The Gang
Dalla polvere al cielo

To all the timeless bandits

After spending 6 years on DeBaser, I realized I haven't written a review yet about one of my favorite bands, the Gang, and I think it's time to fill that gap.
So let me state upfront that the review will be absolutely biased, also because when I said that the Gang is one of my favorite bands, I wasn't completely honest; the Gang is not just one of my favorite bands, they are one of the bands I love.

I discovered the Gang in the early '90s, and their music struck my heart and hasn't left me since. I've seen them live countless times and have been there, in the "splendid front row", at almost every concert they've held in Milan or nearby.
The Gang plays what could be considered "simple" rock, or rather combat rock politically and socially engaged in the spirit of "Joe the Busker", but most importantly, they do it with sincerity and passion, they truly put their heart into it, and this can be heard clearly in their records and especially during their concerts, and this is something about them that has won me over. Those who know their history, who have seen them live, or have had the chance to exchange a few words with them know what I'm talking about and, like me, can't help but love them.

From the Dust to the Sky is their first live album and contains almost all the best tracks from their long career (at least the ones in Italian, for their English beginnings I refer you to this review) performed at various concerts between 2000 and 2004.
The band of brothers Marino and Sandro Severini, accompanied by trusty Francesco Caporaletti on bass, Fabio Verdini on keyboards, and the late Paolo "Zico" Mozzicafreddo on drums, not only has recorded splendid albums but is a band absolutely worth hearing live, and this album manages to convey the same energy, the same passion, the same involvement that you breathe in front of the stage.

It always starts with Socialdemocrazia and then all their other "classics" follow: La corte dei miracoli, Non è di maggio, La pianura dei sette fratelli (if it doesn't move you, you have no heart), Sesto San Giovanni, Kowalsky (with the usual long and engaging finale), Le radici e le ali, and still Il bandito Trovarelli, Comandante, a spectacular version of Oltre, Paz, the splendid cover of I Fought the Law, and in conclusion Buonanotte ai viaggiatori. The only missing pieces are Bandito senza tempo, a wonderful track, especially live, and La lotta continua, another piece that attains incredible energy in concert.
But in the end, it doesn't matter much; every time I listen to the double CD, I feel transported right to the front of the stage, singing, shouting, dancing, sweating with them.

Thank you, Gang. I love you all, our paths will surely cross again, and who knows, I might even meet a fellow DeBaseriota down there in front of the stage...