RingoStarfish

I would have bought both Zion, maybe along with Battiato's white boar...

I feel flattered; the comments from Soc, Zion, and Odra are worth much more than any of my average reviews. But Soc hit the nail on the head: the purpose of the review was to break down this intimidating wall between debaser (and with it, the average good listener) and pop in its purest sense, in its simulacrum. For this reason, I believe that Thriller is a La Mecca that we must reckon with at least once to truly open our minds, more than listening to a Captain Beefheart record. The site demonstrates that it takes nothing to praise Dark Side Of The Moon or Master of Puppets or the early Tool albums: paradoxically, the limit lies in what is too easy. Easy listening is the most challenging musical material here, viewed with fear. Everyone is scared because they think, "It took me so long to make my evolutionary journey from the 883 to Beck, from Baglioni to Jethro Tull: why should I go back to that easy, radio-friendly stuff?" Because maybe, just now that you've learned to listen to more complex things, you can see pop from a more precise perspective and finally distinguish the good from the not-so-good. A magnificent definition was given at the time to "Off The Wall": "the anti-clash album." In '79, the rival to London Calling was seen as something so different as Off The Wall. But without discrimination. Now, however, we are jealous of our acquired "alternativeness"; we are almost jealous of listening to something labelable as "for connoisseurs," feeling that we can't compromise with the "popular" in flesh and blood, like, for example, Thriller. Which will never be categorized - even though it is - among "music for connoisseurs."

I fully agree with symbad/antonio/Soc, here’s another one of those classic reviews that you rightly have taken from the drawer... Below We Got By, a true masterpiece in my opinion by Jarreau, his best work that has reached us on record. I really like many of his later works as well, at least up until the often-overlooked (perhaps because it’s truly pure easy listening) "L is for Lover," produced and supported by none other than Nile Rodgers... and the last two albums are not bad either, especially the latest one... I think he’s coming back in shape for one last hurrah... last year in Perugia he was still astonishing. I reiterate the beauty and passion of the review; if only all the reviews were like these school assignments.

I saw a clip of Sweet Sweetback and it seemed like a show to me...shaft under superfly, but I repeat, almost on par...salut odra

Off The Wall is also my favorite, man, and in fact, paradoxically, I didn't know Thriller from the first to the last track... just like many of us.

I thought that Superfly also referred to the bamba... good to know and sorry for the slip... if I went back to deBaser, I wanted to do it for something or someone worthwhile... for Giorgio: if I have time, I'll write a couple of reviews on what I listen to in contemporary Black music... even though Soc and Zion already know or can already sense it... but has the movie also been released on DVD or is it only available on VHS? so far I haven't found much... Shaft is a gem, almost on par with Superfly... almost...

I quote word for word (except perhaps the last sentence) the intervention by morningstar... preceded by frecis & felice. Melancholy, grace, melodrama britpop, and great music (striking is the memory of the album's release: while in Italy it was being ruthlessly – and senselessly – dismissed, I was in London at the time, and it was a wonder to see for entire weeks every shelf in every shop window downtown filled with those CDs featuring the blonde, underground wallpapered with the posters of TIH... a "Wild Bunch" of britpop, in the age of SPICEmania.

Great album, and great artist, one of the best Italians of the '90s, even though now he's a bit faded. Perhaps yes, a few more lines of satisfaction for the poor readers... but at least what is written is right! PS: you can have a precise direction even/specially if in your repertoire you find Salirò/Cohiba (or the Y10 Bordeaux/Aria) juxtaposed.

The eighties were a unique and unrepeatable world, one that, for better or worse, will never come back (even though the 2000s tried to replicate some of its ethics and styles). WTTP was a symbol of that era, of vacuity, kitsch aesthetics, and so many, many, many wonders (almost all still to be reassessed). Long live Hyeronimus drive-in and colpo grosso!

I hope soon, I hope... I left you alone (but still in excellent company with Paolo, Zion, Massimo, and the others) for too long... wait patiently, my old friend!