5th: IVANGARAGE
After a more commercial and less inspired period, Ivan decides in 1989 to rise up in grand style with a spicy, gritty, and inspired album like none he had created since the 80s. Ivangarage is an album that returns to rock; in fact, one could say that Ivangarage attempts the path of hard rock: it features tracks like Prudenza mai, a true manifesto of intent and style, Ora et labora, about the life of monks, Psychedelico, a pure blend of madness, Un uomo, where Ivan makes it clear that he is not finished yet; these 4 are the most extreme tracks ever produced by Ivan, where the guitar is played in a dirty and raw manner, even more so than on certain tracks from Agnese dolce Agnese (Fame, Veleno all'autogrill, Dottor Jeckill and Mister Hyde, Fuoco sulla collina). But Ivangarage is not just healthy and dirty rock: there are wonderful ballads like Guagliò guagliò and Radici nel vento, a sweet dedication to a deceased friend in Noi non moriremo mai, and I metallari, a piece that from its title hints at guitar riffs left and right but is actually a ballad that seeks to dismantle the figure of the metalhead. Additionally, we also have the new dark story Jhonny non c'entra, a (half) true story of a 7-year-old boy who kills his father, and the concluding and ironic E mò che vuoi, with lyrics that start off angry and turn romantic (a curious way to end an album...). What can be said in conclusion of this Ivangarage? An album that retrieves Ivan's pure vein, divided between sardonic and gritty rock and beautiful ballads, where the very limit of Italian rock is surpassed, creating hard rock episodes that are more reminiscent of British/American rock than made-in-Italy rock; in short, from any perspective one looks at it, Ivangarage will remain a unique case in our artist's discography and one of Ivan's episodes, alongside the 4 albums released between '77 and '80.

The gem:
Prudenza mai
 
Check out "Egg Hunt // Me And You (Full Single)" on YouTube
Egg Hunt // Me And You (Full Single) The link between Minor Treat and Fugazi. Jeff Nelson on drums and Ian on vocals!
 
Lio - C'est ma chance

But damn, where the hell does this groove come from?
 
Julian Cope - A Victory Dance
I can't quite pinpoint what it reminds me of.. can you help me?
 
Idlewild - A Film For The Future ...an electric shock...a group, alas, very underrated.
 
Tuxedo Junction - Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller - from "Glenn Miller"
1944 (Victor)

#jazzlegends
 
La pianista trailer ita

Michael Haneke (2 of 3)
"The Piano Teacher" - (2001)

#35mm
 
I want @[IlConte] to hear this #new
Asphalt Flowers - Twenty first Century Blues (2020) a warm, classic & modern sound just like a Count in front of a computer video can be.
I would listen to it.
 
Todd Rundgren's Utopia - Freedom Fighters
The other Utopia albums don't really move me (very American and with that Charlie-style sound), but the 4 gems from the debut are truly frame-worthy.
 
Picking up the brilliant idea of @[Martello], I would like to pay a sort of "tribute" to a great artist like Pino Daniele, that is, a ranking of his album popularity (stopping at Mascalzone Latino from 1989) from worst to best...

N°7: "Mascalzone Latino" (1989)
We are at the end of the '80s, and after three decent albums that were overall quite unconvincing, the definitive - and unfortunately last - tail end finally arrives. The path of "80s" sounds continues, but this time with excellent work done on the acoustic guitar (his technique has grown in an inversely proportional manner to his creativity) and with several little gems that are absolutely on par with the Pino of the golden years, this time definitely more so than the previous three albums. Not a masterpiece, but certainly a great album, even if - alas - Pinuccio’s path was already marked, and even in this album, in some small passages, you can feel it...
Overall rating 7.5

The masterpiece of the album: Anna verrà (2017 Remaster)
 
@[dsalva] but then did you go where I told you Ingrandisci questa immagine Ritornerai - Bruno Lauzi.
 
A Trial in Our Native Town
playlist Cope & Iggy n 16) ps: always worse.. or better, it depends :-))))
 
Picking up on the brilliant idea of @[Martello], I take the liberty of making a sort of "tribute" to a great artist like Pino Daniele, that is, a ranking of his albums (stopping at Mascalzone Latino from 1989) from the worst to the best...

N°8: "Ferryboat" (1985)
Only a year passes, and here comes this new album of unreleased tracks. An album that contains a -for many- unwelcome novelty: Pino loses his superband, which had accompanied him from the second album until Sciò. Anyone who has followed Pino since his early days can't help but feel disappointed by this album. Don't get me wrong: there isn't a single track that can be defined as "bad" or "unlistenable," but there are perhaps 3, at most 4, songs that can match the GREAT Pino Daniele. The rest, yes, maintains levels that are adequate or just above, but still lesser compared to the immense works produced earlier.
Overall rating 6.5

The masterpiece of the album: Ferryboat (2017 Remaster)