from those who lived it) I have no idea, as back then I certainly had not developed even the slightest political consciousness. I don't know why I brought up that memory, but it came to me spontaneously. It's just that certain discussions taste for me the same as certain distortions that we are consistently fed, such as the constant assertion that Italy has been governed by communists for sixty years (words from the Prime Minister). Since history is not made with "if" (it's true, but sometimes - and literature, both utopian and dystopian, reminds us of this - "if" helps us see more clearly or farther), if I were to take those words as true, I would have to conclude that communism in Italy was democratic. Or that communism also had a totalitarian heart in Italy, but in that case it was always kept away from the centers of power... What all this has to do with this review is soon said: books like this are usually less read than brandished (I am not referring to the reviewer, of course) - a bit like Mao's little red book. Since in Italy "communist" is deliberately used as a synonym for "left," brandishing this book is somewhat like throwing discredit on a political faction that has always rooted itself in the principles on which our Republic is founded, starting from those forces that, at the end of World War II, instead of igniting another civil war, came together to establish the building blocks of our state. Those who no longer recognize themselves in these elements (monarchists, former fascists, separatists/secessionists, capitalists/monopolists, etc.) are on the other side, and have nothing better to do than bring up the past.

@Macaco: apart from the fact that imperialism is a constant in European history (and therefore also in American history, by continuity), and that we Italians have never taken it lightly, I seem to remember that the partisans united under the National Liberation Committee included factions that were often very distant, not just the communists. These forces then formed a constituent assembly that laid the foundations for the current state. It was the only moment of true collaboration we have ever had in our history, and we want to forget it as well.

Vellutogrigio used truly precious words. Among other things, I'm reminded of the words of a neighbor of mine (may his soul rest in peace), who was a partisan in his time: "We won in '45, we founded a democracy in which 'they' were able to reconstitute their parties. But if they had won in '45, there would have been no room for anyone else." Every now and then, we should remember better the history of our own home.

Dear Rino, you tried to charm us with your sense of humor and it didn't work out. Maybe with a couple of ears and a little less arrogance, it will go better.

I would be fine if good Keating inspired a revolution among the boys, instead he imposes his own. Are we sure he has no responsibility in the actor's suicide? The inherently self-indulgent teenager needs self-esteem and encouragement, yes, but also the ability for self-criticism and resilience. It's too convenient to receive only the self-esteem.

Criticism too often revels in difficult things to boast that it has understood them. This album, on the other hand, goes straight down the tracks of time and anticipates themes from twenty years later. I can hear the Chemical Brothers in it, and in the calm moments some things from Massive Attack, but also an incomparable balance between abstraction and sound film. For me, this is the band's masterpiece, able to capture the best of their past and anticipate the best of the future.

I almost forgot: the review is always very beautiful.

As a child, I couldn't stand "Chiquitita" (and even today, it's not much better). "I Have a Dream," on the other hand, while not all that different, I liked a lot. This was one of the first albums I remember coming into the house (at the time one of my sisters was a teenager). The Abba were like a sort of institution/habit. Yet this album is perhaps the one that leaves the least impression in memory, especially when compared to the one that preceded it (which, in my opinion, hasn't aged very well) and the one that followed it ("Super Trouper" is a fantastic pop album). Here I really like "The King Has Lost His Crown" and "If It Wasn't for the Night." Then, I don't know why, but every time I hear "Kisses of Fire," I wish the chorus would never end.

Yet those two tracks with Bruford on drums... it might be just me, but with him behind the kit, Yes had an entirely different dynamism.

...that is: a bouquet of variations on the theme of "I don't like it," complete with satirical-ironic juxtapositions and other assorted stylistic exercises. Yawwwwwwnnnnn...