pier_paolo_farina

A few months ago, Brian came to play in my city. At the end of the concert, the band mingled with the fans, while the talented son, excellent drummer Karma Auger, opened a big suitcase and started selling CDs of Oblivion Express and Trinity! I bought one too, from Trinity, the last one I still needed, even though Karma wanted 20 Euri... but whatever. Then I went up to Brian, and while everyone—yes, everyone—was asking for and getting selfies with him, I was the only one who asked him for a doodle on the cover of the album, old-school style.

You know quite a bit about Atomic Rooster! Very good... so why not write a review? This way, you might give someone the chance to find a couple of missing pieces and lament over it.

There is something similar between the two covers... the roses and the very American style design. However, in the case of the aggressive and once highly overrated Guns, the cross, the skulls of the musicians, etc., are there as classic and usual heavy metal trinkets, mainly appealing to pimpled teenagers seeking strong sensations... gimmicks or diversions that Atlanta has always steered clear of.

Very well! Ten years and four hundred reviews (not just on this site) make me feel the desire to take a break, at least for a while. I'm not sure if I can really stop, but I will try... after all, I've had long pauses in the past. These kilometers of writing have certainly tickled my ego and my need to communicate, but the main effect has been, by far, allowing a deep and conscious review of much of the music that I love. The need to write, the desire to write about an album and an artist has had the secondary effect of thoroughly filling me with a lot of information, opinions, aspects, and points of view that I now find incredibly useful for enjoying even more the nearly daily time dedicated to listening. This initiative of online reviews was exactly what I needed to better immerse myself in my great passion for rock. Being able to condense the characteristics and effects of an album or a song into a few dozen lines is a great skill (on par with being able to play an instrument: not essential, but extremely useful). A big thanks to all the commentators, often a precious added value for clarifying ideas, opening minds, grasping concepts that were escaping, synthesizing situations, having support for one’s own points of view, even learning to tolerate sensitivity, principled issues, and other people's radicalism. The thank you must exclude the small group of time-wasting assholes, rude people, or badly raised individuals who infest this site like all others on the Internet. Adios.

My judgment on Argus differs from common opinion, Jargon: I have never found anything particularly successful compared to the qualitative average of their discography. Sure, it's one of the best, but in my opinion not the best... at least it's on par with another four or five works. My absolute favorite, for instance, is the 1996 album titled "Illuminations." Unfortunately, Wishbone have released several blurry, poorly produced works throughout their career, misleading less discerning listeners into thinking they have essentially achieved a single exploit during all these years of activity, namely the well-known and commercially successful "Argus."

I also preferred Franco Gasparri. As a second choice, Jean Mary Carletto and then him, the one with the most enchanted face. I used to go to the bathroom with my cousin Norma's Lancio photo comics. She then married a not-so-good-looking guy but with money, he knew how to play the stock market. Only to then get angry because the Italian State gives her a hundred Euros of pension. But she only worked for eight years! Coming back to Dani, I've always had an aversion to dimples in the middle of the chin.

Iiiiih, how much of a narcissist you are. It’s really unbearable. Let’s be clear, anyone who writes a review does it (also, the main reason should be passion) to show themselves off, but you reach pathological levels.

Damn, I wanted to review the last two albums by Saga, the one from 2012 and the one from 2014, but since I feel like I'm the only one in all of Italy who follows and appreciates them, I’ll pass. As a retaliation, I could turn my attention to Iron Maiden.

One of the ten albums to take to a Galapagos island, watching the cormorants. The depression of a boy and of a prestigious artist. The most nocturnal, intimate, and honest record there is. True despair and unparalleled talent. "Things Behind The Sun," one of the ten songs to take to Easter Island, watching the moai.

"Flatlands," the last track of the debut album from 2011 (composed by bassist Beller) is stunning.