Adriano Celentano
I Mali Del Secolo

When talking about Adriano Celentano, controversies immediately come to mind! The billionaire preacher of poverty, the ignorant who breaks audience records, the terror of TV networks, the false messiah, etc., what people often say about him (referring to his shows as a Show Man) is "I prefer Celentano the singer!" With this statement, people probably want to refer to the commercial Celentano, the interpreter of Italian pop songs for the masses; everyone wants the Celentano of "l'emozione non ha voce" or the one of "azzurro," carefree little songs that bring sweet emotions to bored housewives and the lower class… everyone wants the harmless Celentano! They want the singer and not the preacher… but evidently, these people have understood nothing!

Yes, because Adriano Celentano has always preached! And his fans know it! Of course, we're always talking about a preacher with a profit motive, but the show business is made of this too, we need characters who, through their art, express dissent towards society… yes, money is made… but at least they talk about it! And the preacher style of Adriano Celentano is unique and inimitable! Made of a style and charisma that we will hardly find in future characters…
His anti-social songs and speeches have been present since the dawn of his career, like the social denunciation of city cementification present in "Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck," etc.… but the album where the singer/messiah style perhaps reaches its peak is this "I Mali Del Secolo," and for me, who am a preacher (but without profit motives) this record is astounding!

Published in 1972, the album of Italy's "molleggiato" is divided into eight songs, each heavier than the other (in terms of inconvenient sermons for the masses), where unlike previous albums, Adriano gives little space to Rock and much to the apocalyptic and provocative sung parable… the beginning of the album might deceive the listener into thinking they are facing a new rock and roll album made to be danced to… indeed the introduction is a rock ballad on the song "Ready Teddy" where Celentano reminds his audience "when I started singing, I went wild for you…" meaning he reminds us of that rock invasion that hit our conservative country after the success of international artists like Elvis and other famous rock stars, of which Celentano was an ambassador while Little Tony and Bobby Solo were its dismal imitators… but the time to shake the hips Elvis-style for Celentano was over! For Adriano, it was time to preach! Indeed, at the end of this wild song, the "molleggiato" tells us "But now that I am famous… I sing the evils of the century" and so here's the warning to the listener that Celentano is no longer the screamer of little Italian songs but a new type of eccentric and countercurrent character… good luck to the listener, half the battle! From the second track onward, all conservatives must abstain!

It starts with the very famous "un albero di trenta piani" where Adriano rants against these damned skyscrapers that are actually killing much of the nature that once surrounded our environments, a song more current than ever, but it was more a successful single than a real provocation… The best comes with the next tracks! After the romantic ballad "Forse Eri Meglio Di Lei" which is quite light and carefree and "La Ballata Di Pinocchio" a great song halfway between rhythm, buffoonery, and anti-social sermon, Celentano lets loose!

And with "Disse" he shows for the first time his religious fanaticism at its highest levels, even interpreting Jesus Christ, who sings in anger against the people of the rich and the lustful! (an amazing anticipation of what would later emerge years later in the delirious and very inconvenient Joan Lui!!, an underestimated masterpiece) this song (which few conservatives will remember) has a very simple sound base but of unique genius! A thunder (a sign of the divine) introduces a very soft guitar that serves as a background to ambient noises like rain, arpeggios, cellos, and various instruments, executed very lightly and almost imperceptibly, during the vocal performance the drums and apocalyptic sound effects become increasingly marked and choral, giving the impression that Celentano really believes himself to be Jesus!!! The lyrics are something magnificent! "it's useless to strive to buy joy with gold, and wanting to become the first in the world just to make your diamonds shine on the face of those who starve!" or "what good is it to possess even all the earth if then of your life you are not the master! Not even of one of the hairs you bear on your head, because even for those one day you will have to answer to my father, who is the master of everything, of all things!" the most shocking thing is that the union of mystical music with Celentano's extreme conviction, really seems like witnessing a discourse of Christ! "you are poor and blind, and more naked than the worms, but if any of you will hear my voice, because behind the door I knock and he will open to me, I will enter to dine, to dine with him!" Celentano brushes the mystical delirium, the tones become increasingly insistent and the feeling experienced by the listener is that of facing the Last Judgment!! A masterpiece!!! I don't believe Bobby Solo would manage to do something similar! This is Celentano! Only he can do it!

In the songs of this album, Celentano touches the most uncomfortable and delicate subjects, in the splendid "La Siringhetta" Adriano plays the role of an addict who demands his daily dose of drugs, at the end of the song he and his woman take their last dose and feeling lighter than air, let themselves fall from a building! The suffering, heartfelt vocal performance by Adriano is wonderful, the song ends with the voices of the people and journalists in the square shouting "drugs continue to claim victims" over this anxious and dark rhythm! Phenomenal!
And since we are faced with a Celentano album, a song against hunting is essential!! In this "L'ultimo Degli Uccelli" Adriano even plays a little bird that gives a sermon to a hunter! "I'm the only one left! If you kill even me, it will be the end of humanity" simple but nothing short of brilliant! But the "molleggiato" doesn't forget to make us have fun the old way, as the album (after the anti-social propaganda) concludes with the cheerful song "Quel Signore Del Piano Di Sopra" sung in two languages… Italian and Celentanoese!!! Yes, because Adriano was also the inventor of that gibberish language that makes him even more peculiar and mysterious…

An album excellently sung and masterfully played, genius, courageous and few others would have had the courage to make… It should be remembered that all the songs on this album except "Quel Signore Del Piano Di Sopra" were written and composed by Adriano Celentano! A rare thing considering that usually others write songs for him. I think that today's musical Adriano is in a certain sense "piloted" by the record industry and by the authors of his songs, everyone wants the singer of sweet romantic ballads and nobody wants the preacher…

The only way Celentano has to let off steam is to resort to his scandal broadcasts where he preaches by speaking and goofing around by singing! (still legendary anyway!) I honestly prefer when he preaches by singing.