Pello Artabe musicians from Bizkaia, Christ’s the group’s singer, presents ten albums that have been essential in his life.
The group from Arratia will perform live in April in Legorre (21, Herri Antzokia + Irtera), Tolosa (28, Bomberenea + Mockers) and Pamplona (30, Rockollection + Pleura), and in May in Orozko (19, OrozkoRock), Lizarra (20, Jai Txikia). and Oion (27, Oion).
THE CULT “The Cult” (1994)
It’s not their most popular album by any means, but I met The Cult on cassette with this album. It has nothing to do with the band’s most successful albums of the 80s. It has a more modern or alternative sound, dirtier, and the compositions are more psychedelic, crazier. Concept and aesthetics as well, more nineteenth-century. I’d say it’s the band’s weirdest work. That mystery made me want to listen and investigate more. And it goes without saying, but Ian Astbury’s voice, and attitude, is second to none. I’ve seen them live many times and I won’t miss the chance again this year.
ITOIZ “…He’s chasing the dunes of the field” (1988)
The biggest Basque team. And the most beautiful live album. I mean it like that… even though I’ve never seen them live, haha. It may be that I have idealized them. In this work are the best songs of Mutriku/Ondarrukoen, or most of them, precisely and finely played and recorded. It’s not a band from my era, but it conveys to me a nostalgia or melancholy, or a kind of romanticism that is not mine. Maybe my parents’. However, even from this distance, it seems to me that Itoize’s universe is very rich, even exotic, both musically and lyrically.
CAPTIVITY “Madness” (2002)
This debut album was a bombast, fresh-fresh, and “Musturrek sarunde, alkondarie!” total hit Anyway, all the other songs are great too, it’s a singles collection from top to bottom. And of course, very rock, and provocative, but fundamentally crafted. Also, listening to Fito and Robe from Extremaduro sing in Basque also has its grace. It captured me when I was a teenager and I associate it with that time: summer camps, summer festivals, the first juergachos, mischief…that’s right, madness. I saw many of them in concert then, at parties here and there, happy among friends.
RUPER ORDORIKA “It’s not possible” (1990)
Glasses of pasta, con las de Ruper is enough! We Ruper fans don’t really know why we like Ruper so much. His voice, the way he sings, the phrasing, the words… sometimes more Kostunbrist, sometimes deeper, or even… always as deep as Kostunbrist. Simple but complex. He manages to say a lot with very little. It is beautiful how he describes the situation, scenery and scenes. Its connection with literature, with the great Basque writers, can be part of that magic; Atxaga, Sarrionandi’s… orbit. This album contains many of his popular hits. The first work “Hautsi da amphora” is also a fantasy.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE “Songs for the deaf” (2002)
My mind exploded with this artifact. I did not assimilate that such a shave could be done, I did not understand. I listened and listened endlessly, I was amazed. Those changes in tempo and intensity, sounds and effects, vocals and choruses, Mark Lanegan, Nick Oliveri on bass, Dave Grohl’s wild drumming… it’s all just stupid, wonderful stupidity. Josh Homme arguably reinvented or updated rock. Later I found out who the band members were… And I met Kyuss, another huge band. I was hooked on the stoner style and still give it a hard time every now and then.
PEARL JAM “Ten” (1991)
But I can equally mention Soundgarden’s “Badmotorfinger” or Alice in Chains’ “Dirt”, the holy trinity of grunge beyond Nirvana. This album became completely mainstream during the glorious period of grunge. “Even flow”, “Alive”, “Black”… are great songs, with a special sensitivity and aura. Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Nirvana were much darker, more dangerous or, as it were, more dangerous. Each group had its own uniqueness and that is why they were all so attractive and interesting.
RIP “Do not move” and “Special North Zone” (1996)
At Arratia high school, we all went completely punk: Rip, Eskorbuto, Cicatriz, Kortatu, Piperrak… we wore the shirts of those bands and listened at maximum volume. We became Rock Radical Vasco fans, 20-30 years later. RIP my loved ones. We thought the lyrics were very rude, like heresy. And since we were Basques, we spoke Spanish, even more rudely, even if it was only to fight back. They were also very easy to learn songs on guitar, bass and drums, with three to four chords, using “kintas”. That’s how we started with the idea of making a group.
BAD NEWS “Hands/Fists” (2001)
I didn’t particularly like the Navarre group, I wasn’t a fan of that rock-rap style, not even now. It wasn’t until this album was released, and mainly because of the lyrics, that changed. Then came “Libre” and “Jaio.musika.hil”, and with the latter the group grew, “consecrated”. In fact, it’s a disco, their best, most rounded, in my opinion. The squares and halls started to fill up to the brim, we were more and more fans concert after concert. Everything from then on is obvious. In any case, “Shout”, “I don’t want”, “Viziraun”, “Stereo”… are my favorites from the album “Eskuak/kubilak”.
WOLFMOTHER “Wolfmother” (2005)
The Australian’s debut work was a wonderful surprise for 70s rock fans. They completely invented it with their “revival” proposal. Thick guitars, big riffs, originals, and that inimitable high voice of Stockdale. They collected very effective and catchy songs. And it’s a fun album too. Great expectations were placed on them but they deflated with the next albums, they did not maintain their level, their formula ran out. However, they continue to work and are very enjoyable live.
THE BLACK CROWES “Shake your money maker” (1990)
One of the best American rock&roll albums: scratched voice, charismatic singer, harmonica, piano, hammond, slide and authentic guitar sound. Blues, folk, hard rock… it has a revived classic feel, and a great “rollazo”, it makes you move without wanting to. They hit the top with the next two albums, showing and confirming that they were one of the greatest rock&roll bands. “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion” and “Amorica” are the albums of the day. The tensions between the Robinson brothers, like the Gallagher brothers of Oasis… may they continue to entertain us. And let them continue to make good songs, better together or individually.