Alice
Personal Juke Box

THE REVIEW

"Water can never separate from seaside cities/ And the breeze from the wind that ignites passions and colors chains of flowers/ And we were always together as silent vanguards/ How white was the snow that enveloped us with hydrogen and love..."

Of the various Sanremo festivals, I fortunately have vague memories, but in 2000 I was left speechless when I heard this song, so different from all the trash present, a text so difficult yet so fascinating with words like "Helium," "Vanguards," "Hydrogens," and the music, even in its simpler catchiness, light-years away from the Sanremo sweetness—a mix of electronics and sublime orchestration. "Il Giorno Dell'Indipendenza" is another splendid song sung by Alice on lyrics by Camisasca brought to Sanremo; the artist hadn't participated in the event since 1981 and decided to do so with a piece that encapsulates a bit of her entire world and is conveyed by the music Alice decided to pursue in her latest production, a cultured electronic, sometimes icy, other times sunny.

"Personal Juke Box" is not a trivial collection of hits; rather, it is a true journey that the artist decides to embark on in her repertoire from 1980 onwards, reinterpreting some pieces in new forms and often disrupting their original structure. This happens with "Per Elisa," which is transformed into a techno-dance track, a daring choice, challenging to understand if you're not familiar with the character who recorded it; things go differently with "Il Vento Caldo Dell'Estate," which gains surprising pop-electronic connotations in the new version that do not pale in comparison with the original. The work is interesting because it proves to be in continuity with the subsequent "Viaggio In Italia," which further refines and enhances many of the ideas presented here, the use of electronics, programmed rhythms, and the incorporation of more traditional instruments, winds, acoustic guitars, and percussion; this coexistence of different musical lines finds full assertion in the new version of "Chanson Egocentrique" performed with Bluvertigo and Mauro Pagani. The song is now slowed down, losing the refrain distinguished by the jaunty sound of the sax in favor of a more sober and refined arrangement for the same sax and flute, with great use of synthesizers that, along with a sparse arrangement for drums and bass, outline the typical melodic line of the song, the singing is shared with Morgan and Andy.

Incredibly, the product blends perfectly altogether; the original versions of "Visioni," "Open Your Eyes," "In Viaggio Sul Tuo Viso," "Dimmi Di Si" are perfectly integrated with the rest, splendid examples of the art of this extraordinary talent. Thus, the listener can enjoy "I Treni Di Tozeur" in a magical, suspended, and light version, or "Nomadi" that takes one's breath away even without the rhythmic contribution of Marotta and Levin.

To conclude, I want to focus a bit on a song that touched me deeply, "Non Ero mai Sola" from "Charade" 1995, read the first verses: "As a child sleeping, I heard sudden sounds, noises, and words that intrigued me/ Then flashes in the sky and I listened to the tales of a storm/ That kept me awake like the nights before Christmas/ And I was never alone, and I was never alone/"And then: "As a child running, I played gates, railings, and dry leaves that kept me company/ Then summer evenings I listened to the advice of a fountain/ And of three poles without flags that the wind made tinkle/ And I was never alone, I was never alone". Those who were truly children understand what Alice tries to express in the song, the balance with the world, peace, freedom, not being alone even in the face of nothingness is a typical sensation of those who manage to find their space in the environment, it is the full awareness of one's Self, free from everything that distinguishes the mind of a child. In fact, the song closes with the verse: "Then one day for the first time I felt a bit of loneliness/ For just an hour I had known you", the clash between two worlds inexorably generates a form of dependency, but the important thing is having been children and above all having managed never to be alone.