| Claudio Baglioni
Franco Battiato Eduardo Bennato Mia Martini |
Marco Masini
Gianna Nannini Gino Paoli Laura Pausini |
Eros Ramazzotti
VA - "Napule's Power" VA - "Nero Italiano" Zucchero |
" A-LIVE (Antologia Dal Vivo) "
Claudio Baglioni has hit the market with a three cd compilation of
the best of his concerts over the years including his most recent tour.
The album includes the new song Arrivederci o Addio as part of the
package. As a Baglioni fan, I could not resist the triple live despite
the rather elevated cost. The compilation is worth every lira. If
you enjoy Baglioni treat yourself to the excitement of a concert tour replete
with screaming hordes and the extra energy captured in the songs.
If you are just discovering Baglioni, this cd includes songs from most
of his important albums and should be added to your growing collection.
Most stores sell it for 75,000 lira in Italy. I was able to find
it in Milano for 66,000 lira in a store off Via Torino called Angie Dischi.
The set is worth the search.
" Gommalacca "
I have always admired Franco Battiato (that does not mean I always
liked what he has produced though) for his ability to innovate and to reinvent
himself musically. His talents are augmented by a tremendous amount
of depth and knowledge musically, and he is able to determine what will
be successful with seeming regularity. Gommalacca marks Battiato's
return, like Nannini, to roots...in this case experimental roots.
The album is a must for Battiato fans and worth a listen if you want to
hear an excellent artist work magic with musical genres outside his normal
realm of activity. You will find light melodies, rock, techno and
a dash of hip hop blended seamlessly to create a world of music inhabited
by dreams and flights of fancy. Each piece is unique and best
appreciated by several listenings. My favorites include Shock
in my town, Il ballo del potere, and Shakleton.
" Sbandato "
From the opening guitar rift on the title track, I knew down deep that
this was a cd I could love. The last few Bennato releases, quite
frankly, have been less than stellar. This cd recalls the Bennato
of Nisida and OK Italia and L'isola che non c'e'...you
are amused by the insights in the rocking ballads and touched by the tenderness
of the words and melodies on other pieces. This is a Bennato still
willing to love, learn and take to task and expose the pretentious among
us and would ignore the real world around them. For the Bennato fans
this album is surely among his best and worth purchasing. If you
have yet to try Bennato, this cd will give you an excellent primer in his
abilities and attitudes. Among my favorites on this wonderful collection
are Sbandato, Credo Solo a Te, T'amo, Sempre in Viaggio Sul Mare,
Povero Amore and I Gemelli della Verita'. You too will find many
things to enjoy and celebrate with this cd.
" Semplicemente Mimi' "
This is also a live anthology with one unreleased cut, E la vita
racconta, which was mixed after her untimely death. The passing
of Mia Martini removed from the stage a woman whose voice and range had
grown over the years. In each song you could feel the pain and suffering
Mia conveyed. This album provides an excellent live compilation which
covers all of her most recent successes. I enjoyed the work even
with the sad, smokiness which wraps her voice as it wanders through each
work with familiarity and intimacy. If you are a fan, get this cd.
If you want to discover her, add this to your collection since it covers
her best sellers and provides a good portrait of her abilities.
" Scimme "
I almost passed up this album for fear it would turn out to be a depressing
series of tirades against every aspect of society...I am glad I made the
purchase of "Scimme". Masini's latest effort is, as he says,
an album made his way. The artistic freedom pays off in an
album that contains a blend of rock and ballads which do not disappoint.
The themes are the same as in the past, but the treatment is different...entertaining
and unfettered by studio demands to fill the character of a persona that
is not the real Masini. This is a definite buy for fans and
actually worth a try for those who may have shied away from Masini in the
past; it just seems there is more "life" in this latest effort...do not
overlook it.
" Cuore "
Buy this CD (if you are a Nannini fan). This is the first release
in quite a while for Nannini which offers a return to her early style of
rock ballads filled with emotional experience and depth conveyed with her
unique 'grinta' which permeate the album and immediately establish it as
one of her best. I have listen to the album several times and can
say I enjoyed almost all of the 12 cuts presented. Among my favorites
are Un giorno disumano, CentoMila, Io ci saro' and
Sola. If you have been a Nannini fan for years, as I have,
and have watched Gianna try a variety of styles and begin her own musical
journey, this cd is a sort of promised land that returns Nannini to her
roots but with a little different edge, a little sadness and a world of
experience which she easily conveys in this album. If you are a Nannini
novice, you should place this cd high on your list of new things to try.
