Marco Rossi – The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
(2023, Fruits De Mer Records)
by Simone Rossetti
“I’m only using one mic for everything, a well-gigged and almost terminally-fucked SM58, but I like the way it sounds. It’s a limitation in one sense, but also one less thing to think about when my mind is already brimming with other stuff. I didn’t deviate from the originals to any great degree, for the most part. These songs emphatically weren’t broke, so there was no need to fix them; and nor would I have the temerity to think I could do so.” (Marco Rossi)
Che Marco Rossi sia un novello Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond)/Syd Barrett dei nostri tempi??…..Ancora presto per dirlo certo è che bisogna essere “disfunzionali” e non poco (e noi ne sappiamo qualcosa) per imbattersi in un’avventura come questa…..Vi ricordate la Summer Of Love? L’West Coast, la California, gli hippy!! (vi ricordate gli hippy???)……Preistoria, sogno, infine cenere….eppure Marco Rossi è veramente bravo nel saper rileggere questi pezzi di un tempo che fu (il suono finale anche se registrato con un fottuto microfono SM58 non ci dispiace affatto)….bravo ed onesto. Prima cosa da fare e ve la consigliamo caldamente a prescindere è quella di tornare a ri-ascoltarvi anche gli originali (The Sincerest Form Of Flattery è composto di 12 cover che tanto di cappello), un bel sentire che vi catapulterà in una dimensione del tutto “irreale” ma da riscoprire e senza rimpiangere…..L.A. degli Orange Bicycle (1968) ha un’armonia e respiro da togliere il fiato, pezzo immenso (stiamo ascoltando la versione “coverizzata”), Forget All About It dei The Nazz!!!, una dolce Trust a firma The Peppermint Trolley Company (1968) assolutamente da brivido…e che dire di Let’s Get Together dei The Youngbloods???? Di Pretty Song From “Psych-Out” (Strawberry Alarm Clock) o di Come To Me (The Association) dagli intensi profumi paisley per concludere con la lisergica In The Past dei We The People?…..Ok, quando è troppo è troppo (nel senso buono cioè che non se ne avrebbe mai abbastanza) anche perché Marco è bravo nel non snaturarne un’anima….peccato però, peccato che non osi “un suo”, un qualcosa di più “personale”….forse lo farà, forse no…chi può dirlo? Per il momento gustatevi i solchi di questo vinile fra un passato che non è più ed un futuro prossimo che sembra ancora peggio. Da Roots! è tutto e come sempre buon ascolto (qui o direttamente il CD qui).
English version (?)
Marco Rossi – The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
(2023, Fruits De Mer Records)
by Simone Rossetti
“I’m only using one mic for everything, a well-gigged and almost terminally-fucked SM58, but I like the way it sounds. It’s a limitation in one sense, but also one less thing to think about when my mind is already brimming with other stuff. I didn’t deviate from the originals to any great degree, for the most part. These songs emphatically weren’t broken, so there was no need to fix them; and nor would I have the temerity to think I could do so.” (Marco Rossi)
Is Marco Rossi a new Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond)/Syd Barrett of our times??…..Still too early to say for sure is that you have to be “dysfunctional” and not a little (and we know something about it) to come across on an adventure like this…..yeah, like this one. Do you remember the Summer Of Love? The West Coast, California, the hippies!! (do you remember the hippies???)……Prehistory, dream, finally ash….yet Marco Rossi is really good at re-reading these pieces of a time that was (and the final sound even if recorded with a fucking SM58 mic we don’t mind at all)…honest. The first thing to do, and we warmly recommend it, is to go back and listen to the originals again (The Sincerest Form Of Flattery is made up of 12 covers, hats off), a nice feeling that will catapult you into a completely “unreal” dimension ” but to be rediscovered (without regret)…..L.A. by Orange Bicycle (1968) has breath-taking harmony and breath, huge piece (we are listening to the “covered” version), Forget All About It by The Nazz!!!, a sweet Trust signed by The Peppermint Trolley Company ( 1968) absolutely thrilling… and what about Let’s Get Together by The Youngbloods???? Of Pretty Song From “Psych-Out” (Strawberry Alarm Clock) or Come To Me (The Association) with intense paisley scents to conclude with the lysergic In The Past by We The People?…..Ok, when it’s enough it’s enough too much (in the good sense, that one would never have enough of it)….also because Marco is good at not distorting a soul…..a pity though, a pity that doesn’t dare “a his”, something more “personal”….maybe he will, maybe not…who knows? For now, enjoy the grooves of this vinyl between a past that is no longer and a near future that seems even worse. From Roots! that’s all and as always good listening (here or directly the CD here).