pier_paolo_farina

Elton and Billy are two enormous musical talents, effectively ranking first and second in the world of piano pop. It’s hard to say who's first and who's second even today, after thirty years of listening to them.
For instance, I find Billy more genius in his chord sequences, more naturally "rock" (that is, capable of being "hard" when he wants), and more dynamic in the contrast between verses and choruses, many of which are truly explosive.
On the other hand, the voice of young Elton was unbeatable—high and exciting, a thousand times better than the American's. It’s a pity that it faded after the surgery in the late eighties, giving way to a seductive baritone emission, substantial and convincing but a whole different thing in terms of emotion.
Billy has managed to maintain his voice intact much longer, up to the dawn of the new millennium. He has that very metropol-American quality that some may like or dislike. Elton also adores the USA, but in a more rural and laid-back way. Billy is the symbol of the urban and hurried New York.
Elton has composed and released twice as many songs as Billy, never stopping and filling his repertoire with fillers and unnecessary didacticities. Billy has been more efficient, maintaining a better average in terms of quality in his albums, and then in 1993, he switched gears, stopping the composition of fluff and relying on live concerts to extend his career.
Elton is a rounder and more enjoyable pianist; he has a delightful and recognizable touch, and his right hand creates delicious and musical counterpoints. His specialty is intros and outros—true songs within songs that sometimes stick in memory better than the vocal melodies.
Billy is a brighter and more powerful pianist; he loves to move the bass with his left hand to surprise himself and us. He works less with the right hand than Elton, tends to be more rigid and less enveloping (more rock and less pop, in short).
May God keep them around for many more years; they are two greats, and I take delight in strumming on the piano both "Someone Save My Life Tonight" and "This Is the Time," as well as "The King Must Die" and "And So It Goes," as well as "Tickin'" and "All for Leyna"...

My favorite studio album by the legendary Cheap Trick.
The production becomes even more slick in certain moments, a strategy that is, however, strategically balanced by the unusual presence of two extended tracks, featuring powerful instrumental jam sessions, executed not with the predictable technique of improvised solos but with the reiteration of phrases, riffs, and well-structured and arranged rhythms, alternating to keep the music captivating.
The effectiveness of this group runs, as usual, on the parallel track of compositional freshness à la Beatles combined with a grit worthy of Deep Purple and a sound density worthy of Black Sabbath.
As in every Cheap Trick album, the overwhelming and thick voice of Zander shines, a true cross between Lennon's liveliness and McCartney's clarity, along with the intelligent and cultured (in rock culture) guitar of Nielsen, a master of sounds, riffs, and super chords, a fake goofy nerd but, in fact, astonishingly serious and dedicated to composition and arrangement.
And then there's the multichord bass of Petersson, capable of covering even the harmonics of a guitar, thus providing breaks for the guitars and (live) for the antics of the jester Nielsen, and the simple yet explosive drumming of the other nerd, Carlos, a cheeky devil with a banker’s face.
The compositional solidity is still in full effect and indeed reaches its peak in this album, and that’s what makes it my favorite. I love the r&b riff of "The House Is Rocking," the apocalyptic, throat-shredding screams of "Gonna Raise Hell," the "Abbey Road" charm of "Voices," and the elongated refrain with gigantic vibrato of "Need Your Love," already admired in preview on the previous, incredible "At Budokan."
A great album from a unique and special band.

The greatest rock band of all time, for me too. Complete, raw, refined, mysterious.

Yeld is also my favorite album by Pearl Jam. This band evokes a consistent attraction for me but not true love. They may have called it grunge, but Pearl Jam is essentially a third-generation American hard rock band (the first being the blues rock and early 70s heavy, the second that of the NWOBHM and AOR/class/street of the '80s), capable of soaking up like a sponge the stuff from the golden decade 1967/77 from punk to Zeppelin, from Dylan to Neil Young, from Sabbath to The Who and regurgitating it in some derivative but dignified way, made interesting especially by a solid rhythm section (especially Cameron, when he arrived) and the emotional and piercing voice of their frontman.
As for Pearl Jam being the last great rock band on the planet chronologically, I completely disagree and invite you to listen to this people who emerged together with or after them, who have made and continue to make a tremendous impact on me personally compared to PJ: King's X, Widespread Panic, Joe Bonamassa, Blackberry Smoke, Black Crowes, Kingdom Come, Porcupine Tree, Thunder.

I hardly ever listen to it again: the passing years and the weakening of the memory of fashions and contextual conditions distort the cultural approach and the charm of a musical creation, moving it away from the significant impact it initially had.
From this work, the timeless masterpiece "Owner of a Lonely Heart" survives, a perfect pop-rock song containing several brilliant hooks: the muffled introduction riff that then becomes dynamic, the audacious (in terms of mix) use of powerful off-beats from the Synclavier (an idea from guitarist and jack-of-all-trades Rabin, certainly not from Tony Kaye, who is basically a skilled Hammond specialist), the peculiar and seminal central guitar solo "industrial," split from the multi-octave set to generate the fifth of each note played, the beautifully drenched guitar arpeggio covered in chorus and echo that follows, and the utterly simple vocal line, almost like a mantra, so minimalist that it becomes irresistible.
It is a glaring demonstration of how to create a great song with sounds, arrangements, ideas, and dynamics, rather than through melodic and/or harmonic quality.
The album cover is still metallic gray, not black. At least in the original version.

