Customer Reviews

City Reading (Tre Storie Western)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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~

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.

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.

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!!

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.

Im reviewing in defense of City Reading cause damnit somebody's gotta stand up for it. If you haven't been let down yet by any Air release (like me), you probably already have this CD.... if not, go buy it. If you're not such a die-hard Air fan, the spoken word might turn you off, but, as always, the music is Grade-A. All hail AIR, the masters of the Chord Progression. PEACE

I love almost everything Air has ever produced. The exceptional Moon Safari is one of my favorite albums ever. However, this one just didn't do it for me.

First, the music itself is very atmospheric, which is usually a good thing, and a huge part of what Air has always been about. Unfortunately, I can't really get into the music because I am so distracted by the voice reading in Italian that dominates the music and strangles it to death. If I understood Italian, perhaps I wouldn't feel this way, but I don't.

This is an album to purchase if:

1. You are a completist Air fan and want to own every album they ever released.
2. You speak Italian and enjoy the work of Alessandro Baricco.

If you're like me and like your Air without distracting narrative being read in a foreign language, take a pass on this one.

I speak Italian, and despite Air and Baricco might say about their collaborating, the music doesn't work incredibly well with Baricco's spoken word. The music is minimal to say the least, but in my opinion, would have been nice to soak in alone. The problem is, it's as effective in helping the text like reading a book in a hotel lobby; while at times it may fit the text, there is hardly any dramatical effect that corresponds with Baricco's voice. I'm sure this is likely to fly over the heads of most of us. I listened to this record prior to leaving for Italy with minimal listen comprehension, thinking about how much Baricco's voice tends to drown out the music in a tug of war for our attention. A year later after several months in Italy, the music and Baricco's voice take turns sounding out of place.

Read the book, listen to Air, but the two things don't work out to well. Nice try anyway.

All you bad saying people: u didn't get it. You all went searching for an Air album. Well... sorry ladys. This isn't one. I think you all should read more. In the cover it says: "Air * Baricco" - City Reading. Being that the important issue here is the READING OF THE CITY NOVEL. The thingee you write in the ARTIST field in your riper is: AIR + BARICCO. The music by air is just in the backgroung. Kind of like a soundtrack. Acompaigning the reading. If you don't want to hear an italian voice don't buy the album.

Yours trully,
"Not an american self centered person"

Is this a joke or what? do they really think someone is going to listen to the whole cd and have a feeling of satisfaction?
THE WOST OF AIR. I HOPE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!!