Elio e le Storie Tese
Cicciput

THE REVIEW

February 2012. The "Enlarge Your Penis" tour by Elio e le Storie Tese comes to Verona, my hometown, on the 27th of the month. My theory is that there are two types of concertgoers. There are those who attend many concerts of artists they don't even know, just to appreciate something new, broaden their musical horizons, and gain experiences. And there are those who want to know all the songs by heart so they can sing along, the setlist in advance (if possible), and who will only leave their house for artists they truly love. Well, I know the best approach would be the first, but I think I belong to the second category.

For this reason, caught by the (moderate) euphoria of seeing those eyebrows live for the second time, I went back to catch up on the entire discography, or almost, of EelST. The only studio work I hadn't listened to completely was this "Cicciput." Let's lay the cards on the table. Assuming that, like the band, I tend not to consider the '90 Christmas album, I think this 2003 album is the worst in their discography. Then again, everything is relative. This means that their worst is still worth three generous stars. I don't think they'll ever be capable of falling below a passing grade. Or maybe I will never be capable of judging them that way.

In any case, it was thanks to "Shpalman" that I got to know the band in elementary school. For the ten-year-old child I was, and for my classmates, it was a funny nursery rhyme that talked about SHIT, a taboo word, which if the teachers heard you, they'd tell your parents, and you'd be punished. No one even noticed the guitar slides or the complexity of the bass. I didn't even know what a bass was back then.

But let's go back to the work in question. Where is its weakness? Here's my immediate impressions. The Elii still haven't recovered from the blow that was the death of the factotum Feiez, they find themselves trapped in the character they created, the public expects a new album of honest jokes (ref. Maccio Capatonda), they're not in the mood to create craziness like in their early works.

Listen, for example, to Pagano. The complexity of the music becomes alienating, while the lyrics don't even bring a smile to the lips... I mean, not even if... Well, I don't have an example right now. Anyway, more than bringing joy, it brings me a bit of sadness, I swear. "I am pagan and I adore the pagan gods." So? Such mediocre lyrics will only be found five years later with "Tristezza" (the title says it all) in "Studentessi."

"Budy Giampi" and "La Chanson" bore me. The worst of all is "Pilipino Rock." Out of a tracklist of thirteen pieces, I save barely six or seven. Half of them. I find "Gimmi I" to be average (which, together with track two, constitutes the most "serious" part of their entire discography). Passable, but just that, are "Cani e Padroni dei Cani" and "La Follia Della Donna (Parte I)."

Positive notes? The already mentioned "Shpalman" (a superhero perhaps in competition with Supergiovane?), "Fossi Figo," where I strangely appreciate Morandi. The two singles are adorable. But "Litfiba Tornate Insieme" is also pleasant, where Pelù (who records his "Uhà!") and Renzulli with a double bending participate for a few seconds.

Then I want to highlight how Elio e le Storie Tese is once again a pioneering group. They had already thought of "Inception" seven years before its release. With the track "Abate Cruento," which tells of a "matryoshka dream." And it seems that the phrase "abate cruento esaminatore" is the joining of three random words picked from the dictionary. Genius.

And that’s all. As I said, three stars. Just barely passing. Nothing more. I am waiting for the concert, I already know they won’t fail. Maybe I'll even get a review out of it. Bye bye.

P.S. If you're having money problems, try relying on the money angel...