You will be pleasantly surprised at the marvelous musical package Nannini
has crafted.
" Pomodori "
There is something about Gino Paoli's voice that I find intimately
relaxing. His songs can be both in the background and at center stage
without losing any of their uniqueness. This may not go down as his
best album, but for his fans it is certainly satisfying and contains the
essential Paoli with his own view of the world.
If you enjoy his work, this one is a keeper. If you want to try
out his style, you can also opt for earlier albums which are a better showcase
for his abilities. I believe his live album from the late 80s is
one of his best...essential for any collection.
" La Mia Risposta "
Is it possible for a singer to convey a sensual innocence in her music?
If so, Laura Pausini has achieved it by delivering a mature, well-delivered
work which combines her vocal abilities with songs that range from pop
ballads to moodier pieces without sacrificing anything in the transition.
In other words, Laura has another winning cd on her hands. Again,
Laura is the author of many of the pieces as with her previous album. I
must be quite honest in saying that I enjoyed the entire album as it represents
a marvelous musical journey which exposes the depth and range of her talent.
She is no longer the innocent of La Solitudine but manages to retain that
innocence with wonderful sincerity. Fan or not, the album is worth
the purchase price. You will also get a kick out of her first english
effort penned by Phil Collins, Looking for an Angel...not a bad first go.
" Eros Live "
I really do like most live albums even if most fans are not in agreement
with me. I think that the live version is the true test of an artist
and his producers. Can they capture the enthusiasm and wild adulation
of the crowd in a small disc? This cd provides a nice way to remember
the 1998 Eros tour with his most recent efforts contained among the tracks
which include duets with Joe Cocker and Tina Turner. Novices might
enjoy this as a nice way to get to know Eros while fans will want the cd
as a way to remember one of the many concerts they have surely attended.
" Napule's Power "
If you know someone who is serious about neopolitan music in both it's
traditional form and in the form promulgated by newer artists then this
album is essential. It contains original versions of songs by artists
tied to Napoli. The selections range from Eugenio Bennato to Napoli
Centrale to Almamegretta to Enzo Gargnaniello to Teresa de Sio to 99 Posse
to Roberto De Simone to Lina Sastri and Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare
and many more. I enjoyed listening to the album as it covers a full
range of songs. You have to be willing to accept new artists and
old..but that, in essence, is the beauty of the cd....giving the full scope
of Napoli's power.
" Nero Italiano - Il Rhythm and blues cantato in italiano "
You have to purchase this album if you are a fan of the original r&b
Motown sound form the 60s. How could you not want to listen to the
original artists performing their songs in Italian? I bought the
vinyl version a few years ago and was just biding my time until they released
the cd...I wore out the grooves. Listening to the Supremes singing
You Can't Hurry Love (L'amore verra') or the Temptations with My
Girl (Solamente lei) is fun and interesting. To imagine that
these artists took the time and made the effort to learn to sing through
phonetics all their best hits. This album makes a nice addition to
the collector of italian music who has almost everything or as a gift for
someone who can appreciate the beauty of familiar songs delivered in versions
as fresh to day as when they were recorded in the 60s.
" Bluesugar "
Zucchero has managed to do it again...create an album that satisfies
with a marvelous blend of blues, rock and ballads. My favorite cut on the
cd has to be the opening cut 'you make me feel loved.' There
is something about the music, lyrics and Zucchero's voice which combine
to make this piece dedicated to the region of his birth (Emilia-Romagna)
seem to vibrate with a satisfying emotional charge. But the success
of the album is the consistency in delivering songs that are 'comfortable.'
Blu is such a song; the refrain just manages to touch you the right way.
This is the case for most of the album. Fans of Zucchero will want
to add this winner to their collections without hesitation. If you
are trying out Zucchero, this album has a nice mellow bluesy nature touched
with a certain hint of rocking spice which should satisfy.
Lucio Battisti died on September 9th in Milano reportedly of liver cancer
complicated by a kidney ailment. Battisti was 55 years old and had
been in ill health for a few years. His death deeply touched the
italian psyche which had always held him in a special place as the singer
who best captured the emotion and coming of age of an entire nation.
While his later works did not reach the level of his efforts during the
60s and 70s, Battisti's classic songs will always find a place in our hearts
and on the radio. Countless italian singers have been influenced
by his style. His songs seem to cut across generational differences
finding success with young and old alike. Luckily, his catalogue
is well-documented and will provide countless years of listening pleasure.
Songs like Acqua chiara, acqua azzurra will always be with us and
for that we can be grateful and continue to appreciate his talents.
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