Mike76

Yes, Reynolds' "Post-Punk" is an exceptional and well-written document but not without flaws, the first of which is likely due to the fact that certain artists were probably given more space at the expense of others based on the amount of information stemming from personal knowledge and memories that Reynolds possessed. This is why important artists were dismissed in a few lines or not mentioned at all, while bands of more questionable importance received considerable space.

Intriguing are the Kas Product. I've never listened to this one, but I do have the first one, "Try Out," which was recently reissued on CD. At times, they come across as surprisingly modern (also because some pseudo-current things draw heavily from that era). The first time I discovered them on the Tube watching "Never Come Back," I thought they were an electroclash band from the 00s. You rightly mention the influences of Suicide, D.A.F., and Soft Cell, but I would also add Malaria! due to the female vocals, which often have lower tones. There’s a Teutonic coldness (but then Nancy is in Lorraine, right?) slightly softened, and only sometimes, by the versatile Soyoc, who can be warmer and more soulful or simply (in some more oblique instances) over the top. The melodies are actually there, but they are stripped down to the bone; one could say fragments of melody. I find this to be the beauty of the "art of subtraction," brought to prominence by the New Wave in contrast to the lengthy arrangements that were popular in prog and hard rock. To wrap it up, I want to defend good old Reynolds: he likened Jean Michel Jarre's style to artists featured in the compilation "So Young but So Cold" (some, too many, are indeed a bit proggy) and certainly not to artists like Kas Product.

A more refined and musically varied record than the debut, although perhaps less innovative (and perhaps for this reason less appreciated by critics compared to "Only Theatre of Pain"), for me it holds an equal expressive strength.

And now I can admit that the closing sentence of this review is very true. It took me a while to decide to pick up this CD; the blame lies with the debut, which had some beautiful tracks (the initial triptych, as someone noted in previous comments) but the rest didn't completely convince me. Here, however, almost everything works wonderfully, with a sound that is more mature and cohesive compared to the first album, rough enough not to overshadow the beautiful melodies, but instead to highlight them by contrast. In fact, as someone has already pointed out, we are facing a miraculous balance (a truly rare thing) of pop accessibility perfectly blended with sound solutions that, if not experimental, are at least very original.

It had been a long time since I bought a CD by CT; I already had three of their works and thought that would be more than enough for a band that has never had any major stylistic upheavals. In fact, when I listened to Treasure for the first time, I thought, "I knew it: good, but it's the same old soup.” I wasn’t wrong because stylistically they don’t go beyond the titles already in my collection, but I must admit that the "same old dream pop soup" here is damned (and for me inexplicably) good.

A distressing film to say the least, especially for those with a second home by the lake. The director, flipping cinematic conventions on their head, ensures that everything goes right for the two tormentors, frustrating any hope of the victims from the outset, culminating in the paroxysm of the "rewind" scene, which is both a mockery of the audience and a compassionate lifeline for those worn out by an hour and a half of tension and anxiety that at times is hard to bear (this is also enhanced by one of the two killers winking at the camera, who at one point addresses the audience directly: "cheer for them, right?"). It's a rather ambiguous film because while for the most part it is realistic, at several points it seems to (deliberately) refuse to be so. I don't know if it can be defined a masterpiece, but it is surely a good film, partly thanks to a cast of actors who are truly one better than the other.

The theme could have interested me, but from what I gather (from the comments), it seems so poorly executed that I doubt I will read this book. It seems more like a "discovery of hot water" than revisionism.

The only film by Haneke I've seen years ago is "The Piano Teacher," which intrigued me so much that I even went on to read Jelinek's book. In fact, I should watch a few more of his films, and this is a good suggestion.

Interesting... the phrase "You are the one who embraces the cosmos and has sex with it, abandoning your body and making your way through the stars, letting go on an astral journey" reminds me of "Il mare impetuoso al tramonto salì sulla luna e dietro una tendina di stelle..." from Fornaciari's memory for some reason. That's my problem, though; the review is written beautifully and makes me want to listen.

In my nightclub, I skip straight from the first two to "American Supreme," and it seems I haven't missed anything at all.