DARK MATTER

DARK MATTER

Apr 27, 2024 | MUSIC, MUSIC, ROCK, ROCK

Dark matter … first of all can we say that we are immediately attracted by these words?

Not to mention that the first thing I read in it was the prosecution of that sort of thread left hanging after 72 seasons, or Memento mori … 

So even Pearl Jam tells us the obscure in some way … this we should mainly ask Luciana: the biggest Pearl Jam fan I know.

Lucy you will correct me if I’m wrong, right?

The first rumour I heard about Dark Matter concerns the illustrious name in the credits: Sean Penn.

His contribution would consist of the sound of a pool cue hitting the ball, recorded by Eddie Vedder on his mobile phone.

Cool.

Not to mention the fact that the thought of Eddie and Sean automatically leads to Into the wild. 

Wild was also the start of the recording, which started at Andrew Watt‘s house and then relocated due to rain flooding.

I would call Andrew a natural born fan if I tried to imagine his repertoire of Pearl Jam t-shirts: a different one for each day of recording.

So at this point I ask: do you also keep one or more t-shirts from the concerts you have experienced? Can you tell me what they are?

Meanwhile, I list the titles of the eleven tracks of Dark Matter:
Scared of Fear
React, Respond
Wreckage
Dark Matter
Won’t Tell
Upper Hand
Waiting for Stevie
Running
Something Special
Got to Give
Setting Sun

and I won’t hide that before I found out which Stevie they were referring to, I hoped it was Nicks … instead it’s Wonder.

But there’s another reference, which I want to consider in a particular way: in the song Scared of Fear
…
We used to laugh, we used to sing
We used to dance, we used to believe

do you think we could get back: Seattle, 90s?

Although in reality each of us has our own memory that fits these words, would you like to tell yours?

I leave you with the conclusion of Dark Matter: words we should all remember, as well as sing

These days it’s strange
When everyone else is paying
For someone else’s mistakes
This guilt takes shape
until everyone pays
for someone else’s mistakes …

DANSE MACABRE

DANSE MACABRE

Oct 28, 2023 | MUSIC, MUSIC, ROCK, ROCK

Danse macabre is Duran Duran‘s new work due out Oct. 27 just in time for Halloween. 

Actually, the idea for Danse macabre came from the Halloween-themed performance at the Encore Theatre at the Wynn in Las Vegas on Oct. 30 and 31 a year ago. 

Yes, I know, I didn’t want to believe what I was seeing either, and yet it’s all true.

Let’s say that from that start to the final album the dance more than macabre was intense and produced three unreleased, three new versions from their discography and six covers.

Covers are always a big risk, that’s a fact, however I regardless appreciate the tribute to pieces of music history.

Paint it black is a song that I like very much and that’s all I’m going to say.

Spellbound by Siouxie and the Banshees thanks to Stranger Things is now appreciated even by non-boomers, who knows if they will even listen to the Duran Duran version.

Definitely Bury a friend by Billie Eilish is a great point of contact.

And with regard to Psycho Killer contact point was the passion for Tina Weymouth that John Taylor discovered shares with Victoria De Angelis.

When you say Talking Heads …

Here is what John had to say about it

Sharing, cooperation are concepts I love, just as I love rock characters, and by rock I don’t mean simply music.

Can a macabre dance be rock?

I don’t know, what I do know is that Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, and on this occasion also Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo somehow continue the thread that we are following together.

If we trace it backwards we go back to Lux Æterna by Metallica, and earlier to Memento Mori by Depeche Mode, all the way to last October with Muse and You make me feel like it’s Halloween. 

So are you ready for the Danse Macabre?

ATOMIC CITY – SPHERE

ATOMIC CITY – SPHERE

Sep 30, 2023 | MUSIC, MUSIC, ROCK, ROCK

Atomic City is the new song by U2 released on September 29.

U2 surprisingly performed a preview in Las Vegas a few days ago

Did you recognize Freemont Street?

That’s right: the location of the video I still haven’t found what I am looking for.

Listening to Atomic City, you recognize something else well too, don’t you?

I immediately thought, “Debbie Harry!” 

In fact Blondie as well as Giorgio Moroder appear in the credits.

From Atomic to Atomic city then.

Although Atomic City is no longer a reference to Blondie but is what Las Vegas was called in the 1950s.

Las Vegas.

Since I saw the movie with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher whenever I hear Las Vegas mentioned I can’t resist without repeating it in various ways like they do in the movie, you know the scene?

Las Vegas in particular was U2’s choice for their residency show “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere.”

Achtung Baby needs no further introduction: simply the fact that it is the album that contains One, makes it memorable.

Sphere, or MSG Sphere is an arena created for entertainment shows at The Venetian Resort in Paradise, Nevada and is currently the most colossal and avant-garde sphere in the world: covered with LED panels that also allow images to be projected outside, as well as a virtual experience inside.

If you love math I recommend you take a look at this page: it contains an explanation of how centuries-old mathematical formulas and 22nd century engineering and technology were used to create Sphere.

Wanting to put on a Residency show as opposed to the tours we are used to in the music business, U2 thought to concretize creativity using the latest technology.

What are your thoughts on this?

According to Heraclitus, invisible harmony is a perfect and pristine sphere. The visible one, on the other hand, continually deforms under the weight of reality.

In this case the weight is of virtual reality …

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

Jul 1, 2023 | MUSIC, ROCK, WORLD

Glastonbury Festival is another iconic music event that takes place in the days following the summer solstice. 

