Lifestyle Of SirBilly Vol.1
(My Own Private Idaho, on Lp and in no particular order)

THE RAMONES – Road To Ruin (Sire, 1978)
Yes ok, I Know: first one, Leave Home (delicious!) and Rocket To Russia are better, but – for me – THIS IS the definitive Ramones pop album; the one and only with superb ballads (Questioningly; Needles And Pins), jingle jiangle (Don't Come Close) and power pop (She's The One). Was my 1978 soundtrack, 24 hours a day during an entire fuckin' stoopid summer. Everything works here: faboulous cartoon sleeve, tracklist, production, band. The Ramones must be studied at school. Who needs stuff like Green Day?
JOY DIVISION – Unknown Pleasures (Factory, 1979)
I know, the choice is predictable, and probably most of my neighborhood would do it. Anyway Unknown Pleasure introduced me at new wave's magical mystery tour. I clearly remember the moment when "Disorder" erupted on my mind thru an out-of-date little radio. I've never heard a desperate loving feeling as this; it was ordeal and mystical. Unknown Pleasures warm up my heart as never as nobody before to him. I've lost control.
SIMPLE MINDS – Empires And Dance (Arista, 1980)
Ouch, the winter of my 15! I remember the disgusting 1980 in Italy: my poor new year's day, the poltroon bomb in Bologna station, Irpinia earthquake and a lot of other miseries. Only my life was forgotten in 1980, but – as far as I am concerned – this album keeps me alive. Tracks as "This fear Of Gods" were new form of beauties, missing link between oblique dance music, afro, progressive (they toured with Gabriel) and Hawkwind; "I Travel" anticipates electro and "Thirty Frames A Second" was cryogenetic Radiohead when Radiohead goes to Primary School. That's fascinated me and convinced that Simple Minds were the best band in the world. At least just since New Gold Dream.
THE ASSOCIATES – Sulk
The Ramones were love at first sight, the band who REALLY change my life and my perspectives; but Billy MacKenzie introduced me to lysergic emanations of sparkling pop. That's most talented (and underrated) pop music ever made, the all-time best arranged album, the most intriguing sleeve. For the first time strange songs climbed the charts (Party Fears Two; Club Country), soul music flirted with The Sparks (Bap De La Bap; Nude Spoons Euphoria), Billie Holiday was surpassed and definitely buried (Gloomy Sunday). For the first time my tears never ran so fast in No and Skipping. And the voice? The mercurial voice of Her Majesty Billy MacKenzie? As Bono said: Billy was Caruso in an hot air ballon.
I've never thought to agree with Bono, but that's definitely my desert island album.
MAGAZINE – The Correct Use Of Soap (Virgin, 1982)
They were the real dream team, the new wave's magic patrol: Barry adamson, Dave Formula, John McGeoch (RIP) and Howard Devoto are probably the best line up ever! I fell in love with Magazine thru obvious Shot By Both Sides' choice, but it's using this soap I became a real aficionado: sinking on "A Song From Under The Floorboards"' liquid keyboards and "Because You're Frightened"' nervous riffs. Nowadays someone talk about Cold Play (yes, with hiatus), Keane and Radiohead, just because they're frightened. To approach this one.
THE DANSE SOCIETY – Heaven Is Waiting (Arista, 1983)
I'm conscious they were a non influential band in rock history, but…What can you do when you're 17 and you live in a void? Nothing but getting involved in The Danse Society! Unresolved if predate Dead Or Alive or tracking down New Order decisions, this fifth piece produced their own private great album, where sequencers are sulphurate (title track; find out the even better 12" version) and Tangerine Dream became gothic without bulky paraphernalia (The Night). There's also "2000 Light Years From Home", one of the best Rolling Stones' remake ever recorded.
THE SPARKS – Kimono My House (Island, 1974)
Sparks Mania! Never heard Mael Brothers? No? Ommaigawd! You're poor, man. Take "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" and 99,9% of pop music…puff! Disappear as Frosty The Snowman under the sun of…Equator. Mael forever.
COIL – Horse Rotorvator (Force And Form, 1986)
1986 was possibly worst than my 1980. So the choice for my h/ears was obvious. Horse Rotorvator is the temptation of pop according to Coil: gay anthems as "Babylero" diggin' your skin while "Ostia (The Death Of Pasolini)" is perfect for your own private 'day after' party. Balanced by Balance under dirty sun of several influences Horse Rotorvator is and in-between album: in-between early industrial steps & in-between the acid ephiphany.
CLOCK DVA – Buried Dreams (Wax Trax, 1990)
My 80es was permanently buried, and so my dreams. Then, suddenly, Clock DVA published their masterpiece. I've thoughtful for years if Buried Dreams was better than Advantage or not. I don't think it was, really. Anyway Buried Dreams is a deep cultural schock, a black hole exploring rarefied dance and serial killers; rearefied killers and serial dance. Or rarefied serial and killers dance. It was, finally, a bullet in the head of Depeche Mode black leather affectation.
File under: extreme acid.
MANIC STREET PREACHERS – Everything Must Go (Sony, 1996)
I have always thought that Everything Must Go was a sort of Unknown Pleasures for the 90es: same sense of despair, same loss (Richey Edwards was a staungh melting soul between Ian Curtis and Marc Bolan), same great songwriting. They were Springsteen on the merseyside (Australia), The Sound On Viagra (No Surface All Feeling), The Hollies as buskers (Kevin Carter) and they wrote A Design For Life, maybe the best decade song. Nowadays are revolting as Genesis (without Gabriel/Hackett) or Simple Minds post Sparkle In The Rain, but my 1996 was entirely devoted to this tracks.
PULP – Different Class (Island, 1995)
Well, if I turn myself around at this top ten I realize someone could reckon how my whole life was too indulgent on sadness and despair. Well, I'm not this kind of man! Not always, nevertheless. I mean, I liked Menswear, after all. So, let's make 11!
Different Class is British way of life quintessence, a masterpiece on the step of Electric Warrior and Pin-Up. A Very long mess kit for Jarvis Cocker before reachin' stardom but, after Different Class, nothing was the same. It's big (who said Common People?) and focussed, when lyrics flies in the face of Morrissey with full-bore and accuracy – erm, may I say? Jarvis pen is much more realistic than Moz pityable cryin' - and the evidence is Disco 2000, real bigshot. The warm tracklist is a perfect fusion between the so called brit pop and a sugar&spice glam rock version. It's hard to be a popstar in the city but this album (on vinyl, of course, with special 12 sleeves edition) is a single charts factory.