Air Alessandro Baricco - City Reading Tre Storie Western (3 tracks) +Album Reviews

Air Good! Baricco Bad!

04/03/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Well, Air have done it again. They've created another moody, catchy, wonderful album of material that I find thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, I can barely hear it because of the droning Italian voice that covers nearly every note. While this was an intriguing idea, I really wish I could do one of the following: a) listen to the music without the words or b) listen to the words in a language I can speak. Because as unsophisticated or perhaps even bigoted as it sounds, I have no interest in listening to Italian for an hour straight. It just gets annoying.In conclusion, go back to Air's older material (except Everybody Hertz) and enjoy it immensely. Leave this one alone.From a huge Air fan~"

Air are certainly Amazing

N. H. Ramsey | No. Brookfield, MA USA | 06/11/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Air's new release caught my attention, besides the fact that it is AIR, because it's the wierdest idea for an album, ever. They provide music while an author reads his novel in his native Italian, and produced by Nigel Godrich of Radiohead? Hmm....The fact is, the album is the least possibly accessible in the history of god. It is great music, but only for a true Air Fan. I bought it and it has a nice spot in my collection, as I can boast I have all the Air albums, minus the forgettable Everybodyt Hertz. If you want Air, I recommend 10,000 ghz, Moon safari, premier symptomes, or virgin suicides.The music is good, and I hear if you read along to the "lyrics", it makes sense. However, I am a bit iffy on reading the english to the Italian, which is gibberish to my unknowledgeable-about-Italian brain. Personally, I find this great to write papers to, or read books (in English, for me).I hear Air is coming out with a "Real" cd by the end of this year....that I will wait for!!"

Good good good...

Jacob Gehman | Lancaster, PA | 07/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While some people complained about the narraration covering the music or the narraration being in a language they didn't understand, I honestly have to say I wouldn't have it any other way. The gravely vocals add texture to an otherwise dull instrumental. The fact that you can't understand the narraration gives the whole thing a dreamy feel. The music compliments the narration very well. Air realizes that the narraration is the life of this cd, and does not attempt to overshadow it."

A Unique Idea

mitchrusk | Montreal, QC | 04/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I also must stand up for this disc. Perhaps my unending praise is biased by the fact that I do speak italian, but I simply believe it is a great work. Also, having watched an interview with both Air and Alessandro Baricco, I think I understand what they were going for. Air first tried out the putting music to spoken word at a concert, and everyone loved it. So they decided to make an entire album out of it. I personally find Baricco's reading very beautiful (he has a very unique voice) and that Air's music compliments it, emotionally and musically; which coincidentally, was the goal of all involved. Incidentally, Nigel Godrich, the producer, and Air do not speak italian, and they enjoyed it. So all in all, a unique idea, with great results."

More For Baricco Fans.

Stuart T. Park | Winston-Salem, NC USA | 06/05/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is okay. I like it but I hardly ever listen to it (if that makes any sense). The music is good, a four star performance, the reading is in Italian, which I don't understand, but won't put down. Alessandro Baricco has an excellent voice, I can't comment on the quality of the reading obviously, but according to other reviewers it's great. My only problem is that the recordings of the music and voice don't match. Air has a dinstinct sound, whether it be from the Moon Safari days or the 10,000Hz Legend days. The subjects in the reading may match the moody, spacey style of Air, but the recording of the voice does not. It's not a bad recording, but it's rather bland to be backed by such a stylized band. It's also significantly louder than the music, which normally I support for the sake of understanding the reading, but in this case it's much too loud and could have been mixed down into the music and still clearly audible. I, being an Air fan and loving Air's music (predominantly their instrumentals), find the reading to only subtract from the music because of the mix-matched recording technique. I'd say this is more an album for fans of Alessandro Baricco, because when it comes right down to it, he's really the only thing to which you can focus your attention."

Search - Air, Alessandro Baricco :: City Reading (Tre Storie Western)

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