Customer Reviews

L'Eccezione

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Carmen's latest cd is wonderful! She is one of the few italian artist (and not only...)that deserves to be listened to in every part of the world. Songs like "Matilda odiava i gatti", "L'alleanza" or "Eppur si muove" show her aggressive soul (that is the one I prefer) but there is also space for great ballads like "Uva Acerba", "Mulini a vento" and the title track "L'eccezione" that can seduce you like few other songs can.
Don't miss her live sessions if you can: She is unique on the stage.
Trust me!

Another album by Carmen Consoli, another step forward. Lyrics are beatiful as usual and Carmen's sound grew up once again. My favourite songs are "L'eccezione", "Pioggia d'aprile", "Mulini a vento", "Matilde odiava i gatti", "Masino", "L'alleanza" and "Venti del nord". If you like this album and want to listen to something else by this singer, buy "Confusa e felice" or "Mediamente Isterica".

There are so many reasons why Carmen Consoli stands out from the other italian singers of her generation : her unsettling writing , her sensitive lyrics , her unique voice - a voice so different from everything else that there's around . She somehow manages to sent out confidence while sounding like she's on the verge of crying . From her latest work , the beautiful , nostalgic tittle track is an obvious choice for a first single but it's actually a song about a guy picking cherries , the dark and deeply experimental " Masino " which is the most fascinating one of all . Her work over the years has been truly brave and undeniably interesting . Even if you don't speak a word in italian , her albums should be on the top of your buying list .

Every song on L'ECCEZIONE is a little Italian pop classic. "Moderato in Re Minore" is likely my absolute favorite (I find it very moving). The melodies here can be unbelievably sweet, as in "Moderato" or "Venti del Nord", or grinding rock, as in "Matilde Odiava i Gatti" or "Fiori d'arancio". Cantautore (singer-songwriter) Carmen's voice is breathy and vulnerable, yet conveys strength and conviction. She is a master of simple guitar melody (as evidenced on some of the songs here), and these melodies are often enhanced with more traditional Rock effects. Accompanying mandolins and flute (here and there) add one more heavenly layer to these beautiful tunes. "Masino" is in Sicilian, and though one may not understand the language, the song has an engaging melody. Carmen has a strong following in Italy and is considered an important artist. I've rated some rather "lite" vocalist/musicians highly as well, but I know the difference between well-crafted fluff and artists who communicate the nuances of ambivalence and pain.

The following excerpt may not be the best or most representative example of her work -- it's a favorite refrain, from "Moderato in Re Minore":

...Ed avrebbe voluto trovare al suo fianco / una compagna premurosa e amabile... / Ed avrebbe voluto sentire il calore di un altro corpo sotto le coperte...

N.B. You can download a 4-part (Italian-language) MTV Storytellers interview with Carmen Consoli, available FREE from the iTunes store (find the files under World Music).

it feels good to say that laura pausini and giorgia and irene grandi are doing good things in terms of the new generation of italian pop by WOMEN...but let's face it: a cursory listening of one or two carmen consoli CDs quickly leads one to the conclusion that she is the ONLY contemporary female italian vocalist who is truly INVESTED in her ART....there is no comparison....she is the leading female italian pop singer (describing her as the Italian PJ Harvey sells Carmen short)...IF NOT ...she is The Best...I want to give Nek and Mango and Tiziano a chance...but....I don't know..Carmen's music is a lot more varied ...it's more interesting than those guys'....she may very well be the best period! Bar none!

This album is a fantastic way to become acquainted with an amazing artist whose music can be appreciated on several different levels. Carmen Consoli's lyrics are often intelligent, philosophic and poetic. Those who don't know much Italian can still enjoy her music; it is varied, with some jazz and latin rhythms, rock, folk-like ballads, pop, and rock n' roll. Describing her music isn't too easy, because it is very creative and original, yet it's quite accessible without being commercial.

My favourite is Uva acerba. To me it is probably the best of the many excellent songs she has written and it is definitely one of my desert island songs. It is soulfully beautiful to me, haunting.
It combines thoughtful lyrics (although difficult for me as my Italian is rudimentary) illuminated by proverbs, with a wistful quality; melodic with breathtaking modulations and a soft latin rhythm, and fine yet understated instrumentation. Her voice ranges from intimate and sensuous, to plaintive to serene, yet commanding.

A wonderful song from this album is Pioggia d'aprile. So pretty, classy and breezy, upbeat, passionate and yet dreamy, it seems to tell a story and also express feelings and a sort of personal philosophy. It's a perfect pop song and it's timeless. I heard it live and acoustic and it was even better than on the album.

Another reviewer already wrote about Moderato in Re minore, and I certainly agree. It's heartbreakingly beautiful ballad, which shows perhaps the softest side of the artist. It is an expression of her humanity and empathy for someone who has a very different sort of life from hers. Great guitar playing -- as usual -- by Carmen and her musicians are always great, too.

Then there is Venti del Nord. Soft of jazzy, syncopated waltz-like rhythm, dream-like and magical, yet she brings it down to earth. Lovely.

I was lucky enough to hear Fiori d'Arancio live, and it was fantastic as it is on the album. It transcends genres, for me, it's rock, but it's a fabulous dance track, it's powerful and soulful and I love it. Eppur si muove is great rock n'roll, danceable, with Eastern touches near the end.

There is a lovely little surprise on here, an instrumental aptly titled Carmen that provides a perfect finish.

The other songs are really good and there aren't any I don't like, but the ones above are, for me ... exceptional. I'm still in the process of learning to appreciate this artist. I only discovered her this year and am finding that some of her music is still growing on me. I've also not been able to translate some of her songs that well and would love to be able to understand her lyrics better.

