Sottotono
Sotto effetto stono

First of all, I must admit I'm not a hip-hop enthusiast (or however it's spelled...) and today I consider Italian hip-hop as something that fails to convey anything truly special except for exceptions like the good Frankie Hi NRG MC...

Secondly, it's worth mentioning that the two members of the group I'm reviewing have, in my opinion, become absolute rascals, hooligans, and hypocrites from 2000 onwards for obvious reasons that I think you all know...

Also, I predict that this review will probably receive loads of criticisms that you didn't expect from me, especially after reviews on Rettore, Tiromancino, and Suzanne Vega...

Having said all that...

I must admit that I was particularly fond of this album back in the day, maybe because I was less than 10 years old and was already getting interested in music... maybe because it was the time when TMC2 was around, and I discovered much valid Italian music (although there were also relative monstrosities... like "Supercafone" by Piotta... which with that song produced something unbearable... or "Mi Piaci" by Alex Britti...) thanks to that (unfortunately) defunct channel...

This is the second album, dated 1996, by Massimiliano Dagani and Massimiliano Cellamaro (Fish and Tormento), known as Sottotono, a group that I believe many of you are familiar with. From the first listen, it becomes apparent that the presence of Nega and DJ Irmu is missing, two collaborators present in the first 1994 album, "Soprattutto Sotto", which is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of the Italian hip-hop scene.

But let's analyze the tracks...

It begins with the title track, whose beat is not bad at all, but the rest is somewhat weak... well, we make do.

Next comes the melancholic "Non C'è Amore", not exactly magnificent but still listenable, especially thanks to the presence of Graziano Romani's voice (no introduction needed) rather than the rather simple and intimate lyrics. Unfortunately, the next two tracks, "Eh Beh" and "Succo Alla Pera Col Gin", I consider simply unbearable, two foolish pieces made in a short time to fill spaces that would have been better left empty.

With the brief "Ho Il Controllo", it seems like the album picks up well, although a line saying "ora sei nelle mie mani / and I can smoke you like bhooda" is something I just can't comprehend, it makes me laugh...

"Di Tormento Ce N'è Uno" is certainly the most entertaining moment of the entire album (although there are some verses that don't convince me at all)... and from the booklet, we also learn that there's a contribution from Livio Magnini of Bluvertigo fame on the guitars... well, he does a good job!

"Solo Lei Ha Quello Che Voglio" with Danny Losito, one of the two singles from the album, tries a bit to hint at the masterpiece "La Mia Coccinella" from the previous album, but it doesn't reach the same levels, although it is a decent song.

"Dimmi Che Farai" is one of my favorite songs on the album, perhaps because it creates a horror-thriller movie atmosphere with a touch of sentimentality (or eroticism?) both with the dark base and the lyrics...

"Cronici" and "Tranquillo" both suffer from flaws... the first one has a too-banal chorus in my opinion, and I don't like too much how Maku Go (the "guest star" of the track) raps, the second one doesn't thrill me.

The last five songs are a bit of a zigzag in terms of quality: "Quei Bravi Ragazzi", with Lyricalz, DJ Double S, and LeftSide, is excellent throughout, "Non C'è Storia", the second song with Graziano Romani’s contribution, has a partially good text, partially too silly (and indeed, I only save the second verse). "Ianglediz", with Esa, Polare, and Bassi Maestro, is very nice, but "Dimmi Di Sbagliato Che C'è", the other single of the album, doesn't thrill me despite its catchy chorus. It's with "L'Inconscio", the final track of the album, that in my opinion, Sottotono have produced the masterpiece of the album... base and lyrics that seem to retrace what was already started with "Dimmi Che Farai" (and I add that the piece begins with the creaking of a door!), and a "message" recorded in reverse, which is heard towards the end of the piece, and then it is heard in the original, with the base "reversed"... a message that is actually made up of some verses from "Di Tormento Ce N'è Uno"!

In summary, an album halfway, in terms of quality. Unbearable pieces, nice pieces, and excellent pieces alternate in this work... although frankly, the next work, "Sotto Lo Stesso Effetto", is of superior quality, as well as being the last beautiful album by Fish and Tormento.

Alright, bring on the tomatoes.