Alice
Alice

THE REVIEW

Even the most hated festival by Italians sometimes (very rarely) offers interesting artists; when Alice participated in 1981, she already had several appearances in Sanremo and a moderately successful album like "Capo Nord" under her belt, but the song with which she presented herself made her known to the general public, who soon realized that they were not facing a singer capable only of singing silly little songs but much more. Alice would soon become a unique artist in Italy and highly appreciated even outside our borders.

This is a truly successful work, which impeccably captures the sounds of contemporary New Wave, blending them with great skill into a homogeneous sound mix that draws surprising strength from Alice's interpretations. It begins with a classic, "Per Elisa" is truly a great song, but perhaps describing it as such is decidedly reductive. Everything about this piece is fascinating. Alice's voice, supported by bass and drum rhythms, perfectly combines with the use of keyboards, masterfully kept in check by Battiato, who handles the arrangements for the entire work. The lyrics have been interpreted in multiple ways, most notably the theme of drugs "She has manipulated you; she even took away your dignity," which many consider the most agreed-upon, even though the author has always stated that any given interpretation can be considered correct.

"Per Elisa" is a good example of true New Wave made in Italy, with refined musical quotes that transform assuming new forms and above all new colors (the use of the voice is truly something sensational). The following track "A Te" with the clarinet intro and Alice's beautiful voice singing a simple text leads to the entry of Walter Calloni's drums, which then supports the beautifully rhythmic chorus of the song, aided by ever-prominent bass. On the same line, "Non Ti Confondere Amico" with Alice offering yet another textbook interpretation and the usual perfect keyboard arrangements by Battiato, but the reprise of the clarinet from the main theme is truly successful and very original.

Also excellent are "Una Notte Speciale" and "Non Devi Avere Paura" in full harmony with the rest of the album. All the lyrics likely reflect the multiple aspects of the singer's personality ("Momenti D'Ozio" on the theme of boredom, for example), but everything marries perfectly with the music, thus going decisively beyond the simple songwriter dimension, a truly great album indeed.