Glastonbury is located about an hour from Stonehenge and is famous for the Glastonbury Tor or a hill on which St. Michael’s Tower is located.

 

There are legends about this place that lead back to Avalon, Ynys yr Afalon, the famous island linked to the myth of King Arthur, very exciting indeed.

Glastonbury also stands on a Ley line: a temporary line i.e. one of the lines that virtually connect places of historical significance related to the spiritual sphere.

Glastonbury Festival on the other hand concerns the musical sphere and was born in 1970 from the inspiration of Michael Evis after attending a Led Zeppelin performance.

What can we say … there is to be understood.

Throughout the years there have been memorable performances, difficult even to rank, out of all of them I would like to mention this one

Recently R.E.M. published on their twitter profile five songs taken from their 1999 concert asking their fans to vote for the best among: Loosing my religion, It’s the end of the world as we know it (we have already chatted about this song here)  Everybody hurts, At my most beautiful and Man on the moon. 

Would you know how to choose?
Or do you have your own favorite performance by any other artist?

The Glastonbury Festival is also a case opportunity to indulge in distinctive outfits, but they turn out differently than those sported in the California sunshine for Coachella. 

The British weather calls for raincoats and boots: here is a roundup of looks  among which we can admire Emma Watson. 

How about?
Sun or rain as long as there is good music!

And of course coffee 🙂 

72 SEASONS

72 SEASONS

Apr 15, 2023 | ROCK

72 Seasons is the title chosen by Metallica for their new album released yesterday and anticipated by a global premiere on Thursday, April 13 at the same time in cinemas around the world.

72 Seasons equals the first eighteen years of life.

The 72 seasons of life before coming of age, before becoming an adult.

James Hetfield said he was inspired by the idea of maturation that occurs during these years reading a book.

None of the interviews I found ever asked what this book was, yet that is the first question I would ever ask, “James what book did you read?”

In general, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo 72 seasons have not been easy, and I think each of us periodically rethink to the 72 seasons period.

For example, I often say that after a carefree childhood, adolescence was a bit of a middle age in its negative sense.

What memories do you have of your 72 Seasons?

Still talking about darkness: James Hetfield reminds us of its importance because without it there would be no light.

I reflected on this concept for the first time precisely during my 72 Seasons ….

Speaking of light, Lux Æterna is the debut single from this album and by associating it with Memento Mori I wondered if these obvious references are a consequence of the historical period in which we are living.

Instead, James Hetfield called Lux Æterna a joyful song and a kind of throwback to the 80s. 

What do you think about this definition?

I personally haven’t decided yet if I completely agree with it, however, I am sure of one thing: the second excerpted track If Darkness had a son is perfect to give a remarkable power.

My son and I listened to it in the morning while we were in the car on our way to school and the office, and we had fun and nice smiling.

Indeed I’m not the only one who gets energy from Metallica, as the Virginia Tech team uses Enter Sandman for pre-game … of course you can’t compare it to aka, but for those without Maori roots and ancestors, the effect is powerful enough, isn’t it?

Aside from coffee, of course, what gets your power?

MEMENTO MORI

MEMENTO MORI

Mar 18, 2023 | MUSIC, ROCK

Memento mori are the words on the official of Depeche mode website, written in an original way, under a countdown in red.

Memento mori is the title of Depeche Mode‘s  new work to be released on March 24th.

Do you ever find particular connections on multiple levels, with respect to artistic forms that represent elements that are particularly close to your heart?

Here it is: on the official Instagram profile you can find this video showing, somewhat in speed painting style, a huge mural depicting wings … and you know I have a thing for wings, right?

But my connection with Depeche Mode is very very far back in time: my first concert in Milan.

By the way, Milan recurs in their story because Violator was partly recorded right in Milan in the Mecenate area.

Legendary is the anecdote of the sound of footsteps on the staircase trumpet, other than electronic percussion …

Speaking of Violator tomorrow is the anniversary of its release: March 19, 1990.

33, like Jesus age, that Personal Jesus they wanted to personalize, humanize, make tangible.

Feeling unknown
And you’re all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I’ll make you a believer

This concept expressed in the song was somehow made real with the launch to promote the single: a simply brilliant idea.

On a page of the Melody Maker appeared only a telephone number accompanied by the words Your Own Personal Jesus.

Those who called the number had the opportunity to hear the fragment “reach out and touch faith” followed by the very famous riff.

Isn’t this music history?

By the way, doesn’t it make you nostalgic for the days when phones didn’t follow us every minute of the day, and when the idea of “fearing” unknown phone numbers as a potential source of commercial stalking would never have crossed our minds?

But back to Memento mori: it means “remember you must die.”

I fortunately or unfortunately can never think of these words without associating them with Non ci resta che piangere, so instead of crying, I smile.

Also Dave Gahan and Martin Gore want to mean their Memento mori in a positive sense, as a Carpe Diem: live to the fullest.

As Fletch would have it.

And so here they are, in the video once again edited by Anton Corbijn playing chess with death as in Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal

Ghosts again …

The journey of life: from trying to make the spirit tangible, to thinking about being happy even after something is over.

Do you think it’s really the perfect balance of melancholy and joy like Dave Gahan?

Can you remind yourself that “you have to die”?

I know, posed like this, this question seems absurd, I often get angry with myself: when I get caught up in the daily delusions instead of valuing every single day, every single moment.

Tell me that you are better at this than I am.

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