fusillo

Ah, I almost forgot: Merry Christmas to everyone!

A hello to the newcomers on this humble little page. The beautiful anecdote shared by Hal inspires me to write a few lines about the concert by John that I attended last Sunday. First of all, there were people... And this, to me, a somewhat trivial person, seemed both curious and wonderful. I didn't think so many people would come to hear an English folk guitarist who is now advanced in age. I disrespectfully say "advanced in age" because John himself often repeated "I'm getting old" or "I'm too old": for example, when his guitar went out of tune. Or when he had problems with the amp. But above all, at the beginning, when he had to lift one foot with his hands to cross his legs, with a great display of both pained and amused expressions. :) Anyway... A really nice person, John Renbourn: tall, big, smiling, self-deprecating, and down-to-earth. To tell the truth, at times he seemed to have lost a bit of his sparkle. Especially at the beginning, his phrasing wasn't as smooth, clean, and perfectly timed as it is on this album. But once he got into the groove, the old John came back, and he himself emphasized the better passages with his "OH YEAH". That's when the chills along my spine became plentiful. He sang "Watch the stars" (still with leg-crossing problems... Besides struggling to position them, they didn't want to stay still. :)), the most beautiful version of "Old Franklyn" (from "Cruel sister" by the Pentangled) that I've ever heard, with an extraordinary guitar introduction and many other solo guitar pieces (I remember one of these was titled "little miles." Another one, whose title I can't recall, was written by a neighbor of his...). From this album, he sang "Kokomo Blues". Just blues, country, and jazz for the Mantuan audience, no references to British tradition. John Renbourn hasn't recorded an album since 1998. Many of the compositions he performed on Sunday should end up on the new CD. I hope it comes out soon...

Regarding the issue of "De André as a crowd orator," I’d like to mention an episode that happened in my area: in the early eighties, Fabrizio was supposed to perform a concert, I believe at the Caravel nightclub in Mantova (I wasn't there: a matter of age...). He showed up on stage drunk, I don't know whether it was from whisky or wine. However, I do know that instead of performing, he wanted to talk about anarchy... The audience did not take kindly to this initiative, and there was quite a commotion. Instead of the police, it was the then aspiring writer Alessandro Gennari who intervened to calm the public and defend De André. In the nineties, Gennari and De André wrote a novel together. Then Gennari ended up reciting poetry on Paolo Limiti's show. Today he rests in peace, just like Fabrizio...

Know-it-all, in my opinion, you’re wrong to make the left-right issue a personal matter. The vast majority of my reviews have ended up among the recommended ones. And idiots like Poletti should just be ignored...

Dear Know-it-all, I, on the other hand, don't understand: Your first intervention was very pleasing to me. Nevertheless, I would have liked to see my review on the left. But it doesn’t seem to me a matter worth dwelling on too much. This was the sense of my intervention; I certainly didn’t mean to humiliate you or induce you to silence, I assure you. Lately, I’ve noticed the absence of many users with whom I enjoyed talking about music. And at the same time, I see a constant increase in long faces. I would be sad if you were to disappear too. Bye.

Uh, one thing for Poletti. You did well to copy the review of "Faro annie" from the website www.delrock.it. But mine is prettier. :-)

Hello everyone. I want to thank those who have read and say just one thing to Saputello: never before had I addressed the issue of where my reviews are placed, whether to the left or to the right, and I have no intention of revisiting it in the future. However, I take this opportunity you present to remind you that this is a review of a blues album. Blues is the music of those who suffer in silence, away from the spotlight... My review is just fine where it is. ;-) Tomorrow I'm going to see John in concert. I can't wait. I'm starting to pass the time by sharing some samples. Hello again everyone.

I heard "Copacabana" in the latest broadcast of Arbore. Beautiful imitation. Johnny Dorelli's take on "cricrac ecc..." by Elio e le storie tese was also great. Battiato's rendition was remarkable too. And what can I say about Jovanotti's? Alright, I’ll stop. Bollani is brilliant and the review is great too.

Yes, but a mention of Steinbeck and his "The Grapes of Wrath" seemed necessary... And since Woody Guthrie has been mentioned, I also mention "This Land Is Your Land," his autobiography published in Italy by Marcos y Marcos: in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and less cited books of American literature.

Nice review, Ocram. I had removed the poisons. I only remember "Unskinny bop (bop, bop, bop...)." But I think that one isn't on this album...