easycure

the absolute best thing produced by Litfiba. The eponymous piece in this version is truly of a radiant beauty.. even more in the EPs than in the early albums, Litfiba proved to be one of the few truly modern bands in Italian rock ever.. too bad about their subsequent "developments" :-)

If you’re tired of the speculation about the music we’re doing here? ..who knows.. in any case, so? :-) ..I read "absolutely fabulous arrangements that add depth to songs that are already suggestive and enjoyable regardless of their role within the concept itself. This is the case of the tour-de-force of the opening track "Isolation," where the voices of James LaBrie and Adam Clayton (singer of Saviour Machine, his performance throughout the opera deserves a standing ovation) intertwine superbly," then I read: "Still shivers from the soaring heights of "Voices," with its commanding Hammond breaks, and the progressive rondos of "Hope," while "Love" is an enchanting soundscape, where light melodies entwine in a literally breathtaking multi-voiced refrain" ..anyway, I don’t want to convince you of anything, Lux.. you all seem happy with it :-) ..but for sure, don’t expect me to buy into these demonstrations of the "greatness" of Ayreon :-)

I would like to point out that both reviews refer to their respective albums as masterpieces...

Almost all the tracks, amidst these delights, have sudden jolts of "hard" rock, and Nosferatu Man is perhaps the most affected by these shocks. The last track, Good Morning Captain, serves somewhat as a summary of all these high-class techniques, from the interplay of tones to the bored phrases of the guitar, from the slovenly drumming to the thriller recitation. And the effect is indeed to erect an iceberg of tragic suspense, which constitutes one of the most disturbing musical narratives in the history of modern rock. What makes Spiderland a monumental work is its ability to build rock music without resorting to the stereotypes of its genres, without relying on sound icons or prefabricated codes, which have always been the main expressive channels of rock.

this from www.scaruffi.com ..slint Spiderland: "Spiderland (Touch & Go, 1991) is yet another masterpiece in the history of rock. Building on the experiments of previous years, Slint now embarks on an even more sophisticated exploration of rhythms and timbres, ultimately achieving a quality that is almost transcendent. Instead of being mere abstract panels, tracks like Breadcrumb Trail are "narratives," however complex and convoluted, whose continuous harmonic zigzag (rooted, by the way, in blues) carries a dramatic sense. (Lorenzo Casaccia writes: "The album opens with one of the most original openings of the decade: the strum of three harmonics, a pause, and two triplets of Breadcrumb Trail.") The lattice expands and contracts continuously. Don Aman indulges in an avant-garde concert for guitar chords that, if played at the right time, would be melodic, but when played with longer and irregular pauses, become just a sequence of chords; nonetheless, the effect is hypnotic like in the acoustic tracks of new age, albeit underpinned by a very "rock" neurosis. The whispered chant, the dying beats, the slow evolutions of Washer descend equally from the most "nocturnal" blues as well as from the most "expanded" acid rock, and anticipate the "slowcore" of Codeine. For Dinner is even more "narcotic," anemic, abulic, drowsy.

As an example for everyone, I will use "looser" from the second CD. It begins with didgeridoos that give way to a "folk" guitar and flute riff that serves as the leitmotif of the piece. After a couple of rounds, distorted guitars accompany the flute... which transforms into a Country Western ballad delivered with irony and strength by Mike Baker, paving the way for... a Hammond organ solo in full 70s Psycho style! This gem is played masterfully by none other than veteran Ken Hensley (among others, Uriah Heep). The piece resumes with the Western vocals, which are soon overtaken by the wild screaming of Devin Townsend, fitting perfectly into the context and driving the song towards its conclusion.
Genius? Innovative? To me, it seems like a Masterpiece, and I have no choice but to give it a resounding 100 and recommend it to anyone. If you don't like it now, you will love it tomorrow. If you still don't like it tomorrow, you are free to play it on my head!

The album is a concept based on the story of a cynical businessman who finds himself in a coma following an accident. During his state of unconsciousness, he is "visited" by his feelings and the ghosts of his past, reminiscent of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The unfortunate man must grapple with his conscience and emotions, interpreted by the eleven great singers gathered by Lucassen.
The package and booklet graphics are excellent and well-crafted. The audio production is nothing short of majestic: full, clear, powerful sounds that are all distinct. I can only imagine the enormous effort made by the Inside Out label and Arjen to coordinate all the involved personalities and to match the different vocal timbres with the instrumental parts... As mentioned earlier, among the voices in this sumptuous work, James La Brie stands out, one who has such a captivating vocal timbre that even if he read a grocery list, it would sound like a poem by Leopardi. Among the musicians, obviously, there’s also Arjen himself, a great master of synthesizers, an excellent guitarist, and a good singer.
Generally speaking, I would describe the first CD as more airy and the second as darker, obviously for script reasons. In terms of styles, there’s something for everyone, and within the same pieces, there are radical shifts in mood and atmosphere, so one can go from a doom-gothic sound to a sparkling and evocative progressive rock reminiscent of Jethro Tull. From the perspective of the tracklist, describing all twenty songs would be prohibitive, just as it would be reductive to list the “most beautiful” ones.

Anyway, here are a couple of examples that clarify things more; at least the comparison is direct :-D :"The Human Equation
Ayreon
2004, Inside Out - Audioglobe
Prog
Released on: 05/06/2004
"Ayreon – The Human Equation is a stunning album, with over a hundred minutes of music masterfully composed by an inspired Arjen Lucassen and enriched by a group of great musicians, among whom stands out with his magical voice James La Brie from Dream Theater.
Fortunately for us, Arjen has temporarily set aside the Star One project, which sold well but I consider far from memorable, and returned to give his best. We are faced with experimental and psychedelic prog, varied and refined, matured after the experience of five albums, each one more beautiful than the last.
Unlike what was done for “The Universal Migrator,” released in two separately sold CDs, this time you’ll find both discs in one package. Considering that CD 1 alone would be enough to assign this title the highest score, I must admit that this new effort by Ayreon is, to say the least, off the charts..."

Okay, you're right: let's say most of those 20 reviews don't change the substance of my argument at all... you're still evading the core of my reasoning: indeed, in the review of Fugazi, only a MINIMAL part of the analysis is dedicated to historical and cultural issues; the rest is simply an analysis of the music. I still have to repeat, it's a matter of APPROACH, not content; considerations are made a posteriori, the form is analyzed in relation to the substance. This is what matters.

but what does the homogeneity of judgment have to do with it? what does the historicity of the album have to do with it? ..and then, sorry, even Ayreon's album is almost unanimously considered a masterpiece by the various reviews posted by Fabio :-D ..I'm surprised Lux how you stubbornly continue to refuse to understand what I've been trying to tell you for two days: I don't care about the quality of Fugazi's album, I care ABOUT how Fugazi's review analyzes the album in question, and I'm interested because it's a decidedly more in-depth, intelligent, critical way in the literal sense of the term compared to praising an album based on the vocal technique of its performers. And what does methodical pompousness have to do with it? :-D ..this is simply about going deep into what an album represents and expresses, which should be the FUNDAMENTAL principle of any criticism. we've lost the thread of the discussion from where it started: 20 reviews like the ones Fabio posted do not represent anything to me; many of them are obviously amateurish, if not totally inconsistent.. the Fugazi review was an example of a somewhat "serious" review, because it wasn't based on superficial and stereotyped a priori judgments.. if Fabio tries to prove something with the links above, he obviously won't be able to prove anything :-D ..evidently, a decent review was needed to make this clear to him :-D