Her musical language is one I understand. It may be because I grew up with many of her influences, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Aretha. Like all great artists, Carmen has been influenced by greats, but she doesn't imitate them, she absorbs them and produces something original. It's contemporary yet traditional, her music is sparkling and new, yet it has an ancient quality due to her Sicilian roots. Maybe it's also because my roots are Sicilian that it hits me hard, but I think many people feel this way, because much in this music comes from the roots of our civilisation, both Western and Eastern, and I would even say that in a lot of her music East and West meet, even in her hardest rock it is sometimes apparent, although much more in her latest work, Eva Contro Eva. I'll probably say more about this when I review that one, which I hope to do soon.

This album is a fantastic way to become acquainted with an amazing artist whose music can be appreciated on several different levels. Carmen Consoli's lyrics are often intelligent, philosophic and poetic. Those who don't know much Italian can still enjoy her music; it is varied, with some jazz and latin rhythms, rock, folk-like ballads, pop, and rock n' roll. Describing her music isn't too easy, because it is very creative and original, yet it's quite accessible without being commercial.

My favourite is Uva acerba. To me it is probably the best of the many excellent songs she has written and it is definitely one of my desert island songs. It is soulfully beautiful to me, haunting.
It combines thoughtful lyrics (although difficult for me as my Italian is rudimentary) illuminated by proverbs, with a wistful quality; melodic with breathtaking modulations and a soft latin rhythm, and fine yet understated instrumentation. Her voice ranges from intimate and sensuous, to plaintive to serene, yet commanding.

A wonderful song from this album is Pioggia d'aprile. So pretty, classy and breezy, upbeat, passionate and yet dreamy, it seems to tell a story and also express feelings and a sort of personal philosophy. It's a perfect pop song and it's timeless. I heard it live and acoustic and it was even better than on the album.

Another reviewer already wrote about Moderato in Re minore, and I certainly agree. It's heartbreakingly beautiful ballad, which shows perhaps the softest side of the artist. It is an expression of her humanity and empathy for someone who has a very different sort of life from hers. Great guitar playing -- as usual -- by Carmen and her musicians are always great, too.

Then there is Venti del Nord. Soft of jazzy, syncopated waltz-like rhythm, dream-like and magical, yet she brings it down to earth. Lovely.

I was lucky enough to hear Fiori d'Arancio live, and it was fantastic as it is on the album. It transcends genres, for me, it's rock, but it's a fabulous dance track, it's powerful and soulful and I love it. Eppur si muove is great rock n'roll, danceable, with Eastern touches near the end.

There is a lovely little surprise on here, an instrumental aptly titled Carmen that provides a perfect finish.

The other songs are really good and there aren't any I don't like, but the ones above are, for me ... exceptional. I'm still in the process of learning to appreciate this artist. I only discovered her this year and am finding that some of her music is still growing on me. I've also not been able to translate some of her songs that well and would love to be able to understand her lyrics better.

Her musical language is one I understand. It may be because I grew up with many of her influences, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Aretha. Like all great artists, Carmen has been influenced by greats, but she doesn't imitate them, she absorbs them and produces something original. It's contemporary yet traditional, her music is sparkling and new, yet it has an ancient quality due to her Sicilian roots. Maybe it's also because my roots are Sicilian that it hits me hard, but I think many people feel this way, because much in this music comes from the roots of our civilisation, both Western and Eastern, and I would even say that in a lot of her music East and West meet, even in her hardest rock it is sometimes apparent, although much more in her latest work, Eva Contro Eva. I'll probably say more about this when I review that one, which I hope to do soon.

Every song on L'ECCEZIONE is a little Italian pop classic. "Moderato in Re Minore" is likely my absolute favorite (I find it very moving). The melodies here can be unbelievably sweet, as in "Moderato" or "Venti del Nord", or grinding rock, as in "Matilde Odiava i Gatti" or "Fiori d'arancio". Cantautore (singer-songwriter) Carmen's voice is breathy and vulnerable, yet conveys strength and conviction. She is a master of simple guitar melody (as evidenced on some of the songs here), and these melodies are often enhanced with more traditional Rock effects. Accompanying mandolins and flute (here and there) add one more heavenly layer to these beautiful tunes. "Masino" is in Sicilian, and though one may not understand the language, the song has an engaging melody. Carmen has a strong following in Italy and is considered an important artist. I've rated some rather "lite" vocalist/musicians highly as well, but I know the difference between well-crafted fluff and artists who communicate the nuances of ambivalence and pain.

The following excerpt may not be the best or most representative example of her work -- it's a favorite refrain, from "Moderato in Re Minore":

...Ed avrebbe voluto trovare al suo fianco / una compagna premurosa e amabile... / Ed avrebbe voluto sentire il calore di un altro corpo sotto le coperte...


N.B. You can download a 4-part (Italian-language) MTV Storytellers interview with Carmen Consoli, available FREE from the iTunes store (find the files under World Music).

I was shocked not only at how bad this CD was (her earlier efforts are exceptionally good, especially "Confusa e felice" and "Due parole"), but also how bad Consoli looks in the liner photos. As much as I like her earlier albums, this features music that is insipid and uninspired--and occasionally downright annoying. In response to some of the more positive reviews, I've given the album several more listenings for several months, and my opinion hasn't changed. Obviously, a lot of Carmen's fans just don't like this material. As the Romans said (and the Italians later): de gustibus non est disputandum. There's no accounting for taste.

Awful!It's all I can say about this record!I bought it even though I thought the first single,"L'ECCEZIONE",was very weak, but the record kept disappointing me!Carmen needs to top and think about her future:this cd hasn't sold well, it was quite a flop in Italy and I understand that!Anyway,I hope she gets back with something enjoyable(at least for my taste!).