Mike76

DeRank ™: 1,28

DeAge™ : 7594 days • Here since 24 august 2005

Sparks Kimono My House

7 nov 12

Voto:

This album seems to be the offspring of a crossover between Abba and Queen (which, for me, shouldn't be a good thing), but the beauty of it is that it’s so outrageously pompous, so triumphantly trashy, so theatrically ridiculous and grotesque that it's actually charming and entertaining. A triptych of kitsch. Rating 3.5

Richard Hell & The Voidoids Blank Generation

7 nov 12

Voto:

This record is missing a few elements to be defined as punk, at least in the way we understand punk today. There's a sense of inadequacy towards society, but there's no anger spat in the face, no spirit of rebellion. Perhaps it could be said that Richard Hell is more like a rebellious teddy boy without a cause than a punk from '77. Hell's music has the speed and strength of punk and is quite sparse, but it's not devoid of virtuosity. For these and other reasons, we can talk about proto-punk but not punk.

Richard Hell and the Voidoids Blank Generation

7 nov 12

Voto:

Like many of the landmark albums of the time, this one contains a blend of old and new rock, naivety and brilliance, classic solos and new rhythms, catchy tunes and tracks with daring solutions. In any case, although not everything is excellent, it remains a captivating and stimulating album that I find overall better than "Marquee Moon" (Hell is definitely a notch above Verlaine as a singer, just to name one). But if we compare it with contemporaneous stuff like Devo, Pere Ubu, Mx-80, then it sounds a bit too "lightweight." 4-

Popol Vuh In Den Gärten Pharaos

31 oct 12

Voto:

A stunning and timeless album (but I’d also say timeless in space), even after 40 years, with so much water under the bridges. The most surprising part for me is when in "Vuh," after a long organ passage, broken beats come in that seem to come from a Warp record twenty years later. Mystical without falling into the static and the boring.

King Crimson In The Court Of The Crimson King: An Observation By King Crimson

30 oct 12

Voto:

"Masterpiece" that is not soporific just because it occasionally manages to irritate. From a deserted island (in the sense that all copies of the album could be sent there). Fortunately for King Crimson, I also listened to "Discipline" and "Starless and Bible Black"; otherwise, based solely on this, I wouldn't have a very high opinion of them.

King Crimson Starless and Bible Black

30 oct 12

Voto:

This work convinces me more for the individual insights and arrangements rather than for the compositions as a whole. However, aside from the classical-sounding instrumental interlude of "Trio" (which recalls the fairytale atmosphere of "A mille ce n'è..." from the unbearably insufferable debut for me), everything else is at least interesting (especially the nocturnal "The Mincer") and "avant," to the point that I hear echoes of Battles 30 years early. A solid 3+ is absolutely deserved.

Dead Can Dance Live @ Milano, 19.10.12

25 oct 12

Voto:

A review that reveals a great spirit of observation and also offers at least a couple of valuable poetic licenses. However, it lacks comments on parking ease and weather conditions, which is why I don’t feel I can give the highest score.

Nico Desertshore

19 oct 12

Voto:

It's not a bad album at all; it just feels like a sung mass. Being quite intimate, I think this album works better in the evening, in your own room, with headphones on, without doing anything else. In other situations (like listening in the car), it can turn into an authentic grind of annoyance.

Kevin Coyne Marjory Razorblade

18 oct 12

Voto:

For the most part, it seems like a typical "campers' rock" album in the style of Neil Young, but then in some moments it really "takes off" and feels like it’s possessed by the spirit of the ghost of the Heart of Ox. Not my cup of tea, but it's still an interesting record.

Jon Hassell Vernal Equinox

18 oct 12

Voto:

I'm not familiar with ambient music, and ethnic music is definitely not my thing, so I don't have the references to frame the importance of this record; I can only say that it's a really nice experience. The comparison to Popol Vuh is spot on: while listening to "Vernal Equinox," I thought it could be an excellent alternative soundtrack for "Aguirre, Wrath of God."