Viva Lì

I knew the Kaleidoscope made in the USA, and now you come to tell me that these gentlemen made in the UK also existed. Honestly, I'm confused.

I really didn't know this album. Yet, it's psychedelic music (which I love a lot), and so, as punishment, it will give me four lashes on the back and I will burn in the scorching fire. I deserve it, poor me.

Do you all love this Cd? Aside from Metallaro Bionico, of course...

A masterpiece, perhaps a tad less historic than "Highway 61 Revisited," but still a masterpiece. Magnificent for how it was made: the musicians were having a blast playing cards, the recordings were done in fits and starts, and Dylan would rehearse the songs just two or three times a day. Then came the absolute and definitive inspiration: a handful of songs that send chills down your spine ("Rainy Day Women," "I Want You," "Just Like a Woman," "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands," "Visions of Johanna") and the classic desire to definitively merge rock and folk, avant-garde music and blues sounds, without, of course, forgetting jazz. And it goes down in history for releasing the first double LP ever.

For some, this is the best Beatles album. In my opinion, a masterpiece. Openly psychedelic, it is the last work of the Beatles created in perfect harmony. It’s a complex record, packed with genuine shining masterpieces like "Eleanor Rigby," "Good Day Sunshine," "Tomorrow Never Knows," and "I'm Only Sleeping." Beautiful music, majestic tracks: between Paul McCartney and John Lennon, it's hard to say who is the better. And then the cover is a masterpiece of modern art. To get back down to earth, just listen to "Yellow Submarine," but that’s the only truly simple thing on the entire album. A masterpiece, but with the Beatles, you (almost) always play it safe.

I must admit I’ve never heard of the Monks. So, I went to dig thoroughly into that treasure trove of information and curiosities known as Google. Typing in "Monks" is like jumping off a cliff; there are a staggering 200,000,000 sites that, in one way or another, talk about the Monks. The official site, of course, is the best source. Well, it states that the best album by the Monks is a certain "Five Upstart Americans." Since many here on De-Baser are familiar with this dark and, if I may say, somewhat crazy group, I wonder: who has the courage to write a review of this album? I vote for bogusman; it’s clear (and evident from the review) that he knows a ton about this band.

Second album by Simon & Garfunkel. "The Sound of Silence" is breathtaking, but it's (almost) the whole album that is wonderful. Folk music has always been a great teacher, and from Bob Dylan to Paul Simon, everyone has tried to pay homage to it. Some succeeded, some did not. But Simon & Garfunkel have been, and continue to be, masters in this regard: just listen carefully to "Kathy's Song" or "April Come She Will" to understand what we are truly dealing with. An album that is now history, but with a few fillers that are a bit banal and unnecessary. But let's move on, shall we?

It’s the first masterpiece by the Stones, the only one, perhaps, capable of containing a handful of perfect and stratospheric songs. A bit of psychedelia, a substantial dose of pure rock, a cover that has made history and "Mother's little helper," "Under my thumb," the beautiful "Lady Jane," "Out of time," "Stupid girl," and the 11 unforgettable minutes of "Going' home." No doubt about it, it’s a masterpiece with a capital M. In the American edition, there’s also "Paint it, black," which is a masterpiece, largely made with the sitar. Great, very great. Absolutely unique (at least for power and rocking ability).

So, I should give this album a 5 because the critics say it’s a masterpiece and because almost everyone (even Frank Zappa) claimed it was a work of art. I should, but I won’t, because frankly, I don’t like this pretentious copycat of the Beatles’ "Revolver." I save a little something (but not much, like: "God only knows" and "Wouldn't it be nice"), but the great attention to detail, the way they made a record through barely concealed English borrowings, and the way the Beach Boys present themselves, which I find ridiculous, would warrant a lawsuit. And then, can you compare "Surfin' America," the genuineness and spontaneity of youth, with this elaborate work done with the head and not the heart? Sorry, I should have given it a 5, but I just can’t do it. Let me enjoy the great long wave of "I get around," when the Beach Boys were a great, vital, and spontaneous group. I would sell "Pet Sounds" to the highest bidder, but I can’t because I already did. And I even made 10 euros from it. Not exactly pocket change.

To tell the truth, I didn't even understand if this phantom album, "Roger the Engineer," really exists or if it’s just a hoax by the reviewer. The Yardbirds deserve to be treated with more respect, for heaven's sake.