Rockets
π 3,14

We find ourselves at the end of the '70s. The ears of Italians are continuously assailed by the futuristic and fascinating tracks of a group of "French aliens", the Rockets, who, with their "space" songs, manage to achieve greater glory in our peninsula than in their home country. Their allure was mainly due to their costumes and makeup, which made them seem like aliens from deep space. This led a portion of listeners to believe that their works were, after all, "all show and no substance," and that much of their success was due to their eccentric aesthetic presentation. In reality, nowadays, the Rockets are a group deserving of reevaluation and, although they haven't produced real masterpieces, they should still be seen as talented musicians and decent authors.

The peak of their success coincides with "Galaxy," an album that, however, relies more on form than on substance: behind tons of sound effects and vocoder, the quality of the songs was ultimately very modest compared to, for instance, the tracks of the excellent "On The Road Again."

The album following "Galaxy," namely "π 3.14," from 1981, despite presenting the usual "Rockets style" with sci-fi lyrics and "galactic" sound effects, represents, however, a turnaround concerning the arrangements and some aspects of the sound of the tracks. Here too, the vocoder is present in many tracks, and the space "buzzes" and "beeps" abound; nonetheless, in this album, they tend to abandon the "pop/disco" sound of the previous work in favor of a slightly more stripped-down electronic rock and synth-pop. The tracks this time are less "polished" and sometimes rougher than before.

Despite these premises that present a substantial and less frivolous album, "π 3.14" ultimately turns out to be simply a pleasant and decent record; nothing more, nothing less. Catchy melodies are not missing, yet some songs are somewhat "lazy" and, even if quite appealing at first listen, they hardly leave a mark: such is the case with "Radiate," "Ziga Ziga 999," and especially "King Of The Universe," a flat track, "without infamy and without praise," which represents a truly unfortunate finale for the album. Things seem to go better with the more lively tracks like "Imagine E.S.P.," "Video-Addict," "Hypnotic Reality," and "Ideomatic," the more polished and pleasant songs, which, however, still represent nothing special. The true highlight of the entire album is the excellent "Astro Storm," which takes us back to the splendor of "On The Road Again." However, this single track cannot single-handedly uplift the fortunes of an album that, despite the good ideas and talents of the musicians, does not constitute anything too memorable.

With "π 3.14" begins the decline of the "Rockets phenomenon," which would find its true conclusion with the departure of Christian LeBartz and the space costumes.

Let's be clear, "π 3.14" is a modest album that knows how to offer light electronic rock, very catchy melodies, and even a couple of more surprising moments. It is a record that certainly deserves a listen, but it proves inferior to albums like "On The Road Again" and "Plasteroid," and it will hardly be "unforgettable" for the listener.