Sensations' Fix / Franco Falsini ~ Italy

Franco Falsini - Cold Nose (1975)

Franco Falsini's only solo album takes in one part Manuel Gottsching, one part Richard Pinhas, and three parts of the outer galaxy he apparently emigrated from. Analog wedgy electronics, and thick oozing heavy guitar shards define the sound palette, whereas the melodies are pulled from his own Sensations' Fix cookbook - you'll hear plenty of snippets from Fragments of Light and Portable Madness within. I would love to see the movie that was inside of Falsini's mind during this recording. Essential head space music.

Ownership: 

1975 Polydor Special (LP). Acquired in 1989.

CD: 2010 Universal (as part of the 6 CD box set Progressive Italia Gli Anni '70 Vol. 6). Acquired in 2011.

1989; 2/5/11; 11/21/17; 5/25/18 (review)

Portable Madness (1974)

And here we have... the single greatest space rock album of all time!

No small claim that. Not an irreverent throw out to grab one's attention. Not an epiphany on the 4th beer. No - this is pretty much where I've stood for the 26 years I've owned the album. Last night it comes up again, and reminds me that it is, indeed, the single greatest space rock album of all time. Of course, not everyone will agree with that, and probably the it's overrated crowd will be along here any minute.

Twisty, turny, kinetic, psychedelic, jumpy, murky, primordial, psychotic, and melodic are just a few adjectives that come to mind here. The opening two numbers are great enough, but once 'Phase One and Phase Two' starts spinning in multiple directions, you are sucked into the vortex of another world and dimension. If this doesn't happen to you, then stop surfing the net, watching TV, texting on Facebook with a Russian hooker, or vacuuming the rug. Start from the beginning and pay close attention. OK you there now? Good, so now by the time you get to 'Pasty Day Resistance', you have reached what I consider the single greatest space rock track of all time. There's more twists and turns on this five and half minute track then I've heard on full double albums. 'Leave My Chemistry Alone' will finally polish you off, and presumably you're in a cold sweat by now. The album closes with two relatively sane compositions, and tries to return you to Earth, but doesn't quite get there. You are lost forever.

The fuzzy photograph on the front cover, taken in the same spirit as Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster, tells you all you need to know about its provenance. This can't be Italian - nor German as it may seem - but something from another galaxy.

Ownership: 

1974 Polydor (LP). Textured single sleeve. Acquired in 1991.

CD: 2009 Universal (as part of Progressive Italia Gli Anni '70 Vol. 1 - The Universal Music Collection). Acquired in 2009.

1991; 5/28/09; 9/19/12; 10/27/17 (review)

10/27/17 (new entry)