Larrok

For me, the matter is simple: most people couldn't care less about music as an art form. Let's say that in Italy, out of 100 people, 40 don't listen to music at all, 50 listen to music only as background noise or solely as a form of entertainment without giving it any particular importance and relying on standard promotional channels (radio, MTV, etc.), while 10 have a true passion for music that leads them to have more or less in-depth knowledge and appreciate it as an art form.

So instead of saying "what is beautiful is what pleases," I would say "what is beautiful is what pleases, if what pleases is the result of a comparison with the rest of the music."

"Is it true that 'what is beautiful is what pleases'? Then, since Gigi D'Alessio is liked by millions of idiots, does that mean he is beautiful? My answer is different: everyone has their own tastes, that's true, but tastes also depend largely on what one has listened to in life, on maturity, and on what one seeks from music—whether pure entertainment or a form of art. That said, we can say that indeed everyone likes something, but this taste has matured by distinguishing based on the auditory experiences of the person in question. If a person knows thousands of jazz, rock, experimental records, and dozens of various subgenres, I believe they have a greater claim to say they are aware of what they like, compared to the girl who only listens to Gigi D'Alessio or Vasco and is convinced that is the best her ears can experience."

Good this "Flares," a demonstration that in Italy there are some genuinely respectable artists, despite Vasco and Ligabue for the lobotomized masses. Post-rock between Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky, perhaps not overly original but certainly touching and with an admirable use of electronics.

Chinaski, the expression "the album moves me" is meaningless, as even fans of Pausini or Ramazzotti say the same thing and no one can judge their emotions.

The dictatorship of poor music. It occupies an exaggeratedly disproportionate space in the collective imagination, overly overrated, pompous, increasingly useless, vascorossismo is the musical equivalent of berlusconismo.

Really beautiful review. :) An American Music Club was recommended to me by a friend just a few days ago, and I’m starting to listen to them. This "California" seems like great music, refined and never obvious. I still need to absorb it. Excellent suggestion.

oooh finally a relaxing album for sleeping :D

Sorry Chinaski, but if you’ve listened to billions of records, how can it take you a year to understand a blatantly approachable (not to mention reference-laden and static) album like Octavarium?

"To 'understand' Octavarium it took me a year": HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! It had been years since I laughed so hard!