tiziocaio

A masterpiece, I love the fact that it's almost considered the swan song of grunge. Listening to it today, with Layne Stanley's voice that at times seems to come straight from hell, sends shivers down the spine.

But didn't you have anything better to do than to hurt yourself like that?

I completely agree with what you’re writing. The importance of this album lies not so much in the compositions; perhaps that’s why "London Calling" is more fitting. Here we can see the complete mastery and intelligence of a band that, despite having mixed results within this work, has provided an outlet for expressive freedom. The guys have grown (and at the time they weren’t even thirty yet!), already from the first album, with their cover of "Police & Thieves," they proved not to be prisoners of a genre and to follow stylistic dictates. "Sandinista" contains perhaps two punk tracks from the early days—"Police on my Back" and (maybe) "Somebody Got Murdered"—but "Broadway" exudes an elegance that would make Joe Jackson envious, and "One More Time" is a reggae track that seems like it was written yesterday. To understand the significance of this album, just look at all the accolades and inspirations from other bands that formed in later years, from Mano Negra to Massive Attack, from our own Casinò Royale to Les Negresses Vertes. With this album, The Clash provided oxygen for new musical experiments and declared punk to be a way of life and expression rather than merely a freak show with spikes, mohawks, and Doc Martens.

To be honest, the album, after careful listening, seems incomplete to me. Sure, Lotti, I agree with you that the first three tracks take your breath away, but they feel more like sketches that could have been developed better. Lack of time? Just Breathe, as you yourself wrote, seems like a leftover from Into the Wild. After that, you start to hear some more constructed pieces. Amongst and Unthought... they’re not really bad... they have a bit of a Counting Crows vibe, but... finally, in the first one, there’s a decent solo from McCready at the beginning of the album. Supersonic is a nice track... I’d dare say it’s a bit Bad Religion. Well... Speed of Sound is a somewhat unusual piece for Pearl Jam, but not bad... I sense a fairly sincere melodic exploration. In my opinion, they show more weakness in Force of Nature with that annoying chorus... someone was right to compare it to Una storia importante by Ramazzotti. On The End, there’s nothing to say... Beatle-esque echoes, Vedder’s touch is definitely present. Ultimately, aside from its brevity, this album deserves praise for its intentions but feels incomplete. Well, damn... if you give me a first album with Alive that reignites my love for hard rock, you can’t limit yourself to making incomplete albums... I love you guys, but you’re showing a bit of weakness, huh?

That the PJ are not the same as in the early '90s, I think even the walls know. Despite everything, I believe that nobody can doubt the honesty of these mature rockers. The album may not shine in originality, but the compactness of the sound and a melodic search make it a commendable work. In my opinion, the flaw lies in the brevity of the performances, in McCready's few solos, and in the overall short duration of the album (just 35 min).

I also share the view that Squeezing remains his best album, although this one is also a commendable record. Springsteen was right to point out that it is truly disappointing that America has never fully recognized an important figure like Graham Parker.

You’re snobbish and annoying… What does it mean that if I don't know Sam Raimi I'm ignorant?... Let me tell you... you’re a loser.

Good objective and attentive review. I enjoyed Muse up to Absolution, which seemed to me a more compact and solid work than Origin of Symmetry, but Black Holes felt a bit too mainstream. I can't wait to listen to this new album...

I’m attached to this album just like one is to their first car, their first crush at school, and childhood friends.

I agree that many claim to be inspired by him, but in reality, no one can express valid concepts today like they did thirty years ago in the same way. However, it is also true that there are talents out there, but the market is so saturated now that you have to seek them out. One of the smartest moves regarding the new generation of Italian music was made by the Afterhours, who chose to include their Sanremo piece "Il paese è reale" in a compilation, even breaking away from the record label that had almost forced them to re-release "I milanesi ammazzano il sabato" for the third time. The album allows for visibility of truly interesting artists like Roberto Angelini, Dente, Paolo Benvegnù, who are not just kids fresh out of the garage and signed up like they do in England, but people who have been playing for years and presenting their music with enormous sacrifices.