Socrates

I heard some of his tracks in genre compilations and I liked them. Now, spellbound by the Copperfield of reviews (the magician, I mean...), I won't be able to resist listening. :-)

Gattuso expresses a style of football that I like, very Anglo-Saxon, not for nothing he was trained in those parts, very physical, great dedication, selflessness, and fairness, even though I, in my small way, resembled Pirlo more as a player. If, as it seems, he could be one of the symbols of the World Cup, it’s because the big stars have mostly been watching and the quality of play has often left much to be desired. France and Italy were among the most criticized in the early stages from this point of view. But these competitions are won in silence, playing well when it counts, running intelligently without wasting energy, with experienced players and some brilliant and/or lucky plays. Even tactics, while important, are not decisive. Lippi and the French coach were accused just a few days ago of being incompetent: today they are seen as great strategists. Sacchi, the prototype of the rational and meticulous coach, has gone down in history, ironically, for his famous "culo". The likable Arrigo practically went crazy to avoid accepting that his theory, "those who play well win," is full of holes: when he wasn’t winning while playing well, his pressure shot up to 300. ;-)

Ed's review is already out; it's more than spot on and I've commented on it. ;-)

I hadn't realized it was already there, so it's pointless to write anything. The review captures my impressions/emotions succinctly and accurately. And it's a lovely "chameleon," a mixer of influences with personality, but it has too much talent to have the success it deserves.

I am an admirer of Harcourt, and who knows, I might manage to write something about the album with which I discovered him, "From Every Sphere." As for my prediction, I hope you don’t think I could be so reckless and careless as to predict Germany even if I were convinced of it. If someone had told you before the World Cup that neither Brazil nor Argentina would be among the top four, I think you would have laughed loudly in their face. Therefore, appealing to the goddess Eupalla in memory of the good Gianni Brera, a vengeful and unpredictable deity like few others, I say Italy wins by a goal difference (2-1 or 3-2), naturally inviting all superstitious individuals to practice the apotropaic and superstitious rituals they find most appropriate. :-)

I understand: you don't want to take a stand, you don't want claims for compensation. ;-) As for "my" Brazil, I must say that I had already expressed my thoughts in far from enthusiastic terms after the initial successful outings, but I had overestimated the coach's faults. Those who have played in lower leagues or just in some local tournaments know that with names, with the "pretty boys", nothing has ever been won. Brazil is not a team; it seems rather like a hodgepodge of talents who are not very willing to make sacrifices, with a few exceptions, such as Zé Roberto, and with some unmanageable internal conflicts (I've seen forced and reckless shots on goal instead of rational passes to some unfriendly teammate). Football is truly a fascinating and unpredictable team game. The bookmakers know this well, having raked in billions from the early exits of favorite South American teams. Cruyff, who was as great as, perhaps more than Zidane, never won anything with his national team, lacking Vieira, Makelele, Gallas, Henry, Thuram. Napoli, with Maradona, before winning the Scudetto, barely avoided relegation in the final days.
I apologize to non-football fans for the digression, but Odra intrigues me. :-)

I copy and paste Odra's comment and reiterate that "Ms. Jackson" is a great track.

I'm starting to believe that you give these "three stars" thinking of the Michelin Guide... are you going incognito? ;-)

I've lost track of too many lately from the prolific Odra, but in this case, quantity does not compromise quality. The samples are extremely intriguing.

Sorry for the delay, but I'm in a holding pattern until July 6. Thanks to those who joined recently as well.