This is the last great album of the group before the slow phase. It should be had along with all the other six or seven that precede it, in my opinion. The progressive music of Renaissance is truly unique and distinctive. They started from ideas of acoustic folk guitar with a decent thematic consistency, which would have remained at the level of Fairport Convention and Pentangle (and therefore niche, at least internationally). However, everything was made sublime by two distinctive characteristics: first and foremost, the voice of Haslam, tremendously rich and melodious, often climbing to disorienting heights, with a purity of emission from a light soprano that is simply exhilarating. And then there are the classical piano portions, as intros, outros, or instrumental interludes, often borrowed from the great Romantic composers of the 19th century, which were effective in "puffing up" the underlying folk and transforming it into grandiloquent, erudite progressive music, perfect for American freaks who, at the time, were applauding wildly at our concerts and buying this and their previous three or four albums in droves.
The celebrated four-octave range of the nightingale Haslam stands at the forefront of the sonic and emotional legacy that progressive music has left us, alongside the fugues of Emerson, the tapping of Hackett, the acidic arpeggios of Fripp, the booming voice of Lake, the dry and melodic bass of Squire, the flute sobs of Anderson, and the quiet organ carpets of Wright.

Nice album, definitely overrated due to the added value brought by the magically and culturally significant moment in which it was released, the lush packaging, and the "spin" generated by the merits acquired from the immediately preceding (and qualitatively better, as well as more charming due to their brevity and significantly less self-indulgence) albums. The second side is a bit weak, if it weren't for the excellent final number. I deeply love the Beatles, but I still maintain critical clarity to say that these forty minutes of popular art are far from perfect. The precursors of the lazy Lennon and the sappy McCartney are quite strong here, obviously mixed with the usual sublime intuitions.

For me, this song is among my favorite Elton John tracks. In my opinion, it stands shoulder to shoulder with Tiny Dancer, Bad Side of the Moon, Tickin', and Rocket Man. However, I find that its mixing could have been better. I would have dialed down several decibels on Ollie Olson's drums, which are really overwhelming and overshadow Elton John's piano (by the way, it comes in halfway through the second verse, not right away with the entrance of the vocal as the reviewer writes). I would have also turned up the piano by a decibel or two... there are many instances, and albums, where Elton has remained too much in the background with his instrument. Personally, I particularly love his pieces done with acoustic piano and at most bass and drums, ideally with Buckmaster’s orchestra in the background. In many cases, the guitars and especially the synthesizers annoy me in his songs.
Playing this ballad on the piano is a delight. It’s easy, but you need to memorize it well because it uses a rich set of chords, constantly cycling through them and often shifting the bass.
It's a shame that Elton compromised his voice in the eighties. Even today, his singing is remarkable, but it has shifted from tenor to baritone. His voice is now warm and experienced, a pleasure to listen to, but nothing compared to the youthful sound he showcased throughout the seventies, which was high and penetrating, gritty and captivating.
Indeed, for many years now, Elton has performed this piece live a step and a half lower than the original key (E flat). A step and a half is a lot... much is lost in drama and expressiveness, while he gains intimacy and melancholy, two feelings that do not align with the initial message that Elton and Taupin entrusted to this illustrious masterpiece of their career.

I know well (I own) the four albums that came before this one, from "One Day Remains" to "Fortress," and also "Live at Wembley" in 2cd+dvd. I’m a bit disappointed with Alter Bridge: back in the days of "Blackbird," I was excited and hopeful that this excellent album would be followed by masterpieces, continuing the qualitative escalation of their career. Instead, I perceived "ABIII" as a step backwards, returning to the thematic and melodic levels of the debut album. The arrival of "Fortress," which I experienced as a further downsizing and the first album without any epic tracks in the lineup, marked my personal cooling of relations with the four Floridians. Sooner or later, I'll get my hands on "The Last Hero," but I don’t feel a particular urge... They remain the best heavy metal band around, though; Tremonti is a very interesting musician, and Kennedy is a great man, humble and nice.

Your group and album review is mostly accurate, clear, and concise (I only contest the definition of ballad for "I Don't Believe in Love": it's a mid-tempo heavy melodic track). Over the years, "operatic" singers like Tate have generally bored me. Highly talented, but always over the top (just like Roger Waters from "Animals" onward, to quote one of the inspiring bands of ours), with the slightest hint of irony, so "serious." My personal taste, of course... I don’t like classical opera, and I don’t like popular music (what's known as pop metal) when it's taken so seriously.
I had the pleasure of seeing Queensrÿche in Florence, I think it was 1990, with the blonde Sister Mary popping up on the side of the stage halfway through the concert to duet with Tate. I distinctly remember the band on stage being a real war machine: precise (the drums and bass were incredibly tight), powerful, cohesive, and creative (De Garmo, in particular). I recall having that precise feeling halfway through the performance of "I Dream in Infrared" (it’s on the "Rage for Order" album that precedes this one): I was ecstatic, definitely out of my mind by my standards. I have great affection for Queensrÿche and own quite a few of their albums. My favorite is "Hear in the Now Frontier," while I gifted a relative the somewhat questionable "Empire," which gave me feelings of artistic disconnection and falsehood.