pretazzo

Andy, I wasn't referring to the look; I was talking about the musical aspect: glam bands like T-Rex used saxophones, female backing vocals, two guitars (or even the NY Dolls, who used keyboards and plenty of solos)... in short, their songs were often redundant, opulent, over-the-top, while punk stripped away all the embellishments... Then glam had a theatrical, pompous quality, while punk was much more humble, realistic... Anyway, it’s clear that there’s a thin thread connecting the two genres (and the two eras), caught between tradition and modernity in a crucial moment of rock evolution (mid-70s)... In this sense, figures like Lou Reed, J. Thunders, Richard Hell are emblematic: were they glamsters or were they punk?

Well, for me glam and punk are at opposite ends, even if, as is well known, opposites attract... ;-)

Sure, sure, heavy metal certainly doesn’t originate from Stone Cold Crazy, which remains a more powerful and intense track than the classic hard rock of the ’70s... Anyway, you wrote that "heavy metal was characterized not only by a faster rock but very raw and sharp vocally, with a lot of distorted guitar, and fairly long pieces"... well, these characteristics can also be found in Led Zeppelin! Anyway, I understand what you mean: metal is generally more "structured" than hard rock, more complex, more intricate...

They look like the report cards from Controcampo! :-D Anyway, fantastic album, especially The March Of The Black Queen and Fairy Feller's Master Stroke. Also beautiful is White Queen, one of May's best compositions, with one of the most inspired arrangements. At first, I didn't love Father To Son very much, but over time I learned to appreciate it. It's the craziest, most magical, most unpredictable album from the Queen.

Well, honestly it seems to me that the power and dynamism of a Stone Cold Crazy are not found in any of Led Zeppelin's songs: it's no coincidence, I believe, that Metallica did a cover of it. Queen have created several "zeppelin-esque" tracks (or at least in line with the hard-rock standards of the time): Tie Your Mother Down, Now I'm Here, just to name a couple of examples. But Stone Cold Crazy is different: much more frenetic, much more solid, with a riff articulation that is closer to heavy metal than to hard rock. Don’t you think? :-)

Too much method, perhaps...

Beautiful. Classic and modern at the same time. An open-hearted confession. The triumph of emotion over artifice. The classic rock of the Jeffersons and the singer-songwriter style of Joni Mitchell are renewed and infused with an unprecedented expressive vitality. "Gloria" is one of the most captivating covers of all time. "Redondo Beach" makes it clear that the new wave will also have a special regard for ethnic minorities (reggae). "Birdland" is part Heroin and part Hosianna Mantra. "Free Money" is a heartfelt plunge, deeply moving; it vaguely reminds me of R.E.M. The intensity of "Break It Up" announces Verlaine's powerful entrance into the ranks of great innovators of electric guitar. "Land" recalls the Doors of LA Woman (a song I don't particularly love, but that always comes to mind when I listen to this track by Smith). Above all, one of the most beautiful voices in the history of rock dominates, capable of shifting from despair to euphoria as if nothing happened: this is why the songs on Horses can be radiant and gloomy, depending on the mood. It's music that, while not "punk" and featuring intricate pieces, is grounded in the most sincere communicative urgency. Horses: what an apt name for a free spirit like Smith!

Heard it! It seems veeeery Foetus-ian!!! :-)

Look, I assure you that it was not my intention to mess with you. That would be the last thing I’d want. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I just wanted to participate in the discussion, and maybe I was a bit too "sticky": anyway, even when I nitpick, my goal is only to advance the discussion, certainly not to nitpick the poor unfortunate soul... Ah, thank you for defending me from the frontal assault of that crazy unhinged person in the review of The Fall. :-)

I don't understand: is this about the famous Ninth by Ludwig van, the one you listen to while sipping a nice glass of Latte Piu'? If so, I give it a 5; if not, I guess I don't know it.