Robert Downey Jr.
The Futurist

LA RECENSIONE

Remarkable is the work of actor Robert Downey Jr. who writes eight of the ten tracks that make up the album, including the medley "Your Move" by Yes with "Give Peace A Chance" by Lennon/McCartney. The first track "Man Like Me" accompanied by the piano played by Downey Jr himself and Jimmy Cox is poignant. Deep and angry at the same time, thanks to the combination of Downey Jr.'s grating voice and the cello played by Cameron Stone, truly a beautiful beginning. In "Broken" the voice resembles Peter Gabriel's, and even the general atmosphere of the song closely echoes those typical atmospheres of the former Genesis's recent works. The lyrics are very evocative, and the song is enveloping in its complicated musicality. "Kimberly Glide" has a Jazz rhythm, and Downey Jr.'s piano, along with Vinnie Colaiuta's drums and Reggie Hamilton's bass (a beautiful solo towards the end of the piece), make the song one of the strengths of this album. Beautiful. The subsequent "The Futurist," title track of the CD, once again captures those nostalgic and magical atmospheres of the last Gabriel. This is a magnificent track, played masterfully and performed wonderfully by Robert Downey Jr. The really beautiful thing about these tracks is that they are not boring because you can feel a deep contrast between the lightness of the compositions and the vocal performances. You can sense the scream of Lucifer as he falls into hell but does not curse God, instead, he prays... sorry for the philosophical digression! "Little Clownz" is a transitional track that, in a sense, summarizes everything already heard before: the despair of loss and the will to still be that "clown" with death in the heart. Poignant and melancholic but strong and hard. "5:30" begins with a nice bass solo by Armand Sabal-lecco, an R&B rhythm, but the piece seems to get lost in this rhythm, almost drowning. It seems like an unexploded missile that stops just before detonation and remains there for the entire duration of the song. Indeed, it closes suddenly and opens the doors to the medley "Your Move/Give Peace A Chance," where Downey Jr. performs in a duet with none other than Jon Anderson (he hasn't lost a bit of his incredible voice). It's a unique opportunity to hear such a fusion with such different tracks that blend seamlessly thanks to the contribution of acoustic guitar, balalaika, and electric guitar by Steve Dudas. "Details" is, for me, the most beautiful track on the entire album. Poignant. Hamilton's bass with Jazz rhythm and Downey Jr.'s piano give the song a charge of unique emotional involvement. "Hannah" picks up the same atmospheres as "details," but in the track emerges the charge of anger that pervades Robert Downey Jr. after his exile from Hollywood due to his drug and alcohol addiction: "We're rootin' for a suicide he's a boy-king. but he's a bastard with a problem. She's a stomping beast. and a dark demanding child..." The CD concludes with "Smile," a track by Charlie Chaplin that seems to bring peace to the soul that conceived this album, restoring serenity and love.

An album that gives us anger, tears, and regrets but closes with a smile, albeit a bitter one, but still a smile. Thank you for the attention.