AA.VV.
Eighties Colours Vol. 2

Where were we left off? Ah yes, man, what a stroke of luck I had being born in 1971, etc., etc.

This is "Eighties Colours Vol. 2".

When the second chapter of "Eighties Colours" arrives, the excitement is still at its peak and even more so, because in the meantime there have been "Faces," "Serena Maboose," and other stuff of that kind (with two "b"s gives a better idea) to keep the fire alive.

Anyone who listened to it still has in their ears the magnificent sounds that came from the grooves of its predecessor and, perhaps, they might doubt that the sequel is up to par: well, remove that doubt immediately because "Eighties Colours Vol. 2" is a record that rocks everything and stops at no obstacle.

Just to say, here appears one of the greatest Italian rock bands of all time. Do you know the Sleeves? No? Too bad for you, I’m not linking "Beating The Grass" on purpose, and anyway, "Five Days To Hell" is practically unfindable. For those who know them, I am sure that, like me, they will carry them in their heart for as long as they live as the most flavorful slice of Paisley Underground transplanted to the Old Continent: halfway between Dream Syndicate and Green On Red, though much more leaning towards the former caught at the time of "The Medicine Show", I've really never heard a group capable of playing a 360-degree rock of such craftsmanship in Italy again; and if, at the time, you were into "The Medicine Show," you couldn't not have brought "Five Days To Hell" home as well, which pinpointed Wynn's and companions' masterpiece, and behind, there was a void.

In any case, just so no one forgets "Eighties Colours," on the back of the second volume there’s an explicit invitation to pick up that extraordinary vinyl again, and above all, there’s the participation of some direct descendants of the heroes of the first wave: the Silver Surfers from Pression X, the Pale Dawn and the Magic Potion from Technicolour Dream, the Steeplejack from Birdmen Of Alkatraz. Just to remember who was there before writing History.

And then, here for real, there's a lot, a lot of garage, as per the cover with guitar and Vox amp proudly on display.

Ready, then?

We kick off in grand style with the Ugly Things (would you believe it, Umberto Palazzo played there), the Silver Surfers, and the Psychomotor Pluck. Heart racing, because we too have the Voxx and the Midnight at home, it’s called Electric Eye and it sends out scream-worthy bands capable of assaulting the world with tracks like "Let Me In", "M.O.N.E.Y Now!" or "Underground Down The Town" (the ultimate in Italian garage? Yes, yes) and at that time, few could compete, only people like Morlocks, Nomads, and Lime Spiders: pure teenage angst, everything (or only) what rock'n'roll should always be.

The best part is that even the Pikes In Panic join the chaos, with a delightful track that calls to mind the most fired-up episodes of bands like the Rolling Stones and Pretty Things when they still got their hands dirty with raw beat, rhythm, and blues material, and if someone still remembers the Stones dealing with "Get Off Of My Cloud" it all becomes clearer.

Garage in full throttle, more or less psychotic, also for Acid Flowers, Scrimshankers, Keep Away From Children, Impulsive Youth, and Avengers, but here the level is not as stratospheric as usual and the boys are more noticeable for their energy and unconditional passion than for the actual value of the compositions. It’s a shame, because if one thinks that there were people around like the Electric Shields (as great as, if not greater than the Sick Rose), the Lokomotive Dragster, the Five For Garage, the Funhouse, and many more, it makes you want to kick yourself. But it doesn’t matter, we move forward without looking back.

Also because there is still to talk about Pale Dawn, Magic Potion, and Allison Run.

For the first two, I’ll make it easier and just say that if there were only the Technicolour Dream to amaze before, now there are two doing wonders, with the Pale Dawn embodying the more dreamy and melodic soul of the mother band and the Magic Potion drawing from the more lively side, and their "Happy Time" is a sufficient calling card to push anyone with ears to hear in search of the album "Four Wizards In Your Tea" (yeah, and where do you find it now).

And finally, there's the Allison Run. And here I get mad like a beast against the world, because the success enjoyed by bands like Blur or Oasis or all those Brit-pop currents oriented towards the Beatles is a cruel joke for someone able to write songs like "Milk Is Set In The Sky" without anyone giving a damn, apart from the immeasurable Electric Eye and a few desperate ones who lost their way. Because Allison Run, bands like Blur and Oasis, soak them up like a Pavesino in milk!

Oops, I forgot that whoever snatched up "Eighties Colours Vol. 2" immediately found inside a single with Steeplejack and Soul Hunter.

In this sole circumstance, the aforementioned stroke of luck did not assist me.