Porno Riviste
Cosa Facciamo?

3 STARS FOR THE ALBUM, 5 FOR THE MEMORIES

Great memories... the good old days... so many laughs when I think back to when all it took was wearing a T-shirt with the face of Che or with the circled A to feel rebellious, anarchic, or simply punk. Yes, because, let's not deny it, the "punk phase" is a phase that many teenagers go through, let's say 7/8 out of 10; the first beer that makes you feel grown up, the first concert with horns raised toward the stage that makes you feel "oh yea", the first cigarette that distinguishes you from your peers, the first rolling paper between your fingers that makes you feel rebellious, the first protests, etc. etc. etc.

Just yesterday, in fact, I was tidying up the place where I live (let's say my jungle, my "contaminated" environment), until I came across a box crammed with very old and dusty stuff; after 10 minutes of rummaging, I saw it... I recognized it... I studied it... I smelled it (snif, snif)... yes! It was him! How could I not recognize him! My first ITALIAN PUNK CD!
You can imagine that my excitement was palpable from miles away: I didn't think twice, I took it out of its case and I threw it (ready for the leap back in time) into my laptop's CD player (I know, if I still had my old stereo, the music would be different).

BUT FIRST, A LITTLE HISTORY:

Le Porno Riviste were formed back in 1994, in the province of Varese, and quickly became one of the most important punk realities in Italy alongside Derozer, Punkreas, and the legendary Banda Bassotti. Tommi, Dani, Marco, and Il Becio were immediately appreciated by that circle of teenagers (ahem... ahem...) who were convinced that the songs of P.R., fast, melodic, raw, and sung at the top of their lungs, were real anthems of rebellion of the purest punk, Sex Pistols style; while criticisms from purists of the genre poured down. However, it must be said that, despite being labeled as posers trying to make their melodic pieces seem punk, Le Porno Riviste are undeniably one of the most important punk realities of the '90s because, despite the myriad criticisms, they have always gone their own way, filling venues and continuing to make records without ever signing, unlike many of their punk colleagues, with a major nor have they ever appeared, unlike many of their punk colleagues, on ROCK TV or various channels.

BUT BACK TO US:

The album in question is their first "official" album released in 1996 by Tube Records; the songs are raw, recorded so-so but still historic. Historic because they filled many teenagers' afternoons, historic because they believed in it and we believed in it and historic because, in a certain way, they made the history of the new Italian punk scene. Let's make some examples... the first track is the deadly "Qualcuno mi ha venduto", pounding drums, a guitar riff repeated throughout the song, slapped bass, simple guitar solos (like Blink 182, but they are ours), shouted verses, sung sloppily but still high and well-tuned, compared to many other punk bands. Since all the tracks have this formula, the album flows pleasantly. "Gli ultimi secondi" and "Cappuccetto armato" are part of the firmament of "raw-punk-made-in-Italy-90s" and while I listen to them, I dream of the hot summer afternoons spent listening to this and other punk bands of better times, when Bob Marley didn't exist, and we didn't even know exactly who Queen were... oh, yes... all very much in the style of Jack Frusciante has left the group!

"Anima" and "Richieste di lavoro" flow pleasantly, but only when "Come piace a me" arrives does the lump in my throat kill me (damn, too 90s, too punk love song) "...but I who know you well by now and who think of what I would do to you if we were in a gray paradise as I like it and everyone says I'm a bit strange who think I'm not human just because I think as I like..." how many memories!

Well, that said... the album deserves three stars but allow me a wildcard, I swear it won't happen again... let me give 5 stars for what it represents and represented for many kids... thank you.