In the Autumn of 1988, S.F. made an enthusiastic return to the studio with a batch of new (yet tried and tested) tracks to record their third album. The sessions were adventurous and
unforgettable, demanding all kinds of sacrifices from the members of the group. The master was delivered to the label with every confidence of a timely release for the band’s
most ambitious and complex work.
However, a demon was plotting in the shadows: over the following months, a series of unfortunate circumstances and misunderstandings frustrated the release of the album.
Years went by. It seemed the work would never see the light of day. The subsequent loss of heart eventually led to the dissolution of S.F. Not that life for the group had ever been
particularly easy. At that time, many were placing their hopes on an “Italian Rock” with its affectations and legitimate dream of commercial success, however modest. In contrast,
S.F. had always opted for an international dialogue, choosing spontaneously and sincerely to play the rock of the outskirts of the Empire and to sing in a dialect of English, typical to
culturally dependent countries. Paradoxically, this road appeared to be the one to the truest, most visceral music, fruit of that which had nourished them. The stories sung were
universal, often based on contrasts (the village and the forest, the individual and society, realty and dream, irony and drama…) probably to the extent that they remain relevant
today. The rather infrequent live appearances of the band came to be characterized by a raw, angry quality, somewhat surprising to those familiar with a repertoire infused with folk
and psychedelic influences, rich in nuance, moods and unexpected passages. It might be put down to punk roots or the anger of the outsider. But all this is water under the bridge.
Today, after what seems like an eternity, marks the release of “Long after the golden ‘age’”.
As if it had emerged from a Stargate. It is now up to you to judge its place in that time and, hopefully, also, in this one.
Toast Records – TD 205 td