JOHN CALE & LOU REED: SONGS FOR DRELLA

True, True, true. Andy Warhol... Not only an artist but also a great patron for Lou Reed and John Cale. I'm not able to judge the art of Andy Warhol but sure I'm able to judge the art in music that Lou Reed and John Cale create in this 'Song For Drella' concept album.

Minimalist music or contemporary Decadent Modern Mannerism Music? Because this isn't a Rock album. Renaissance is precedent to Mannerism in art and this album present Mannerism. I'm from Pordenone and il Pordenone is one of the most important Mannerism painters so, because I know the painting of il Pordenone (but I do not know the painting of Vasari, Michelangelo, Parmigianino or Polidoro Caldara [AKA Polidoro da Caravaggio] [for examples] if not for seen them in books) I'm able to catalog 'Songs For drella' as Mannerism Decadent Music.

In 'Songs For Drella' Only Reed and Cale plays the music with voice and guitars (Reed) and vocals, keyboards and viola (Cale) so the music is not cheerful but decadent and not in Rock but in Classical or, better, in Romantic field. In my correct vision the magniloquence of Mannerism architecture is great for the description of this music. But only because the baroque architecture is too open to magniloquence with superstructure and stucco and mannerism still have the Renaissance structure. But in this case the music is essential and decadent because without superstructure or difficult colours. The romanticism isn't present. or better, the romanticism is present but is part of Decadence essence of being Lou Reed and John Cale, Andy Warhol and Velvet Underground. So this mix between POP Art, Mannerism and Romanticism is the soul of 'Song For Drella'.

In a certain sense 'Song For Drella' is an extreme difficult fresco of POP Art and USA in music. POP Art change the perception of Art. In Italy Lucio Fontana invented the Spatialism, Alberto Burri painted and stitched jute bags and in 60's in Turin and Rome born the so caled Arte Povera with Giovanni Anselmo, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Alighiero Boetti e Giulio Paolini, Mario Ceroli, Piero Gilardi, Giulio Paolini, Sergio Lombardo, Cesare Tacchi, Fabio Mauri, Pino Pascali, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Gilberto Zorio, Luciano Fabro e Gino Marotta (among others) and in USA Warhol promoted the so called POP Art (in Italy this art was promoted by Mario Schifano [and in music from Le Stelle di Mario Schifano]) so It is this the hinterland of 'Song For Drella' in 20th Century but with a great revisitation of the art 16th Century but in decadent vision.

In definitive 'Song For Drella' is, for art, a genuine Prog album. And for me also a masterpiece!

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