aries

I don't have much love for Latin American literature, and Isabel Allende is no exception. I have only read her autobiographical work "Paula," which is undoubtedly well written, with some engaging pages (particularly those where she discusses Pinochet's coup), but overall it is annoyingly self-satisfied and self-referential. In the end, it conveyed very little to me. I find Allende more interesting as a character than as a writer. Federigo (and not Umberto...) Tozzi, on the other hand, was among the "recommended authors" by my Italian teacher in high school; however, I read him much later. I recommend "Il Podere," and especially "Tre croci," novels that revisit the figure of the inept, set in a very narrow-minded provincial reality, with effective linguistic choices (typical of the Sienese dialect) and intense introspective pages. I refrain from rating both the book and the review (as it doesn’t seem like one).

A deserved tribute to a figure who can rightly be included among the legends of blues. I have heard little about him and read a lot. I vote for the album on trust.

Welcome, Minghe. I really appreciated your debut review for the album you chose (challenging both to listen to and to describe) and the way you talked about it. I won't comment on the album; I heard some excerpts a few years ago, and I don't have a great memory of it.

An interesting report that I read with pleasure. However, I have never heard anything from him. This album could be an invitation to fill the gap.

I read the review because I was drawn in by the opening. An album that is probably very far from my tastes, it feels like one of those works that can only be created once in a lifetime.

To write a lengthy track-by-track review of a highly acclaimed and controversial album takes courage. I've always found "Nevermind" too adolescent and nihilistic for my tastes, and as the years go by, I find it increasingly unbearable. I can only save "Something In The Way," which stands out from the rest also for its arrangement, "Polly," "Lithium," "Drain You," and "On A Plain" (which prevent the album from getting a flat 1). The rest I would gladly throw away.

I enjoyed reading this review, intrigued by the retro name of the band, the Francophone title, and the author. I was not disappointed. The musical offering of Pink Martini, which ranges from original reinterpretations of more or less known pieces from the most diverse corners of the world to some refined compositions of their own, is stimulating and intelligent.

A step below "Elisir" and "Samarcanda," it is still an excellent album. I find "Il castello" and "Ninni" very captivating.

I find both albums interesting. "Parabola" is perhaps more experimental and unconventional, featuring tracks that are not immediately accessible (like the title track); moreover, it contains what I believe is an unmatched version of "Luci a San Siro." In "Saldi di fine stagione," Vecchioni seems heavily inspired by Aznavour, in both his singing style and orchestral arrangements, but also in the melancholic vein, tinged with bitter irony, that permeates several songs. I find the decision to exclude "La tua assenza," a very intense and poignant song, from the reissues of "Saldi," to be somewhat questionable, especially considering the otherwise excellent "La farfalla giapponese" (a song that marks the end of the first phase of Vecchioni's discography, which was unsuccessfully presented at "Un disco per l'estate" in 1974).

"Polli d'allevamento" is an album that marks a break from Gaber's previous works, disillusioned by the evolution of the youth movements he had once looked at with interest. There is a growing tension that culminates in the cathartic "Quando è moda è moda" (although I find the caustic irony of "Chissà nel socialismo" to be more effective, portraying a "misfit" fleeing from his own responsibilities). The Battiato-Pio production emphasizes the distance from previous works, with effective arrangements (I especially think of the contrast between the majesty of "I padri miei" and the cacophony of "I padri tuoi").