mista

Anyway, even as a musician, as I know some of you are, I feel a bit saddened by your regret and your distrust towards the Italian music scene. It seems to me that at times you’re touching on frustration (but don’t take it as an offense)... Your pessimistic approach doesn’t really belong to me. I mean, I know that the Verdena are worth nothing in terms of compositional innovation, just as I know I could have their bassist for breakfast even playing with three fingers, but I can't feel the same bitterness towards them as you do. On the contrary, I try to appreciate the good sides they have and to understand if there is any quality in their music, behind the court of unbearable cursed rockstars they have. Perhaps because I have a very non-idealist personality, the fact that they or other people I consider musically even less capable are successful and respected doesn’t upset me at all.

The Publisher is one of my favorite reviewers; his takedowns are masterful, his prose catastrophic and delightful, and his comments often funny and disarming (the one about the DaveJonGilmour Channel is fantastic). Don't get me wrong, I'm not being ironic, even though in the other review I defended the Verdena. In the face of such a well-crafted critique, I tip my hat and give a rating too (which I almost never do).

As I mentioned, I also find it a step longer than the leg, an attempt to approach more refined sounds that they didn't quite master. However, I really like Miami Safari (I think that's what it's called). Best regards.

The rhythm section is always the best section happy;-)

It may be that you’re an expert, but I still believe that if the Samurai’s Suicide had been published as a debut work by an unknown group, it would certainly have received more acclaim on this site. But maybe that’s not your case, perhaps your judgment is truly free of prejudices. The fact remains that in my opinion, you are too harsh regarding Verdena. Best regards.

But for heaven's sake, know-it-all, I'm not saying they're absolute artists! Besides, I've already had the chance to make fun of their attitudes. I've listened to their albums maybe 10 times in total! I'm just saying that I find it excessive to deny them any quality or to lump them in with any underground band; give me credit for that, that's not the truth. They may not be incredibly intense or original, but in my opinion, they know how to write and play rock! Even from an instrumental standpoint, they might not be technical monsters, but in terms of drive and sound, excuse me, but they're definitely not idiots (especially the drummer). I repeat, I don't want to make apologies since I'm certainly not a fan of theirs; I'd just like a bit more objectivity in the critical and negative judgments expressed on this site, since every time a somewhat famous band is reviewed, it seems like the insults fly freely.

happyhippo, your reviews are really interesting, congratulations, I just wish they were shorter, so I wouldn’t feel so guilty towards my employer for the time I'm taking away from work to read them. So if you can, be a bit more concise. Also, tabba's comments are very insightful and enhance the cinema review pages, which I've been quite into lately. Best regards.

This is what you call the ability to summarize... congratulations!

Sure, know-it-all (to name one), like hell, any idiot picks up a guitar and writes Verdena songs in three years, but come on. They kind of annoy me, I admit, but musically I really don't see how you can deny them a certain talent. At sixteen, when 99% of musicians are playing the cover of "Seek and Destroy" and "Enter Sandman," they were writing tracks like "Viva" or "Valvonauta," which, although certainly simple (but damn I was 16!), undeniably kicked ass (tracks that 95% of Italian rock bands can only dream of). Then they clearly showed signs of evolution with the second album (which I think is a bit of a stretch), and finally (as far as I know) they came out with "Il suicidio" (which seems self-produced), an album that's really something else, in terms of composition, cohesion, and the quality of sound and arrangements. I don't doubt they might not be to everyone's taste, but I really cannot accept these absolute denials of quality that should be reserved for someone like Paris Hilton.

Damn, then it's a must-see! I'll comment on the dubbing issue. In some films, the dubbing is really pathetic, especially when slang is used in the original. I think of Pulp Fiction; I watched it for the first time in ENG, and when I saw it in ITA, I was like, what the hell are they saying?! Completely unbelievable translations... For lighter and simpler films, it's a convenience that I’m willing to accept, at least in theaters. Anyway, personally, when I watch a DVD, I always go for the original language, and maybe it would be better if films in Italy started being distributed in their original language with subtitles (maybe like one day a week to start with). Cheers!