The Purple - Violet War

Music Review By Joe Adambery

Back in 1986, a young musician called Adrian Pisarello was inspired by an acclaimed and powerful anti-war film called Platoon (about a naïve US army volunteer who arrives in Vietnam in 1967). From the mid-sixties onwards, the best record albums that I remember were concept albums. Perhaps some of us have concept albums stuck in our music memory but we didn’t set out to create one of our own. Adrian did.

He started to work on the concept of a bunch of songs that would follow a young soldier caught in a war which he was reluctant to fight. Adrian’s new album, called The Purple - Violet War, has just been released on all digital platforms, forty years after it was conceived and it’s still relevant, and currently making waves across the local music scene. It sounds surprisingly fresh, musically accomplished and familiar in equal measures and worthy of chasing its creator to get a full measure of what Adrian Pisarello, our former cultural ambassador (2024) and enduring local music legend, is all about.

“I knew I wanted to make a concept album and started to write songs like Declaration of War, and later Winds of Confrontation, the one would open the album.”

“I invented the main character Johnny Greenhill. Johnny was the soldier who soon wanted to go home.”

“We meet Johnny in track 3, The Arrival, and track 4, Welcome to the Inferno. Also in track 8, Longing for Home, a song with a strong nod to Pink Floyd’s Time from Dark Side of the Moon.”

The album is a treasure trove of good music well played and one which begs repeated listening. It has style, variety and a universal message advocating for peace and the futility of war. I told him I had enjoyed it a lot because it covered various musical styles.

“I didn’t want this album to be all one genre, I wanted it to be a tribute to music that had inspired me like Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and others. I wanted to incorporate Reggae, Prog Rock, Blues, Folk and other influences like Led Zeppelin.”

“I had all these ideas and all the music recorded, but back in the day there were no digital platforms like today which make it easier to publish your own music. That delayed the release of the album for many years.”

“Another reason for delay was that I always had a visual concept which I haven’t given up on yet. I can’t tell you much more at this stage but let’s see if this can happen. It would complete my dream too if we could play this album live.”

Life and playing live music have also been other delaying factors, as Adrian has been in demand as a performing musician while evolving as a composer and a progressive musician.

A talented and down-to-earth creative guy who has fronted his own bands, always avoiding commercial covers to play his original songs, he holds himself to high standards when embarking on any musical project.

The Purple - Violet War is no exception and that is why this album has been so welcomed by the music fraternity and his many fans.

“Purple and violet are colours which represent countries. In the colour spectrum, they are very close to each other but they’re not the same. Just like humans - we are all the same but not equal.”

“This album stands for me and that is because it’s the only way. I have given it my heart. I don’t know what youngsters will make of it, but I haven’t changed anything from the original concept to fit in with today’s trends.”

Track 11, The Day After, is pure hip hop and track 6, Ambush, is spoken word in a low register (his gravelly voice is rich and quite unique).

“The feedback I’ve had so far is very encouraging, especially from musicians and that matters to me and pushes me to continue to write songs which have meaning.”

I wanted to know whether the passage of time had ever diminished his focus to see the album finally published and Adrian was quick to respond that it had not.
“I welcome that it has taken so long because it has allowed me to evolve as a person and a musician.”

“I already have plans for another album and other projects too. I always have something going. There’s always something that isn’t quite finished. Although people say that you can get writer’s block, it hasn’t happened to me yet.”

“I still have plans to write another album, perhaps in Spanish because it’s been a very long time since I did one.”

“I also want to do a Blues album and, if I do, I will do my homework on it to see if something rubs off on me. I hope it does and I will not fight my style of doing music because my influences are a melting pot of many genres that have influenced me, to which I put my original spin.”

We spent a while talking about how different musical influences help make up our characters in ways which we may not be fully aware of and Adrian came up with a profound analysis.

“I can put Camaron de la Isla on the same pedestal as Janis Joplin. Bob Marley and John Lennon are both the same for me in the way that they have influenced music. I get emotional with Camaron and with Janis and that is something which I am grateful for. It doesn’t make me more Spanish or less English or less Llanito.”

A national treasure like Adrian Pisarello has to be free to be creative and give a voice to his concerns to make original music that reflects who we are as a people.

This is a talented man who many years ago won the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Award in New York with a song called ‘Libertad’. Freedom, a universal brand that will always be at the core of his social conscience, that is why when our former cultural ambassador releases a well- conceived album, we have to sit up and take notice.

He recommends listening to it on headphones (I agree) from top to tail to get into the story and the music, made by some of our best musicians, who have given time and their skill to help Adrian breathe life into his creation.

Dust off those headphones or put your iPods to good use, there is still good local music out there which is worthy of your attention.

No better way than diving into The Violet - Purple War which is available on digital platforms like Spotify and others.

Musicians involved
Peter Martinez, Eric Rowbottom, Charlie Moore, Brian Torres, Aaron Turner, Jason Belilo, Chris Cortez, Tony Galliano, Michael Martinez, Albert Gonzalez, Alba Pisarello, Eric Chipulina, Darrel Alman, Luis Vinet, Djamal Adib, Paul Riley, Nathan Conroy, Dennis Cortes.