MUST HAVE/MUST HEAR
italy
"your whole life could be better, 'es-starting right now."
alright, so you went out way too hard last night. it's sunday now, about let's say 8:45am. tragically you're awake, and can't seem to fall back to sleep, despite the fact you have only slept a small handful of hours. you're probably just about to make for the couch with a blanket, and a glass of water, to let that damn television jail-sex your mind up for the next few hours, and hoping to either stumble back to sleep, or upon some hitchcock, or maybe big trouble in little china. even though this could end up being good, DON'T! REALLY KIDS. I HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO TRY JUST ONCE THE NEXT TIME YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THIS PREDICAMENT. "come with uncle, hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. you are invited!"
put on a pot of coffee, chicory, tea. smoke a bowl, have a taste of whatever evil elixir has put in this position, whatever. whatever you do to relax. and just simply play this record. in a dark room preferrably. and just let this take you, completely, over.
piero ciampi is an itailan singer/songwriter, akin to the likes of a scott walker or maybe more jacques brel. if you do not know who those two men are, then look them up, and stay tuned to this site as well. i know i have much work do.
ciampi's voice is brooding and dark. velveteen, delicate at times, but not devoid of strength and intensity, and passion, and the occaisional gravel to round out the textural experience. and the composition's that he hangs his voice on are just immaculate. fairly simple, unlike the larger symphonic pieces used by brel, but there is just so much depth. his voice seems to be in three or four places at once, on every single note. even in between lyrics, his voice tends to languish in the ear and alter the notes you hear from the strings or guitar. and that has not even scratched the surface, for the way this man emotes, there is just no match i have found, other than maybe brel. i would probably put this in a top 100 records of all time.
it is just so dark and heartbreaking at times. even when he is probably singing a song in which he is probably proclaiming his love, it sounds much more like a requiem, sung by the saddest man in the world for his very best friend or true love.
that's it. i am done. if you need more convincing than this, then ciampi is probably not for you. if not, and maybe you don't find yourself hungover, and just about resigned to commit soul suicide on the couch with the idiot box, who cares. don't wait. get a bottle of wine, and a lover if you have one, put this record on, and show one another your softer sides if you know what i mean.
love,
uncle chops.
No comments:
Post a Comment