lux

Yes, form and content are inextricably linked, but the political sympathies of a group do not fall into either form or content; they are simply an extra-cultural aspect, folklore that has nothing to do with music. The musical content of CCCP is certainly not about pro-Soviet ideas, but rather an original recovery of certain foreign new wave-punk mixed with a cynical local irony, the alienated and sarcastic singing of Ferretti FINALLY international in attitude and ambition, the intro of "CCCP" remembered from Pereubiana, the industrial rhythms of Emilia Paranoica, the liscio-core of Valium Tavor Serenase where our popular musical tradition walks hand in hand with the communicative urgency of American hardcore, the icy gothic neurosis of Noia (a local One Hundred Years) with the always sarcastic tilt of Ferretti and the gang.. and all in the MAXIMUM homogeneity and essentiality of sound, what makes a band great. Regarding the issue of a group's political beliefs... I find myself yawning at the mere thought, honestly.

Ah well of course, if we had to judge a record by evaluating the political integrity of a group, the very concept of criticism would cease to exist. After all, anyone who brings politics into a review of the CCCP shows they don't know how to engage in a purely musical discourse. Affinità e divergenze would have been an amazing album even if it had been conceived by a bunch of Nazi pedophiles, but I realize that in Italy it’s difficult to separate Art from morality, as conservative as we are. Better to indulge in the populist drivel about love from Gigi d'Alessio and his (alas) singing companions, right? This way we keep the human mind in a perpetual slumber, society self-preserves in all its numerous deleterious aspects, and we convey "positive messages" to the millions of lobotomized...uhm, viewers in front of the TV, how wonderful. The important thing is to avoid talking about music.

Affinities-Divergences was on a whole different level..

We are all a bit brain-damaged, but it’s not our fault. Or at least it’s not just our fault.

Here’s the point: one really has to be a music critic, not necessarily as a profession, of course (heaven forbid), but in one’s own small way, yes. And certain semi-social deductions like "Maiden are valid because, even though they don't get played on MTV, they have great audience success" are not plausible criteria because they don't really touch on the subject, that is: in relation to popular music culture from the 50s to now, what do the Maiden truly represent? It’s absolutely wrong to criticize them for their three chords (the number of chords used doesn't matter), but it’s also really wrong to lean on the complacency of the masses. And the real drama of today is precisely this point.

What a dirty cover!

So if I'm a lover of feces (let's say a GG Lux), will the turds I drop in the morning be masterpieces? And furthermore, if three-quarters of Italy adores Gigi D'Alessio, does that mean his songs are rare pearls of beauty?

Uh, a classic among classics, one of my all-time favorite albums, the soundtrack for every depressed nihilist :-D

Really cool, the David Thomas of our times, at times clearly influenced by Barrett. And finally a bit of rock maturity made in ItaGly!

Indeed, the album is a brick, yet White Dog is relentless.