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Rating: A Group of Bad Girls in Italy
You might think I'm not well for writing this review, but that's not the case: we're in Milan in 1981, and in social centers, this group of punk Italian girls, more or less adults, forms, pounding on instruments a bit randomly with Jo Squillo and her exhausted-sounding voice screaming the boredom and frustration of always having to be good girls and doing what the men said: perhaps it seems silly now, but considering we were in Italy nearly 30 years ago, it doesn't seem insignificant. The band had played during a punk event in Piazza del Duomo, singing "Sono cattiva" and throwing fake blood-soaked tampons at the crowd (obviously fake), demanding free distribution of tampons; then Jo ventured into politics with the Rock Party for the municipal elections.
Getting back to the record, it starts with "L'asta" where the lyrics don't have precise connections to the title, but talk about the destruction of Milan "burn burn the city all the people are leaving" with Jo screaming like a madwoman and the music hitting hard. These are the characteristics of the record: simple lyrics, not always logically connected, almost surreal associations if we want, perhaps to symbolize a break in style as a revolt? who knows... Jo's voice ranges between unbearable and heart-wrenching, but the music is like the Ramones, fast, short, punchy songs.
Next is "Faccia da vipera" against hypocrisy with the best line being "pay for cyanide, I spend my salary on it," which I find really trashy. Then there's "Paranoia" with an exquisite lyric " No, I don't want to go to school, I prefer the sheets...it's freezing to death you give me pneumonia on that tram, so violent, today I don't feel like it, it's not even a nice building, and it doesn't mean shit to me...bastard teachers!!! all the books are lies". Jo's voice becomes more and more delirious and incomprehensible in "CX" where I quote "your piston doesn't think about anything...mechanics give you smog" "Who cares" and "I Want to Do It with You" where it explicitly says "I want to be honest to enjoy tonight...desire of your sex, are constant stimuli, it should be done more often, I want to do it with you friend, I want to do it with you now". Then there's the wonderful "Skizzo skizzo" which also has a video where mannequins, much imitated nowadays, were already present, and where there's a really trashy robbery by the singer Cristian!!!! then it continues with "Orbita" that shouts "if I stay here I don't produce anything" as indeed happened, leaving behind this innovative discourse and going to present tv fashion on Mediaset networks.... There are then more serious hints like "Tuo Cesare" dedicated to a friend unjustly arrested.
The delirium reaches its peak with "Cristina" "you don't control your natural movements, your black thoughts in an already dreamed time, you don't control your minimal desires, electric frequencies transmit nonstop" and with "Energia Interna" a sort of futurist song I think, unless Jo took who knows what... "express brute form unknown expanded color...general deterrence, compass, compass...insert diagonal explosive cloning general epilepsy".
Then there are the masterpieces of "Violentami sul metrò" provocative song to exorcize the problem of violence and then the wonderful "Orrore" against machismo "what a brainwashing you think about nothing but your cock, what a centuries-old brainwashing you think about nothing but fucking..." and then the very fast, mosh-pit style "Fuggi fuggi" that ends with "run away run away from this kingdom, run away run away spectacularly, run away run away on the highway, you sons of bitches!!"
Ok, I know I'll get lynched for this review now, but I think if this band had sung in English, these lyrics would have broken through, but we're in Italy...and credit to the group for bringing something different to the stagnant landscape of that period.
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