bogusman

A record, besides its music, is judged by many other things: the author, the context, the era, the way it has managed to absorb previous musical phenomena, the influence it has had on other artists. (the same Dire Straits connect to a blues tradition, right? doesn't that mean anything?) it's a bit too easy to say "good music is just good music." but what does that mean???? music reflects (and in some cases amplifies) social, cultural, etc. barriers, and our debate is an example of that. regarding the contracts of the "sturaorecchie," it's not clear what you're talking about; there have been thousands of bands that played for smaller labels. Here, accusations were made against a specific group: you talk about "alternative" music while creating a bit of confusion... give some examples.

Claudio Carpentieri, pay attention to the meaning given to "popular success": rock music, cinema, painting, literature have very different quality/success ratios among them, and honestly, I didn't understand what you wanted to say about certain "little heroes" who lack success... I admit I'm not a fan of Dire Straits (perhaps because I'm not a big enthusiast of such bluesy sounds), but if terms like Universality and Perfection are used in relation to them, what terms should be coined for figures like Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno???

Interesting... let's try to hit the nail on the head: aside from the fact that certain divisions between high and low rock neighborhoods no longer make sense, here the game doesn't seem to be between engaged and non-engaged music (the Dire Straits don't really have a carefree and frivolous allure, just as much of the new wave wasn't that serious) but rather between connoisseurs of a certain taste for music that can be generally defined as played "well" (sometimes bordering on virtuosity) and certain more experimental approaches that define areas of interest that go beyond "technique." No one says that those who listen to the DS are glued to MTV all day (but who even sees the DS on MTV today? at most 20 years ago!) however, it's understandable for those who listen to music that is, let’s say, a bit more under the radar, if not a certain kind of somewhat gratuitous snobbery, a certain annoyance regarding the placement of a band in the rock pantheon just because they've sold 28 million copies. Personally, I perceive, if it's there, the quality of certain very popular music (my reviews on Lucio Battisti and others are different), but I can't help but feel a certain constriction when speaking of CONSENSUS as the definitive proof of an artist's greatness.

beautiful. even though I prefer the next one... ;-)

If you get a chance, try to get your hands on "Concerto," a live recording from Denver on 12/04/79... the period may not seem the best, but the somewhat disco vibe given to certain tracks really stands out. There's a killer version of Ladytron on that!

Siren I like because it presents a refreshed sound compared to the previous ones; very "trendy," aligned with the dance-oriented vibes that were spreading like wildfire around the globe in the mid-'70s, but also very sophisticated, and capable of anticipating a lot of new romantic stuff from the following decade (listen to Both Ends Burning to believe it).
Viva Roxy is splendid, as are the remarkable recordings for the BBC from 1972/73 and those rare snippets of bootleg from the era that I had the chance to hear. I just listened to the latest live performance, but I must say that I wasn't very excited by the overly polished and clean rendition of historic and fervent pieces like Ladytron or others... that drumming lacked spark, and especially the synth parts of Virginia Plain (if I remember correctly) sounded like they were sampled exactly. And I wasn't pleased with the massive presence of tracks from the later period either.

CALL TO EDITORS: do something!!!

I also take the opportunity to point out to those who may not know and are in the mood for some deep dives, the beautiful 1976 live album, "Viva! Roxy Music", which contains (only, unfortunately) 8 tracks recorded live from 1973 to 76. The sound is beautifully rich, the instrumental assaults even more stretched and psychedelic (why not?) compared to the studio recordings... listen to believe the live version of "If there is something".

The album is remarkable, and so is the review (even though it's a bit too effusive for my taste, but I understand the declarations of love...). The fact is that, in my opinion, it belongs decidedly to the declining phase of the Roxy arc. Keeping in mind that the two previous albums are positioned in the highest echelons of rock worldwide of all time, I see this Stranded and the subsequent Country Life made of somewhat the same stuff; some splendid songs (in this case especially Amazona, and Mother of Pearl) pushed along by a few more questionable moments (Bryan Ferry singing in French and Latin is chilling...). The truly underrated album, before the breakup of 1976, is Siren...

I'm listening to it again now. The greatness of the Battisti/Mogol writing lies in bending metrically everyday phrases, making them functional to the rhythmic structure of the songs and somehow transforming them into something "other." I don't want to decree what "poetry" is and what it isn't, but I find the final rendering of phrases like "Can I call a taxi? It's late and I need to go back home..." or "Park later... tell me what you have!" absolutely magnetic, as well as incredibly advanced for the Italian singer-songwriter scene of the mid-70s...
(for the Panellian listeners) It's not very different from what Battisti will do with Panella, especially in CSAR...