tiziocaio

Great Eze, as always. An album that deserves respect for a thousand reasons. Listening to it again, I think Vinicio Capossela would have remained buried in a corner of his bar if he hadn't borrowed extensively from the style of tomuaits, and never once did he say thank you. Personally, I think his peak is still Raindogs; there you find the essence of the artist.

For me as well, Scaruffi's site has been very useful, even though I believe that those who write about music should strive to be as objective as possible. It would be like if I were invited to be a judge at a contest among young bands and I excluded death metal groups a priori just because I hate that genre.

Eze, don't pay attention to the puddings but look and pass... You're great, beautiful review. And above all, congratulations for your courage; one can only get hurt by mentioning certain masterpieces. I remember some time ago a dispute between me and an old nostalgic Beatles fan, one of those who secretly gets a thrill if he happens to listen to a song by the Equipe 84; we were talking about Lennon and McCartney, about who, in short, was the true innovator in the Beatles. I argued that Lennon was more attentive to following the continuous innovations of the period in both music and art, while McCartney was, first and foremost, a great musician but nothing more. Good heavens, it seemed like I wanted to diminish McCartney's greatness; I felt almost threatened as well as insulted. So Eze, take it easy, really, unfortunately we are in Italy...

Don't forget Polly Paulusma with her beautiful debut album Scissors in my pocket. But my absolute favorite remains Eva Cassidy. If you don't know her, I recommend Songbird, paradise has never been so close, and I think she's around now...

Well, to say that this album is beautiful is like saying that a sunny day is more beautiful than a gloomy one. What sets this album apart from the others (never underestimate Pornography) is the perfect balance between the subtle unrest hidden in the music of the Cure and the healthy lightness that here transforms into absolute lyricism. A song like Picture of You is capable of evoking emotions in me even today, after having listened to it for many years. In this album, Robert has found the right tools to express himself at his best; he will never reach (in my view) such high peaks of poignant lyricism. Just as Pictures moves you, Disintegration contains all of Robert's anger, and it’s hard not to feel involved because often, his sincere anger is our own anger. Perhaps in this album, more than in others, I really felt Robert as a brother; you feel like embracing him and saying THANK YOU!!

Great reception, Puglia, really. Have you thought about writing a novel? Your style knows how to captivate and attracts attention. Regarding Marlene, I’ve only listened to the single; I’ve never really warmed up to them and it seems that their intellectual-hipster side has reached its peak. Their last concert at Velvet was a bit boring; I remembered them being more infused with foaming rage many years ago during a concert at Velvet, where, among others, the legendary Massimo Volume also played. There, they really gave it their all, but I assure you, hearing their covers of Mina and Conte is truly sad, besides being dull and dragged out. I have the impression they are looking for an escape route from a sonic past that is starting to feel a bit tight. I want to emphasize that I haven’t heard their latest album; I can’t judge it, but hearing and reading about their latest appearances gives me these feelings. I interviewed Cristiano for a local newspaper about a conference held here in the Rimini area regarding lyric writing, and he, of course, wants to reiterate that the band is in top form, that they are happy to be the Marlene, and they want to say many more things. I always wish the best for Cristiano, but it seems they have become a bit lost...

I also love DJ Shadow, and when that album came out, I remember being blown away. Radiohead themselves have openly stated that they drew inspiration from him for their recent albums starting from Kid A, which is a testament that this album has breathed new life not only into hip hop but also into rock... but I have a question: what is axelrodina?

I have no words, Mauro. If you have complaints to make with your evolved and refined language, please address them in person to the person involved, maybe right in their face. It's too easy to type these praises on your little keyboard; you don't have the guts. Guys, how sad it is to have to read such things! And then that name... Mauro :)

Dear Gwenshair, have you been passed a bottle of bad sparkling wine on New Year's Eve?? I don’t see why you should be so upset. Do you know how many articles I would have liked to write, but others quicker and smarter than me got there first? And then, I read both reviews; they present two different viewpoints, which I respect, even if I must say that I find Antonio’s (please, don’t get angry) more accurate, even though I haven’t listened to the box yet. But I expect it to be sad just like Antonio wrote, given the mess that Yoko Ono has made (they could have spared us the last acoustic of John Lennon; it’s recorded poorly and doesn’t do justice to him), Mama Buckley, and finally the high Courtney. It’s still sad to read certain reactions on this beautiful site.

Dear Ege, thank you so much. I will keep your advice in mind and I’ll read your reviews. In fact, if you have a new review, let me know. Also, I wanted to ask you what you think of Interpol. A lot of critics enjoy comparing them to various '80s bands, mainly Joy Division but also Television and The Smiths. I must say that I appreciate them a lot; perhaps their first work was more a product of punk, with the right immediacy and instinctiveness, while the second was more mature and thoughtful, but not to be disdained for that reason. Live, they don’t miss a thing, even if they are very static and focused. However, together with Franz Ferdinand, they seem to be one of the few things I would save in these lean times, with record labels and R'n'B once again dominating as usual. Take care and happy new year.