Davide Van De Sfroos
Laiv

Like any respectable artist, Davide Bernasconi, also known as Van De Sfroos, releases his beautiful live album, or rather "Laiv". Recorded at a concert in Menaggio (Como) in 2002, it can almost be considered a "Best Of" as it includes the 24 songs (4 previously unreleased) that have made Davide successful.

The first part of the concert opens with "La Balera", seven minutes long and entirely in the Insubric dialect, crowned by a violin solo at the end. It continues with another track from Breva e Tivan, "Cau Boi", an ironic and funny song, then moves on to "Sügamare", one of DVDS's best works. The album maintains a high level with the quirky "Kapitan Kurlash", followed by "S. Macau e S. Nissoen", and returns to Breva with "La Balada del Genesio" and "Il Duello", also different from the original with a finale crowned by violin solos and very folkish that captivates the fans. The following song is "Hoka Hey", a splendid version featuring Indian musicians, and it is also different from the original due to their participation.

A transitional phase with "Me Canzun D'Amuur en scrivi Mai" ends the first part beautifully with "Sciuur Capitan" (Mr. Captain), the first unreleased song of the Laiv. It's an acoustic ballad showcasing the most pacifist Davide, accusing the violence and evils of war ("Sciur Capitan, varda te che irunia, la giacheta insanguinata podeva vess la mia. Bastava che incuntravi un bastardo cume mee, invece che ncuntraa chel poor ciful lalalè", Sir Captain, look at the irony, the blood-stained jacket could have been mine. I just needed to meet a bastard like myself, and instead, I met that poor fool over there).
The second part of "Laiv" begins with the works from "Manicomi", the first work where the band was simply called De Sfroos. The first title is "El Diavul", a humorous comparison between the devil and a woman, then "Television", "Poor Italia (an acoustic ballad, different from the studio version but more beautiful), and then the masterpiece "La curriera" and "De Sfroos", all songs very similar to the studio versions but more mature and therefore more convincing.

Heading towards the end of the CD, passing through "Ventanas", "E Semm Partii", "Cyberfolk" (a better version than the studio one, extended) and "Ninnananna del Contrabandiere", where the 'balentes' sing a piece of Sardinian tradition that intertwines with Davide's sung part. The finale is all new: "L'esercito delle dodici sedie", a reflection on typical village life seasoned with the usual irony of the singer-songwriter (Quand che verdum la Gazzèta, se tàca a bestemà e ghe spiègum al Trapattoni cume lè che g'ha de fà, When we open the Gazzetta, we start swearing and explain to Trapattoni what he has to do).

The last two songs are also unreleased but recorded in the studio. "Sguarauunda" begins with a ska-style trumpet riff, cheerful and fast, very pleasant but having an old feel. "I ann Selvadegh del Francu" is instead a re-edition of "Frank's Wild Years" by Tom Waits adapted to the Insubric environment. In conclusion, "Laiv" is an album very enjoyable to listen to and is the ideal album to start discovering De Sfroos, the Bruce Springsteen or the Bob Dylan of the Lake region.