City- City LP
Here’s a rare LP from the outskirts of the Italian wave scene. Though this album was released on Mercury (Abc, Tears For Fears, Bon Jovi) in 1982, it is virtually unheard outside of its native country. Can’t tell you a thing about this band, though they certainly wear their Bowie influence on their sleeve. I get a bit of a Lodger/Scary Monsters vibe from this LP (especially in the guitar work), as well as a bit of Magazine circa Secondhand Daylight, Marquis De Sade’s Rue De Siam, and some Simple Minds-esque hooks here and there. While nothing on this LP touches the sheer highs of any of those artists, there are still some excellent tracks here, and the LP is very enjoyable from start to finish. A friend who recommended this record tells me the lyrics are much more bleak and clever than the music might suggest, though my Italian isn’t up to snuff. There is a lyric sheet included though. Maybe someday I’ll type ’em up.
If anyone can tell me more about this album, I’m all eyes. Without any further ado:
City- City LP
1. Citycidio
2. Antagonista
3 Isolamento
4. Autobahn
5. Giungla Metropolitana
6. Telefoni
7. Cliche
8. Notte
9. Guerra Psicologica
10. Macchina
November 20, 2012 at 11:20 am
Yes, it’s a really good album from the early italian wave (with good pop wave influences and light post-punk rhythms, never too heavy)…lyrics well groomed on social distressing themes..the voice of the singer reminds Faust’o (Rossi), another pioneer of the italian wave. The band was selected (2006) with a song, like one of the first good (and rare) italian wave bands, in this recent compilation: http://www.discogs.com/Various-Killed-By-Dad-1-1977-1982-La-Raccolta/release/1729926 . Great blog with a good eye on the italian wave…i link my collaboration with the blog Nightmares on Wax, where we will try to open a window on the italian wave sub-jenres on the next weeks…best regards M
November 21, 2012 at 11:51 am
that KBD compilation wasn’t official – it was a very scarce cdr sampler … but for many years, it was the only way to listen to Citycidio – one of the best tracks of the whole lp
November 20, 2012 at 11:22 am
The first compilation on the italian wave sub-jenres: http://nightmares-on-wax.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/post-punk-in-italy.html
Next on the goth scene…
November 20, 2012 at 2:00 pm
great stuff here! while the french are my favorite, the italians are a very close second! looking forward to what you guys come up with!
November 20, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Thank you for your appreciation and for your support Frankie ! Follow Nightmares on Wax and you will have more, and we hope more for others…the italian (dark)wave needs more followers !
p.s. a wave not so second respect to the french; the french was maybe more lucky with the discogragraphic production, the italian is remained unexpressed because we were and we are the country of the sweet songs cuore-amore ! There were a lot of good bands without the possibility to produce something more than a lo-fi demo tape…a true crime…only today underrated italian bands could see the light..thanks to your blog also ! greetings from the other Italy
November 20, 2012 at 8:35 pm
Hi, they were from Rome, completelly underneated even at their times, disapperead very fast end this lonely album became collector since mid eighties. Nobody saw them live, only once but with several groups, and they had one clip passed one or two in italian telly. Even if they were not fantastic or original, I quite love them, but still in Italy nobody knew/know them. You were very lucky to fall on a copy !
Thanx for putting them in mp3, Indomito
November 21, 2012 at 11:28 am
Indomito are you sure they were from Rome? the book Vinile Italiano by (Dark Tales) Riganti + Paolo Dovico claims they were from Trieste, which is on the other side of the country! I don’t have other sources and Frank is one of the few owners of an original copy that i know.
There surely must be something about them on old numbers of Rockerilla (or fanzines …).
November 21, 2012 at 6:09 pm
Yes, I’m sure, I own my copy since 84, and the two guys you told their book about are quite younger then me…Sob !!!
November 21, 2012 at 9:49 pm
They are definitely from Rome, a note on the back cover says: dresses of the City ‘Bartocci Sport’ via Cola di Rienzo – Roma…the case is closed for me. Vinile Italiano can fail..it’s a great drive but not a ‘bible’…
March 26, 2014 at 9:13 am
Hi, just to share some info concernig City. they played several times live between 1982 and 1985, both in festivals and solo sets, in the Rome area. They had a contract to release three albums, but after the first there was a change in the band in 1983 and the label decided to stop the contract. Most of them were 19 when they recorded the album in the late 1981. Three of them, ten years after, were part of a band named “montaluna”, they released an album in 1994 by BMG; the style was totally different form City. you can watch some of their tv performances video on youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b96JTjiFs_A ). The three former City members are the singer, the bass player and the percussionist.
March 15, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Hello im looking for ROBERTO FERA – Shock Rock mp3
anyone can help me?
Thanks
February 13, 2014 at 12:05 pm
Hi Frankie, clearly you don’t know, I’ m from Italy.
I like all Italo products you’ve insert in SoR!!!
I want write to you for this album, I can’t DWLD.
The DWLD stop at 25% and don’t move over…. (work it or not?)
I take many times to DWLD, but now it’s this….
I’m in waiting of an your ansuer.
Greets from WhTs#
February 19, 2014 at 5:03 pm
Hi Frankie your ansuer come to me. I found the many whole files today, after many various times takings. A lot of thanx from WhTs#