Just A Moment

In my opinion, the masterpiece of Pearl Jam, their most successful album. I also like quite a few songs from the following albums (Rearviewmirror, Better Man, Nothing Man, Present Tense, and especially Corduroy), but only in this album have they, in my opinion, truly managed to be original. I would like to emphasize that the phrase "so much so that in '91 in America it caused many suicides among adolescent boys..." is a bit exaggerated. The reasons for a suicide can never be directly and solely linked to a song's message. More decisive are personal experiences (especially the imprinting of childhood) and genetic predisposition ("bio-chemistry"). Certainly, the environment in which one lives also matters. But blaming a song is an oversimplification that has no medical/scientific value.
p.s. I don't particularly love grunge, but I like Pearl Jam anyway (along with a few songs from Smashing).

I will listen to it again.

My response wasn't directed at you, but I appreciate your opinion and I will listen to "Calypsos," which I have never heard before. As for "Pezzi," I've listened to it and didn't find it that great... Sure, the average quality of the songs is sufficient, but they aren’t masterpieces.

I accept your opinion, everyone is free to think as they prefer (and, of course, also to write their own opinions). As DJMUSHROOM has said better than I can, a collection of De Gregori "could be fine." Personally, I reviewed this collection because it is the first CD of De Gregori that I purchased. Since I have already reviewed almost all his other albums, I thought it was better to review this one rather than rehash one that is already present (this is why I have only reviewed greatest hits so far; I don't have such original tastes). De gustibus... As for the issue of record labels... now that is a classic, stale, and rhetorical cliché. I remind you that the album in question is out of print: there is no commercial intent at all, at least on my part.

The first sentence simply meant that, in my opinion, De Gregori is the Italian singer-songwriter most similar to Dylan. With the phrase mere clone, I aimed to emphasize that De Gregori is not just a (faded) copy of Dylan, as that would be unfair to him. He was, especially in the beginning, an original songwriter who was able to set to music stories and feelings that are "very Italian". Since the early '80s, however, he has become increasingly less original and has continued to "self-quote". But, after all, how many singer-songwriters or bands have had something to say for more than ten years? I can think of very few; most have lived off past glories. One last thing: for authors like Buckley or Drake, recently reviewed, I agree: compilations diminish the value of individual songs. Their works were true concept albums, real masterpieces in music. De Gregori has composed many beautiful songs, but no great albums. Less philosophically, I prefer to listen to the albums of Buckley and Drake, while I enjoy the compilation of De Gregori. My personal opinion, of course.

Out of curiosity, what didn't convince you entirely? This anthology, Buckley the composer, or Buckley the singer? As a singer, he showcased an undeniable talent (even if some might not appreciate his nasal voice). As a composer, his artistic journey has followed a parabolic path. Many of his songs may seem a bit "old-fashioned" today, others are certainly difficult to listen to, but perhaps that’s precisely why they are more fascinating.

As I was saying, Pink Moon is generally considered his masterpiece, and in many ways, I agree. But honestly, I prefer to listen to the first two albums, especially "Bryter Layter," perhaps because it's less dramatic than the first and less raw than the last. My advice? Listen to both and then let us know what you think (it's definitely not time wasted).

Artistically, every compilation makes little sense, especially when extracting tracks from albums that have a cohesive character and a specific thematic thread (see, for example, Pink Moon). However, from an economic and promotional standpoint, they do have their rationale. In the end, everyone is free to make their own choices; this compilation is simply an additional opportunity (for a newcomer, I reiterate, it’s a good entry ticket).

Thank you for the correction, of course the correct title is "Place to be".

As I wrote in another post, compilations always hold less significance compared to individual albums, especially if the latter have been designed as concepts. That’s why I gave it a 4 and not a 5 (though 4 is a beautiful score for me; I would maybe give a 5 only to Harvest and Rust, and a 4.5 to Zuma and On the Beach). But compilations have a great advantage: you can buy them to get an idea of the singer or the band, and then, if you wish, explore further...