antoniodeste

...well, Jim, I could add that at that time (1980), very few, I believe, knew who "Paquito" De Lucia was, and it was truly shocking to see the Spaniard and the way his fingers curled continuously while executing certain passages. By the way, he NEVER uses picks, and given the technique and the quality of what he plays, it’s quite astonishing for a guitarist. Less so, I suppose, for those who were already familiar with the wonders of flamenco and its performance techniques. I clearly remember (and smile) that just a couple of minutes into the show (he was wearing a black T-shirt with a tricolor emblem...) the first ten rows were already ecstatic, with outstretched arms towards the stage pointing at the "fastest guitarist in the world" (after Alvin Lee). He was still in his "glory" period and nodded in satisfaction. I’ve already mentioned McLaughlin. I suppose he ran into a "bad" night where, besides messing up scales and solos, he broke a string, got nervous because people dared to boo him (and it seemed like an incredible situation to me...) and he wasn’t exactly in his best mental state. After all, anyone who knows McLaughlin probably knows that the '80s (and not just for him) were not his strong suit. I've had the chance to see him other times (before and after) and this was definitely the worst. To be honest, Di Meola didn’t shine much in class during that decade either. The show, however, had moments of great intensity with duo episodes, solos, and unexpected reinterpretations ("Meetings Of The Spirit" - The Inner Mounting Flame). If I think that there were at least five thousand people, it seems embarrassing to imagine that there could still be a similar turnout these days... So, let’s see, Jim, by the end of this intervention, there will still be 227 lines left. But I’d say that’s enough, right? What do you say? :))

Hey Dante: Did you play briscola with Steve Vai too?

@EthosAntropoDaimon: A trivial matter: I notice that perhaps my intervention hasn't been understood; it is I (as I had already written previously) who listened to the sacred at 12 years old. And it was at that age that I found it challenging. And I sincerely hope that at 21 it isn't......! A humble suggestion: let me say that it would really be the case to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Perhaps to read better.....or to digest Stockhausen or Ligeti at 8:45........ As for Nirvana....I would say I leave that to Hindu religious practices, and in any case it has never been music for my ears; too much noise.

I think I could write a two hundred and fifty line piece to talk about this trio and the album, but I'll spare you (.....). However, I'll share my opinion: for me, the best is undoubtedly Paco, then DiMeola, and finally my beloved McLaughlin. This judgment is biased by an evening twenty-six years ago when my hero was "off" and played terribly; I discovered the art of flamenco through De Lucia, who seemed like a UFO, and I confirmed with my eyes what my ears already knew about the hyper-technical DiMeola. It's a shame that "Passion, Grace & Fire" from a couple of years later was practically a "flop." I would love to know more from Ajeje about his feeling with McLaughlin.

@Luca L-J: I really appreciate what you wrote, but know that I didn't mean to blame anyone by expressing my (if you will, paranoid) idea. The noun (as well as the participle) is just a term that the industry uses to define what it does, and that's their business. It's our business instead, in my opinion, (even if it seems silly) to then "apply" certain words borrowed from industrial jargon (I also think of "target") to areas that are "incompatible" with that specific "lexicon." It's a bit like that gag where Nanni Moretti keeps hearing "but in some way, this thing..." and he, tired of this generic (trendy and superficial) response, replies irritated and slightly angry: "But which way??!!" Besides, it seems to me, Luca, that you've already posed the "little question," right? Well, you've found the annoying pain in the ass (the one writing right now) who brings it up for you, for what it's worth, once again... anyway, really, no problem @Symbad: I was more than sure about your slip. So, please, don't worry. Actually..."What me worry?" from Electric Frankenstein; that's all that's left of Tofani for me. Somewhere, I also saw "Un gusto superiore," but who knows... Then one day, in a bookstore in Tuscany, I stumbled upon some Hare Krishna publications featuring Him in the role of "producer." Well...

Is this music? Is it a musical document? A sound document? An experiment? A record? A provocation? These were just the "labels" used in the discussions to try to "define" something that, by its nature, eludes definition; that’s what I meant, without provocations or allusions, trying to understand what ultimate utility these "framing attempts" had, attempting to "bring," if possible, the conversation to an interpretation of the "contents" rather than the "form" (!!). I repeat, I don’t remember the work well, but even ajeje gives me his point of view, considering it an almost unrepeatable "happening" and, overall, it is a contribution that I believe should be taken into account. I would like to hear others. I realize it is extremely difficult to deal with things of this kind! One last thing: I am truly sorry that someone (perhaps unwittingly) has referred to a work of human art as "product"; I may be obsessed with improper definitions or with a certain type of system that tends to commodify anything, or an esthete in the use of terminology, but calling this or other works the term "product" (which reeks of construction and industry, at least in imagery) I really don’t like at all. Then, of course, everyone can do what they want in their hearts, of course; It was just meant to be an extemporaneous observation.

@DanteCruciani: and now let's move on to the second lesson!!

@EthosAntropoDaimon: if you didn’t find the festival “difficult” at 12 years old, I’m really glad for the breadth of your views at that age! And what do you say about Schoenberg’s "Klavierstucke"? Do you sometimes savor them for breakfast…?:))

@Symbad: sorry, I don't think I understand; I knew about Demetrio and Giulio, but are you also talking about Paolo, as in Tofani ??!! @Ajeje & Luca L-J: I believe I understand what you're trying to say, but let's reflect for a second "man to man": if someone has reached the review of Stratos, chances are they did so because they already know Stratos from the work with Area, so it's likely they are aware of Stratos's very particular vocal approach. If instead, completely unaware, they approached the review out of curiosity, I think Zarathustra explained quite well what the "difficulty of understanding" is already in the review phase. I say this because I wouldn't want "external labels" to be brought up just because, in the end, we don't know how to take it or what to say exactly about it, effectively saying or adding, in short, a whole lot of nothing, that's all.

Frankly, I don't understand the formal "distinctions" between music, experiments, records, and sound documents. I mean, I don't see the point of them unless it's to complicate the already complicated. Sure, it's a complex and fascinating "job," but why get lost in external labels instead of trying to examine the content deeply with the possible consequences (or uses), assuming there are any? I have a faded memory of "Metrodora" and this "Cantare la voce"; I would like to extract some more impressions from it. However, I remember very well the "syllabic fables" of Stratos in "sixty two mesostics: Re Merce Cunningham," also in the "Nova Musicha" series when it was John Cage's turn. It was fun and I enjoyed it.