There was a band in Switzerland in the 60's,who could easily have taken on the Beatles. And that's what they were called by their fans and by the press, the Swiss Beatles. They were ploughing the Pop field, and they did it very good. A string of hits, mainly in their native country and then, whooosh, they disintegrated. They left a mark in the history of Pop and some bandmembers carrying on in other bands or solo. The most remarkable is certainly Krokodil. But one went solo and since the very early 70's, this guy is a sort of fairytale uncle, grinning into every camera available, strumming his guitar and delivering his singer/songwriter material that's close to children's lullabys.
I mean, I like the old Les Sauterelles, I'm also with Krokodil, but if I see this Toni Vescoli guy once more, I'm jumping out of the window. Ground floor only, don't get me wrong! Some 40 years after the fact, this band has the nerve to release a new album (on CD, LP and DL). What I really really don't need from 70+ years old blokes is a rehash of their youth. What do we get on this album? The most tiresome old Popmusic you can imagine. Phil Collins is a rocker compared to these guys. Everything sounds like it's been eaten already thrice.
The funny thing is, yesterday afternoon, I went to one of my regular dealers, to stock up on some records. There he is, showing me proudly the LP version of "Today" and playing the thing on the inhouse deck. Some other customers present and, believe me, they were all of the age, of having heard Les Sauterelles, and admired them, the first time around, the remarks came flying and I kid you not, there was not a positive statement. When one of them remarked about Toni Vescoli's zurichois English, I was grinning from ear to ear. This is so provincial, Les Sauterelles were never the spearhead of the farmers union. They seem to be now. I don't understand how old men can damage their legacy so completely. Shut up in your rocking chair and let the past undisturbed. This release gets a mention as the most redundant album of the year. No, make this of the century.
Cheers
Devon
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