Alex Britti
3

THE REVIEW

I really hope the ones and the criticisms that this review and especially this album will receive from the many "music experts" that populate this site do not reach 7000.  Certainly, the album in question has not left a mark on the landscape of Italian music, and, equally true, Britti does not enjoy positive consideration from those who understand real music, and this, to me, is not entirely inexplicable. It's obvious; you hear on the radio a guy churning out songs (or rather, little songs) like "La Vasca" or "Io con la ragazza mia..." and it's normal that the first thought that invades your mind is "Italian music has never been stellar, but this is too much". But then you see him at S.Remo where he delivers a piece with a 40-second instrumental intro during which his fingers literally fly over the strings of his Martin (what a guitar!!!), then it's easy for some "perplexity" to arise. Well... maybe I talk (or rather write) this way because I really admire Britti the guitarist so much and because I grew up with his albums (Nomi, Lucciola, Milano for example, are Author Songs). I remember reading somewhere a truly unique judgment on B., which more or less said "What Britti does is the equivalent of what Eric Clapton would do if he started selling pastries: a waste". This is not wrong, however, for what little I know, I don't remember anyone in Italy reaching certain levels (even commercially for heaven's sake) with "played" music. Translated: if Clapton were born in Italy, no one would have paid any attention to him. In my opinion, what B. could have done also based on his high technical skills, was to create solo projects that had nothing to do with song (and therefore much less with pop); like Franco Morone. But, no offense, I prefer this Britti. Unpredictable, pop, at times predictable, but still, in his own small way, unique. I know I know, I'm neglecting the album review, it's true; but I don't think too many will mind... Composed of eleven tracks, "3" (the third album among the 4 official ones by Britti) is perhaps the least successful album where many of the lyrics seem to be written in a very immediate and superficial way. The opening is entrusted to the masterful guitar of the Sanremo piece "7000 caffè", followed by the controversial "Lo schermo". Among the highest points, certainly "Lo zingaro felice", one of the most songwriter-like; followed by the slide of the most bluesy track on the CD, "se il feelin' non c'è". "Avremo successo lo stesso" a bittersweet ballad; pure honey in "sei la fine del mondo". The final part of the album is less impactful. Worth listening to is "La vita sognata", where between the lines, it talks about the loss of a loved one, and the instrumental "00.00 a.m.".  Now please... one at a time "deliver" your 1. "....so, that nothing else matters anymore...."