Rusties
Move Along

Fans had been eagerly awaiting for the Rusties to tackle an entirely original repertoire. Finally, the moment has arrived, and this "Move Along" certainly does not disappoint. A wholesome album, reminiscent of how they used to make them, in the sense that it isn't trendy music, but instead authentic music that flows from the notes of these ten songs.

An album composed and played with the passion of those who strive to ensure that music is not just mere background noise, but rather a true soundtrack for our days.

The five musicians (yes, five, because for the first time there's a keyboardist in the lineup, Massimo Piccinelli) convey serenity, a desire to play, and share their many musical passions with us.

On vocals is Marco Grompi, with his usual splendid voice and his electric and acoustic guitars; the other guitar belongs to the excellent Osvaldo Ardenghi, a great character who brings together his two souls—his rocker side here in the Rusties and his cabaret side with Enzo Jannacci. The keyboardist is, as mentioned, Massimo Piccinelli, with the usual good Dario Filippi on bass (in my opinion, one of the best bass players around), and on drums is Paolo Guerini (formerly of Bacco il Matto among other things).

The album opens with a track that somehow reminded me of the Police, "Eclipse," which reminds us how we humans, with all our inventions and destructions, are quite insignificant in the face of astronomical movements like solar eclipses.

What follows is a piece that could also be interpreted as political, meaning life as a performance, at the end of which we must throw away the mask ("The Show").

"Move Along" is one of the ballads on the album and features the extraordinary participation of Cristina Donà, one of the most beautiful and intense voices in Italian rock songwriting, who enhances the piece with a goosebump-inducing performance. Noteworthy also is the solo guitar of Paolo Filippi (a guest on this and two other tracks on the album), adding color to the piece towards the end.

Osvaldo Ardenghi previously released a mini CD a few years ago, "Brevemente," an album with a distinctly cabaret feel, which includes a track titled "Cerco un'avventura," telling the story of a rocker torn between the dreams of rock 'n' roll and the joys of a serene, peaceful domestic life. Here, the piece is rendered much more rock-oriented, with sharp, cutting guitars, and the lyrics in English.

Another guest on the album is Robi Zonca, one of the greatest and most underrated Italian guitarists, who enriches "You’ll Never Know" with his touch.

In "Above Everyman," one of the acoustic tracks on the album, there is the participation of Jada Salem, an Italian-Syrian violinist, which bursts into a lively southern spirit, as Ardenghi defines it.

Some of these tracks were written years ago and have been left to age like good wine, and "Low Spirits" is precisely one of these, a song written in 1986 and allowed to mature just right because that's how it was meant to be. A piece that immediately harks back to the best electric Neil Young & Crazy Horse, with Grompi's guitar taking on the role of the legendary Old Black.

"By Your Side", one of the two tracks written by Osvaldo Ardenghi (the others are all by Marco Grompi), was intended for a great female voice, which the band doesn't have, but Marco's strong vocal range allows him to handle this challenging piece excellently.

"Tracks" is the "easiest" piece on the album (assuming such a term fits an album like this), it’s definitely my favorite, for now, with that riff played by Robi Zonca that stays in your head for a long time, and those three final solo guitars that chase each other (Zonca, Ardenghi, and Paolo Filippi themselves), a perfect song for a convertible on a dusty road near the Grand Canyon.

The album closes with a piece, "Sinking," which was intended for an orchestra, but then the violinist Jada Salem recorded thirteen violin tracks for the piece, and that was enough. And in this track, there's another guest, percussionist Teo Marchese.

Moreover, there's another important aspect to highlight: the great vocal harmony of the Rusties in the choral interludes.

The CD was recorded at Cavò Studio in Azzano San Paolo (BG).