Mike76

Discone, even though "Sorry For Laughing" would have definitely been better (how could they leave out "Heads Watch," "Sense Of Guilt," and those beautiful alternative versions of "Forever Drone" ("Drone") and "Pictures Of Cindy" ("Art Of Things")?

At AOR, I prefer sardines in saor.

As someone has already written: everything is very nice.
But why does the reviewer use "we"? Could it be the Divino Otelma?

Seen live on Easter Monday 2008 in a small venue near Bassano, accompanied by Andy Bluvertigo. A beautiful performance featuring a large part of the repertoire from their first four amazing albums, but Maurizio placed "5 Minuti" as the last encore. The audience was thrilled. I also had the pleasure of chatting with the affable Mrs. Moser; it was a memorable evening. The album in question is definitely among their best works, with some terrifying pre-techno tracks.

Free-jazz-Punk? To be honest, only the voice and sax are free; the rhythm section is almost always (too) regular and monochord, ending almost always as it begins, perhaps the weakest part of their proposal, which is nonetheless original. I don't know why this live performance is celebrated by some (only a few, to be honest) as a masterpiece; if I had to recommend a Blurt album, it would be the self-titled one.

Never too loved, perhaps because I find their free experimentation more due to inexperience and sloppiness than to a clear stylistic choice. This, however, is their best for me.

The version of "Mesopotamia" that I have on CD, compiled together with the other mini "Party Mix," I don’t find bad at all; of course, the first two LPs were something else. I haven't gotten to "Bouncing Off..." yet, but I'm also convinced there’s something good there too; they are the kings of "good bad taste."

Very interesting, well done.

Ultravox, with Foxx's departure, certainly lost a great poet, but with Ure, they gained a great singer, and at least musically, I believe they benefitted from it. "System of Romance" had seen a significant maturation of their sound and had practically outlined the 80s sound back in 1978, but in terms of songwriting, I don’t find it that memorable. From "Vienna" onwards, the sound became fuller, lush, and imposing, and on top of that, memorable songs started pouring in ("Vienna", "The Voice", and "Visions In Blue" to name just a few of the most spectacular ones). "Rage in Eden" and "Quartet" are of equal quality, while I have never listened to "Lament."
I didn't like the review; it was filled with personal opinions that I did not agree with at all (the music of Ultravox as an example of "innocence, spontaneity, and purity"? But that’s one of the most elaborate, intricate, and (pleasantly) artificial sounds to come out in those years! And then, as Tonino Di Pietro would say: "What does 'Yoko Homo' have to do with 'All Stood Still'??")

I remember hearing them in a store about twenty years ago; I found them interesting, but for my ears at the time, they were too crazy and wild. Now, who knows?