Mike76

OBJECTION: the equation major=crap and labelindependent=gold isn’t always true. I can think of some new wave masterpieces from the late 70s/early 80s released by EMI or Virgin. On the other hand, I believe each of us owns some indie CDs that are awful and that we regret having bought. That said, I don’t particularly like Nirvana either, but the real crap of the 90s was elsewhere.

Nice record, the best among the few I own by them. You can still hear a bit of Siouxie in the vocal delivery, but not in the music, which is both dark and ethereal. I like the album, "Alice in Wonderland" too, but I find the review a bit pretentious, although not for that reason bad.

"American"? No, rather "South American"! :-D I still think that "Wish" is the most American album by the Cure, with those prominent guitars (even if not entirely predictable), in fact, it sold a ton in the U.S. This album, on the other hand, sold a million copies in the States, which is a lot, but in my opinion, it was a reflection of the success of the previous one.

However, Lord, it must be said that the delay was mostly record label-related. The Litfiba had been active since '80 and the Diaframma since the previous year; if they didn't land a contract right away, it's also the fault of the Italian record labels that always come in late, when a genre has already established itself abroad and thus they know they are taking little risk and can expect a profit.

I only know a few tracks from Foxx's first two albums; he's very good. Sometimes he comes close to Gary Numan but he’s more elegant, refined, and cultured, and he has a great voice. Sooner or later, I'll buy something from the good John.

In the early 2000s, almost all bands with around twenty years of activity and members in their 40s released an "adult," implosive, composed record, perhaps melancholic but, apart from a few exceptions, almost entirely devoid of the energy of their previous albums (I’m thinking of "Exciter" by Depeche Mode or "Bloodflowers" by The Cure). It seems that the serenity of middle age has arrived for everyone, so honestly, these bands have poured their maturity into their respective albums (only to perhaps take it all back in the next one). However, there is a limit to everything. While there was something interesting to hear here and there in English bands, for R.E.M., "Reveal" is a true musical disaster. An endless series of sappy and impersonal ballads that could have been written by anyone. Occasionally, a dull background electronic sound pokes through, trying to freshen up R.E.M.’s sound but instead depersonalizes it. More than "adult rock," it’s "geriatric rock"; more than a mature album, it’s an (pre)retirement album. A good record for anyone suffering from insomnia who wants to save on sleeping pills; for me, it’s a colossal bore.

Excuse me!

@Alias: Criticizing me? No, you’ve got it all wrong, I’m just a music listener who occasionally reviews on Debaser. If I’ve put down "2 little lines" here, it’s because I made a comment, not a review. If you hate my reviews, it doesn’t matter; many times I didn’t even like them myself when I wrote them, but at least I pointed out albums or bands that weren’t on the site and provided some samples. In my opinion, it’s better to make a mess in fifteen minutes than in "9 months" with the "sweat of your brow"; otherwise, it means you suffer from stubborn constipation, and that’s not a good thing. Anyway, it seems we agree on the value of the album…
@randolph chandler (alias Alias?): no one is stopping you from criticizing me if that’s what you’re trying to do. The quotes I provided weren’t just from Scaruffi but also from Bertoncelli and Ondarock. I just listed some criticisms of the album taken from reviews that gave a good rating to this double-fuffa. Let’s say that I only hear the flaws in this album that are also identified by those who judge it positively.
And to top it off: what do those four albums have in common? They’re made of s... yes, they’re made of the stuff that your alter ego Alias mentioned!

Thanks.

To respond to the friendly anonymous person above: what do Mellon Collie, "Use Your Illusion," "(What's The Story) Morning Glory," and "Mechanical Animals" have in common? Well, it's simple, didn't you get it? They are all great MASTERPIECES of the 90s.