Gene Gnocchi and the Getton Boys
Antonella Pasqualotto novenovesetteotto, ovvero 24 canzoni da fischiettare con gli amici

Imagining an unlikely blend between Skiantos and Elio e le Storie Tese is not purely an exercise in style, after all, the latter even took their name from a song by the former ("Eptadone"). Sure, it might have been less likely to do so in 1992. The Elii had released their first two albums (with improbable titles: Elio Samaga Hukapan Kariyana Turu and Italyan, Rum Casusu Çikti), but they hadn't yet reached the point of (almost) winning Sanremo and filling arenas, and the Skiantos were brilliant but semi-forgotten (they were imploring the Lord of the records to work a miracle for them).

In those years when Mediaset was still called Fininvest, one of the new faces of comedy on the Biscione networks was a not-yet-forty-year-old Gene Gnocchi. The classic polished accent of the Piacenza lands, a passion for soccer (including playing in Serie C with Alessandria and Fiorenzuola among others), and an equally burning passion for rock. A true passion, mind you. It was 1992. That year, EMI (defying today's independent labels) released an album with at least a quirky title: Antonella Pasqualotto novenovesetteotto, ovvero 24 canzoni da fischiettare con gli amici, under the name Gene Gnocchi and the Getton Boys, a project involving the whole Gnocchi clan (including Charlie and Andy) alongside other names that explain the blend mentioned above. The album's creation included contributions from two individuals connected to Elio e le Storie Tese, guitarist Cesareo and producer Otar Bolivecic.

However, the mastermind behind the project is definitively Charlie Gnocchi, already known as a radio DJ, who here takes on the role of project creator, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. The vocals are obviously entrusted to Gene, riding high. Also in the band is bassist Marco Trombolato, drummer Valerio Dotti, Fulvio Barella, Rossano Cacciali. So is it comedic rock? We would say yes, although in an interview with La Repubblica on June 14, 1992, Gene defines the band differently.

Here are the words from that time, which also clarify that Gnocchi has a great musical culture: "Comedic rock? Nope, ours is speed roll, raw rock, without effects, all live, no tricks, very immediate. Straightforward, precise rock, without pretensions, with the three Gnocchi brothers, friends, and my mom at the mixer. Besides, comedic rock is passé: we're the third way of rock, the way of the silly, the way of Napolitano's 'ameliorists.' Today, to make an album, Skiantos and Elio spend months chiseling, refining, cutting, overdubbing a few pieces. We, instead, record everything in two days, and another day is enough for the mixing. Remember the early Stiff records? Nothing was ever discarded, 25 pieces even last only a minute, a minute and a half. Are you familiar with the Flamin' Groovies, the Nerves, Peter Case's Plimsouls, Paul Collins' Beat?"

In short, it's clear. It's even stated in the funny dialogue that opens the album: "we are the missing link between Cochi e Renato and Guns'n'Roses", always remembering that it's 1992 in Italy.

And the songs? The first track, "Giura che non è silicone," was also the single with which the album was launched and achieved decent radio notoriety, even participating in that year's Festivalbar. Each song is labeled with a genre in the album's booklet. The 24 songs are all very short and explosive. It's a cool garage rock, with touches of '50s rock'n'roll melody and lyrics full of references to the pop culture of the time, which today may be difficult to comprehend.

Sure, references to Gianni Minà's hairstyle, the famous Sip commercial (which also inspired the band's name), and women from Trentino being paired with those from Modena of Baccini are not impossible to catch for anyone over 40. For others, well, it might be an amusing immersion into the popular culture of those years. The dialogues between one piece and another are hilarious, in the surreal style of Gene Gnocchi's comedy. The notion that after three fast tracks you need a ballad, the idea that the first track has to be the single that makes someone go to the record store and listen to the first song and decide to buy the album, the variety of styles worthy of an Elvis Costello (we're still in Italy in 1992).

Hard to find, but it wouldn’t be as fun otherwise. The CD on eBay can cost you around fifty euros, the same goes for the vinyl record.