SALMACIS

I go against the grain. The best albums by the Smashing Pumpkins are, for me, Gish for its fresh ideas and melancholic psychedelia, and Mellon Collie for its overwhelming creativity as well as for the concept bolstered by an adequate musical fabric. Between these two peaks lies the valley of Siamese Dream, which strikes me as plastic. You can tell it was produced solely by Corgan, artificial and overly pop in many parts (Today, sPACEBOY), while superb in others (Cherub Rock, Disarm, Mayonnaise); the much-praised Soma isn't really that great of a masterpiece either.

Well done Mariaelena, you hit the mark. This is much more psychedelic and "hippy" than the next one, which is pretentious and also more "pop," less subtly fairy-tale-like and ecstatic. I reaffirm my preference for "If I Could..." over the more renowned successor "In the Land..."

This review has stirred quite a hornet's nest. For a long time, I sought this record, and my anticipation grew ever more anxious due to a lot of positive and enthusiastic comments about it. And like De-Cano, I was a bit disappointed by the listening experience; however, not to the point of giving it two stars… “Frittering” is the true masterpiece and one of the most psychedelic tracks of all time. All in all, I prefer, on the whole, the subsequent and often underrated “Boces,” where in my opinion, Mercury Rev fine-tune their approach.

The Vote

Damn, I wanted to do it myself, and maybe I still will. In my opinion, Enrybax doesn't really convey an effective idea of how this CD actually sounds. First of all, it's presented as fundamentally hard, which is false. Instead, it's that marvelous blend of protoprog, psychedelia, blues echoes, and some more decisive electric bursts, which produced so many results in England between '69 and '71. Bands like Arcadium, Atomic Rooster, Graciouse, Khan, and their counterparts often created gems of various thicknesses and brightness. This work by T2 is one of them. Praise be to the precocious genius (he was only 17 years old!) of Cross, blessed by the guitar god while still in his infancy. The Suite is the pinnacle, but all the tracks are truly memorable; the vocal harmonies and melodic continuity are excellent, despite the complexity of the underlying proposal.

Incredible album. The talent of Bartoccetti, Norton, and Tyring is at its zenith. The first track U.F.D.E.M. is FANTASTIC, THE USE OF THE DEEP BASS, DRAMATIC, MASTERFUL. Norton's voice is evocative and prophetic, and the lyrics also address cutting-edge ecological themes for the time. Praesentia Domini is almost unbearable when listened to at night, the most unsettling of them all. But the most captivating award goes to "jACULA vALZER," which creates a magically sinister atmosphere. In my opinion, the album loses a bit towards the end. Nonetheless, excellent.

I’ll just say one thing: if such an absent review justifies so many interventions, it should make one reflect on the value of the work in question. Great Van der Graaf. For me, better than Pawn Hearts.

...I do not agree with the assertion that "the first two tracks might not excite everyone"... in fact, they are the catchiest and most delightful on the platter, especially the first "vert" which is truly graceful... the review is too brief... the final suite alone is worth the price of the CD.

...no..nothing of the sort..simply a wonderful and dreamy hippie symphony in which the ideals of peace, love, dream, and nature that characterized that unrepeatable season are celebrated...a truly remarkable work...listen to believe

The Musical Box is the best song ever conceived and performed by Genesis, without a doubt. There are various moments to highlight: 1) The two initial verses followed by a soft tapestry of flute-guitar-keyboard that seems to sway and cradle vibrations of incredible effusiveness: it is the highest impressionistic moment reached by Genesis and perhaps by all of Prog. 2) The first beautiful solo by Hackett followed by a dramatic explosion of drums. Noteworthy is the excellent contrapuntal work of Banks' organ. 3) The splendid narrative break between the two electric solos; it is precisely this moment, in my opinion, that makes the musical theme extremely varied and the story being told coherent. Vertiginous chiaroscuro effects are created. 4) The second legendary solo by Hackett, which inevitably evokes the vision of a galloping horse. It is said that the guitarist spent six months crafting it; when Banks’ electric piano enters the arpeggio, we reach an aesthetic orgasm. 5) The grand finale which, I’ll say right away (and swim against the tide), is perhaps the weakest part (the only one) of the entire piece. The stunning initial arpeggio by Rutherford with Gabriel’s spine-chilling vocals, especially when he desperately screams "casting doubt on all I have to say"... then in the final orgy, things become a bit too grandiose and baroque, but these are just nuances... in short, it's the utmost. Nursery Cryme may not be the best album by Genesis (Foxtrot!) but it certainly contains the most beautiful and significant track.