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THE REVIEW
After the excellent debut, Alberto Fortis decides to surprise everyone:
"Tra Demonio e Santità" is a work made of clear and dark sides, about the dichotomy between evil/good, beautiful/ugly, love/interest.
The lyrics are a shock to reason. The long initial suite, which gives the title to the entire work, is divided into three parts. A pretentious provocation light-years away from Milan or Vincenzo, or the Italian song that would triumph in the emerging '80s. "Finding oneself in pieces on a laden table where you will also be, and all your guests who will eat me with their big greasy fingers." Or later, while belittling his being an artist "on stage like a castrated donkey now I bray, in the great circus of melody," to close with a bitter reflection "I wasted time and loves with the excuse of thinking" while the bad part that is in each of us repeats "But my son, go drink, go to women, go eat."
At first listen, one can't help but be disconcerted, used to "Sedie di Lillà" and "Duomi di Notte" from the previous album, or the radio-friendly "T'Innamori" chosen for the 45 rpm precisely for its easy appeal to the distracted listener, but the best pieces on this record are among the hidden tracks and almost forbidden for radio broadcast. We have the chromatic associations with feelings in "Al Di Là Della Porta di Vetro", the sense of deep friendship in "Prendimi Fratello", the desire to never compromise in "Bene, Insomma", the yearning for dialogue with parents in "Parlando ai Grandi". While in "Dialogo" a man seeks only himself despite a love that forces him to pretend to be different. Perhaps the best phrase is in the conclusion of "Dio Volesse" "Because it is truly horrible to accept nothing"
Alberto Fortis is considered a minor singer-songwriter for the Italian scene, perhaps due to certain anti-Roman stances exploited by gossip, or perhaps much more simply just for trying to carry forward a discourse always consistent with his own ideologies and beliefs.
This surprisingly mature work will be released on CD (finally!!!) on February 15, 2008, twenty-eight years after its first release.
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Summary by Bot
Alberto Fortis’ second album 'Tra Demonio e Santità' explores the duality of good and evil with intricate, thought-provoking lyrics. The album challenges listeners beyond the radio-friendly hits of the time, offering deep reflections and emotional complexity. It is considered a mature, poetic work often overlooked because of Fortis’ outsider status in Italian pop music. The album was finally re-released on CD in 2008, adding to its cult appeal.Tracklist Videos
Alberto Fortis
Italian singer-songwriter and pianist from Domodossola, active since the late 1970s. Debuted with the self-titled album in 1979, followed by acclaimed works including Tra demonio e santità, La grande grotta, Fragole infinite and El niño.09 Reviews
