antoniodeste

Although I have never had the chance to listen to Gleemen, I must give you credit, DaveJon, for resurrecting a significant chapter of that "seminal" period of Italian "pre-prog." The intent you have set out is commendable and therefore deserves praise. For my part, I can only say that I took advantage of the very recent reissue by BTF of Garybaldi's second work, "Astrolabio" (1973), and I found it (aside from a few things that feel somewhat dated) still quite stimulating. Even more so than the previous "Nuda." However, I would say that here we are more in the territory of Hendrix than of prog...

I first saw Reich's beauty twenty-eight years ago in a dedicated showcase where Terry Riley also performed, playing a modified Yamaha organ at the time. The level of "estrangement" was remarkable even in that case. I was also fortunate enough to attend that notable event, the tour (of course on a single date) presenting "Powaaqqatsi," the soundtrack to the second part of Godfrey Reggio's "qatsi" trilogy. Seeing Philip Glass live (with Kurt Munkacsi) and a full orchestra was an unforgettable emotion, especially due to the sheer sonic mass in motion. Returning to Riley, I’ve seen him twice more over the years; once with a prepared piano and just a few months ago again with an electronic keyboard, accompanied by Italian singer Amelia Cuni. There was also an unexpected reinterpretation of that "A Rainbow in curved air" mentioned by Ghemison. It's not easy to find contemporary showcases, at least here in the northeast; there's a certain skepticism about the possibility of a decent audience turnout. There are already several issues with jazz (unless it's summer), let alone with things of this nature. Of Reich, I would like to highlight a chapter that struck me particularly; it's an ECM album from '88 titled "Music for eighteen musicians." The cyclical and repetitive modules remind me of the principles of "Drumming," and the emotional engagement seemed to me even greater. Good vibrations.

As a long-time fan of Hackett, I must confess that while "Darktown" has its moments of merit, its excessive heterogeneity and pronounced bleakness (a characteristic present in all of Hackett's works) do not place it among my particular favorites. "To Watch The Storms" has a similar structure in some respects, but the inspiration, ideas, and balances convey different results to me. I suppose, Anderson, that these are extremely subjective and negligible nuances. If you love Hackett like I do (I've been following him since "Nursery Cryme" and I've seen him live three times in three different contexts—once in '79, once in the '90s, and two years ago), I can understand the enthusiasm, love, and passion that drive you to regard Steve's work with the devotion and affection it deserves. :)

Hats off to the outreach about the life and art of Nick Drake. I wasn't aware of this episode, and I'm glad to have learned about it. It's not exactly a "review," but we can make an exception.

It is one of the old and glorious compositions by the American minimalist and experimental composer that has always mesmerized me. I want to emphasize that although I cannot declare the era of composition, it is much older than the Nonesuch edition from 1987; I owned a vinyl copy (a triple album that included "six pianos") from Deutsche Grammophon back in '78 or '79. I saw Reich perform live around that time, and "Clapping Music" (for hand claps only) was almost a shock for everyone, in its apparent simplicity. A beautiful, imaginative, and instructive review for one of the masters of contemporary music and one of its cornerstones. I hope it can lead to an "opening" towards other masters, such as Glass, Riley, LaMonte Young, Berio, Nono, Cage, and others (why not the NovaMusicha series from Cramps in the late '70s?) who have pushed the knowledge of today’s musical material forward by a few kilometers.

I, too, like Fosca and/or the reviewer (and who knows how many others) am part of that group that, with "Spectral Mornings" (and this track in particular), dreamed of distant horizons at the twilight of the '70s. It was a magical moment for Hackett, who at the time was proud to declare that he had his own band (and his own "sound"). As a fan of the English guitarist, I must say that although he has many gems to his credit, if I had to choose one, I suppose it would be this. The review is more an act of love than a critical examination, but understanding the reason that led the reviewer to write it, that's fine by me.

...I would add, as an "anthology," the beautiful "Live In London" (I believe from '84).

Thank you Nightwalker for the intervention (and… welcome back)

I repeat, I have only reported "news facts." How you choose to interpret them, one way or another, is your well-deserved right, for crying out loud. (reply)

Okay Pippocalippo; an intriguing and hopeful hypothesis that I want to share; but.....how many times and to how many people can this happen? And above all: why should it happen? In the reverse hypothesis, for example, I would never want to find myself listening to Laura Pausini's records. Do you understand what I mean?