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Rating: Let’s say that six more or less famous musicians from Brescia decide to meet and join forces because they believe (rightly, I think) that the rock’n’roll out there is always too little compared to our listeners' needs who want something more than the “usual stuff.”
That's how CDs like this can materialize, and fiery shows like the concerts of the Spanish Johnny, which is a sort of supergroup of our lands. The singer, rough and boozy as always, is Sandro Ducoli, accompanied by characters from various local groups such as Tommaso and Enrico Vezzoli on guitar and keyboards respectively, Paolo Panteghini on electric guitar, Tommaso Fusco on bass, and James Gelfi on drums. Among the characters already on De-Baser is also Aaron Van Cleef, i.e., Van Cleef Continental. Since they take their name from a character created by Bruce Springsteen's mind (the "Spanish Johnny" from "Incident on 57th Street"), it can be understood how the musical orientation leans towards that guitar-filled American rock and mouth harmonicas that were so popular in the '70s and the first half of the '80s.
It’s a contagious rock’n’roll that emanates from the music we listen to in this mini-album (just under half an hour, but who cares? Better these short little gems than many tedious and long anonymous and useless CDs). What Spanish Johnny narrates are stories set on dusty roads, places of vultures, like the first song which is called "Spanish Johnny", reflections on the human condition of people who learn nothing from history (we have examples in front of us every day), a splendid and nervous electric ballad ("Zabulon"), then there's "Tombstone" a great ballad reminiscent of some of the slower moments of Springsteen's "The River." With the only cover of the album, Spanish Johnny brings "Jokerman" and the old Bob Dylan to take a spin around New Jersey. "Demas" is an indictment of those who claim to teach us the Word in their own way, trying to pass it off as a sacrosanct truth.
Then there is a sensational gift that the Gang gives to Spanish Johnny, which is a piece written and recited by the Severini brothers themselves that needs to be transcribed to understand how beautiful it is.
Son, devoured by comets Burned by the dust of lost roads Where is the sweat? Where is the cold? Son, your side is wounded, the moon knows it And the drunk who showed you the way Now has dinner with death. Son, sleepless, bloodwreck Guitars without strings, broken voice Echo in the devil's belly Son, sing the anguish The truth asks no questions, only desire Burns the clock on the church steeple As you spoke, I heard the shots, far away As the trains derailed and your body floated, in the sun's pain Son, electric noise of nerves Could it be the wind? The bed is still empty, finally it's love, without dawn Son, you have reached heaven's gates The blood will melt your hair once more Son with gentle hands and the broken rose Son with a withered face This is how you learn what your country now forgets.
I imagine the emotion of Sandro Ducoli and his companions in receiving this gift from the Severinis. The last piece is, in my opinion, the most beautiful of a mini-album with truly high musical-literary quality. The piece is called "Leaving Las Vegas", with splendid acoustic guitars opening the piece and a great dreamy rock’n’roll atmosphere that makes you wish it never has to end.
But let’s not worry about the death of rock’n’roll; it’s not today.
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