Mike76

@alessioiride: I also, like the reviewer, find it impossible to compare a band that lasted 3 years with one that is still active after 30. It would be more logical to make a comparison between Joy Division/New Order Vs. The Cure, and in this case, I believe the Smiths clearly win.
P.S.: Besides the fact that, in my opinion, a track like "A Forest" holds up very well against any piece by JD.

And then, if we make the Scaruffian critique of the Chrisma (which is false, by the way) of "they came later," then we have to dismiss the entire Italian new wave and also a good part of the British and American one.

Alright guys, but if we have to talk about music like this, then I’ll jump in too: Maurizio Arcieri is "the one with the pin," Jim Morrison was a stoner who enjoyed getting arrested for obscene acts, Jimi Hendrix was a pyromaniac of guitars, the Sex Pistols were exhibitionists of swastikas, and Lucio Battisti was someone who could cut his hair. Please, let’s not be superficial; if I point to the moon, don’t look at the finger.
It's not me trying to push Chrisma among the creators of the international new wave; they are, and that's that. "Lola" sounds like a tango made by Berlin-era Bowie, it's a track that brings together the old and the new like the early CONTEMPORANEI Ultravox!, while "Black Silk Stocking" is already projected into the future, an archetype of electro-dark, I would say; if you can tell me the name of a band that was close to a track like that in '77 (not '79) while the Sex Pistols sang "no fiiiuciooor," let me know so I can rush to find it on eBay.

Well, you can't judge a band based on a guy's comment about their look. Moreover, what seems "cool" and fashionable to us now, in hindsight, was anything but obvious and cliché back in '77. I don't think Maurizio wore the safety pin to steal fans from Collage or Alan Sorrenti; it was a look that went hand in hand with the music they made, and that's it. My mother, who also appreciated Maurizio as a solo artist, certainly wouldn't have bought the record for the safety pin; in fact, she would have avoided them like the plague for that very reason. Now we see it as a commercial gimmick akin to the nonsense of Marilyn Manson, but I don't think it was the same thirty years ago, correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, aside from the discussions about the look, the music they made was great.

Well, I didn’t even mind "The Cure." The new tracks I heard at the live show in Rome didn’t convince me much, but I’m waiting to hear them on the album. Yours is already the second positive review I’ve read about this album, and I’m starting to build up some expectations.

Okay, "Many Kisses" is their most famous track, specifically written for a broader audience; it's a cute little tune of silly synth pop (I've always wondered what the hell they meant by "...Tirana Love Lunch..."). Anyway, they had previously released two albums.

If my PC doesn't freeze, I will try to upload some clips from their concert in April of this year to YouTube.

@Supersoul: “Scammers”? “Copycats”? No, no, I completely disagree with Supersoul. As usual, those who lived through the era tend to be harsh in their negative judgments based on some prejudices that we can now consider outdated (the New Dada did some beat pop, Maurizio was the idol of teenage girls, and so the Chrisma are nothing but fake arrivist wavers). Vortex, on the other hand, to my pleasant surprise, offers a more balanced assessment. First of all, it’s wrong to consider them an Italian group since they were an Italo-Swiss duo based in London. You, Supersoul, may have seen them on Mr. Fantasy in '82-83, but “Chinese Restaurant” is from 1977, and a track like “Black Silk Stocking” was something the gentlemen from Ultravox! (with all due respect) could only dream of.

I really like Krisma; I even had the chance to see them live this year, and they were looking pretty good, even if they haven't been kids for quite some time. I only know the album "Nothing To Do With Te Dog" for the title track, which, to be honest, is one of their most mediocre songs, which doesn't bode well for the rest of the album. By the way, it has never been reissued, just like "Clandestine Anticipation," which unfortunately continues to remain out of print and contains some amazing tracks. So far, I only have the charming "Chatode Mama," an eclectic synth-pop piece that has nothing to envy to the contemporary English productions. Soon, I will definitely get my hands on their first two legendary works, which contain truly "forward-thinking" tracks for that time.