dreamwarrior

Malmsteen is a vastly overrated guitarist, yet he deserves credit for being one of the first to adopt a certain approach to the instrument. Furthermore, he practically invented the neoclassical genre, taking Blackmore's teachings to the extreme. So, he has his merits; that there are hordes of more inspired and technically advanced guitarists is a given.

It is probably the weakest album by Angra, certainly enjoyable but not on par with the classics Angels Cry and Holy Land.

Really beautiful review for an excellent album. I think you managed to perfectly capture the musical and lifestyle style of the long-haired blond.

They may not shine with originality, but this shouldn't always be seen as a flaw. The important thing is that the lessons from the masters are interpreted with personal flair, without obvious copying. It seems to me that this band does it perfectly, also considering the significant room for improvement.

If Britti is an acceptable guitarist, my judgment on Britti the composer is absolutely negative: awful voice, compositions that border on the ridiculous, which, however, helped him to hook up with Corna and who knows how many young girls in love. For this alone, hats off.

Well, dignity is the right word. I mean, he knows his craft, that's for sure, but the balance tips more towards "normality" than "greatness."

I reiterate that Britti is not poor, but I don't consider him great either, both because he lacks the technical skills to be so, and because he doesn't have the feeling of musicians like Richards, Clapton, who may not have great technical depth but have written memorable chapters in musical history. If "only once" is history... I saw Radius live and I can say that he may not be a virtuoso, but he carried the burden of Formula 3 by himself, and every note was played with soul.

Eric Clapton is great because he has written the history of blues rock; Richards is great because he has done it with rock; B.B. King with the blues; Santana with Latin rock. To be great, one doesn’t necessarily have to be a technical monster, but also to have a great compositional soul and be able to leave a mark. No one technically compares a good bluesman like Clapton to an hyper-technical Scott Henderson, but it is also true that Clapton's songs will remain in the history of music even when the good Scott is no longer here. Britti will also write for Mina, but when he writes a song for himself, most of the time they are pop songs without soul; when he tries to amaze with virtuosity, he always and only does the same things. Want great Italian guitarists? Andrea Braido, the one who accompanied Vasco Rossi in Fronte del palco, as well as the author of three stunning solo albums; Cesareo from Elio e Le Storie Tese; Alberto Radius from Formula 3; Franco Mussida from PFM, and many more. Each of these musicians can teach Britti a lot both from an executive and a compositional point of view. That Britti knows how to play guitar, I do not doubt, but the true "great" musicians are another thing.

So, years ago a metal magazine called HM was published. In one issue, there was a review of the first solo album by a certain Alex Britti, even before he started playing pop songs. Well, yours truly was literally mocked by the good reviewer, emphasizing that products like this could definitely be done without. The review was probably exaggerated; however, in hindsight, I have to say that perhaps that Roberto Guarnieri (the reviewer) wasn’t entirely wrong. Britti is a more than adequate musician, but to call him a "great" is a stretch! Both technically and compositionally, he says absolutely nothing, and the flashy display at the beginning of "100.000 caffè" or playing solo with his guitar does not make a guitarist a "great." Even a certain Stanley Jordan plays concerts solo with his guitar, but he has all the attributes to be considered as such. To be clear, he’s not a hack, absolutely not, but he doesn’t possess the qualities of a great musician, period. As for the tours across half of Europe, how many lesser-known musicians work twice as hard as Britti around the world? Even for the duet with Charles, it seems he was the only guitarist available at that moment. I still remember during Sanremo an improvised jam with Cammariere; that was absolutely a moment to change the channel!! Great musicians shine in these opportunities; instead, he just kept repeating endlessly the things he knew how to do, lacking creativity and the spark of a top-class player.

Indeed, a great band. Their class eventually merged into the Ark of Lande and Kamelot. A band too underrated.