Warm Guns "Italiano moderno" (1981)

first issue cover

Italiano moderno

release date: Apr. 1981

format: vinyl (first issue - 6344 234) / vinyl (1982 reissue) / cd (1996 reissue)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]

producer: Rod Huison

label: Vertigo Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: A) 1. "Arrivederci" - 2. "Wonderkids" - 4. "Golden Dreams" - 5. "Nightcrawlers" - 6. "Public Enemies" - - B) 1. "The Night Belongs to You" - 2. "Hard Luck" - 3. "Magic Motions" - 5. "Luckie Walkie"

2nd studio album by Warm Guns shows a more complex sound within a new wave universe. Again, Nils Henriksen produced several tracks, which was sent to the band's English label, where Rod Huison then produced the majority of the selected tracks (Henriksen is credited as producer of tracks #A1, B5, and the bonus tracks 13-15 on the '96 cd re-issue). Jacob Perbøll left the band before making most of the album, and the band members here are: Lars Muhl on vocals and keyboards, Lars Hybel on guitar and bass, Jens G. Nielsen on drums, and with new member Frank Lorentzen (with whom Muhl and Perbøll had played in the band Daisy before forming Warm Guns) on guitar and keyboards. Also Georg Olesen from the band TV-2 plays bass on four tracks (most easily heard on #4), and Jacob Perbøll plays bass on tracks #1 and #11. The original vinyl album comes in two different issues and unfortunately, Vertigo already released a reissue after only one year with a completely different track listing. Not only are the songs mixed on the two sides but four of a total of twelve compositions have been exchanged from the original issue. These four new compositions had all been released on the 4-track ep 4 Heartbreakers Only earlier in '82, and they then decided the previous album would've been stronger with these replacements. Both vinyl issues consists of 12 tracks, whereas a '96 cd reissue contains 15 tracks, which combines the two vinyl issues somehow leaving out the song "The Young Go First". After this, drummer Jens G. Nielsen left the band to focus on his primary band, Gnags - he was subsequently replaced by Troels Møller, and Frank Lorentzen (who continued with Bamses Venner) was replaced by Kaj Weber on bass.

I have always found this their most interesting and strongest album. Here, the inspiration is less obvious, the band is most original, and basically plays with a distinct international sound, which however, never was sought for or acknowledged.

In my mind, Italiano moderno is one of the best Danish albums of the early 1980s and also a must in terms of original new wave releases. Sadly, the band played an international music, which didn't appeal to the Danish music buyers, and the English label didn't believe they had potential to make it on an international scale.
Because of the big differences of the early issues, I have both versions and simply never understood the need to change the original track listing.

second issue cover