Luca Carboni -LU*CA
Given the sales record (and so he's right), it's a terrible album, disappointing in both content and sound (by now all too worn out). The single is "Mi ami davvero": banalities worthy of a Perugina chocolate and adolescent love swooning unbefitting of an (almost) forty-year-old. more
Antonello Venditti -Prendilo tu questo frutto amaro
A dreadful record, a poor imitation (even in the cover) of the already less-than-outstanding previous one. From the rowdy, populist title track to the mawkishness of "Vento selvaggio" nothing seems to escape the abyss where Venditti ought to end up: as he himself says, "Tutti all'inferno." finire: more
Ligabue -Sopravvissuti e Sopravviventi
Surprisingly, he changes style and sound: the Springsteen-like rock of his beginnings gives way to a more syncopated hard rock, but one that is much less effective and convincing. Only "Ho messo via" goes down in history—a languid and (all too) crowd-pleasing ballad. The rest is negligible. more
Claudio Baglioni -Strada Facendo
A true superstar (he appeals to mothers and, in turn, their daughters), he leaves Italy and heads to London to work with Geoff Westley. The result is a pleasant, charming album, at times surprising (the shy rock of "Via"), but, underneath it all, evanescent. Yet it’s a record-breaking best-seller. more
Lucio Battisti -Il Mio Canto Libero
Increasingly self-confident, he delivers complex and elaborate melodies that are almost unthinkable for any other Italian colleague. Sometimes he goes overboard ("Gente per bene gente per male"), but often he hits the mark ("La luce dell'est"; "Confusione"; the title track). Record sales. more
Lucio Battisti -Emozioni
In theory, a "greatest hits." Squeezed onto the length of an LP are his most famous (and, at the time, best-selling) 45s. In any case, a masterpiece: modern Italian pop starts here. capolavoro: more
Francesco De Gregori -Titanic
A beautiful album whose common thread is the nostalgia for a longed-for and definitively bygone era ("La leva calcistica della classe '68"; "Rollo & His Jets"). Great musical variety, lyrics worth memorizing: he is in a form never seen before, and perhaps, never repeated again. memoria: more
Edoardo Bennato -Sono Solo Canzonette
After Pinocchio, here he is revisiting the tale of Peter Pan. The "connections" are remarkable, starting with Captain Hook aka Toni Negri. In dazzling form, he fills stadiums from Rome to Milan, and allows himself the luxury of a lyrical gamble ("Tutti insieme lo denunciam") that hints at Rossini and cynicism. more
Gianna Nannini -Io e te
She poses on the cover with her baby bump and, undeterred, continues to blend (a lot of) pop and (a little) rock, just as she has accustomed her audience to for years now. The strings in "Ti voglio bene" are the sign of an artist who is always too similar to herself but (and this must be acknowledged) tremendously consistent. As usual, her faithful Isabella Santacroce collaborates. "Ogni tanto" is even co-written by Pacifico: what a fine crowd. more
Eros Ramazzotti -Dove c'è musica
Right now he’s a war machine. He’s moving at a breakneck pace and seems more in tune than ever with his (inexhaustible) audience. “Più bella cosa” sends him soaring up the charts, while “Stella gemella” confirms him as the champion of a pop that is as simple as it is, deep down, incredibly international. “L’aurora” is dedicated to his newborn daughter, and his love story with Michelle Hunziker fills the pages of national (and not only) tabloids. more
Gianna Nannini -Puzzle
Surprisingly, her watered-down rock crosses Italian borders. In Germany, she becomes a major diva and takes half of Europe by storm with "Fotoromanza" (followed by a video directed by Michelangelo Antonioni). Italian melody and European electronics blend into a strange hybrid that, incredibly, works perfectly. more
Gianna Nannini -Profumo
Swept up by a success that was perhaps unexpected, the collaboration with Conny Plank continues. The album goes into heavy radio rotation: "Profumo"; "Avventuriera" and "Bello e impossibile" are the passport to a triumph that is at times inexplicable. radiofonica: more
Sun Kil Moon -April
April is a river that flows slowly, dense, full of bends, sometimes stopping to watch the ducks and then continuing on its way. more
Vasco Rossi -Il Supervissuto
A compilation of already well-known tracks plus an unreleased song ("Gli sbagli che fai") of very light (to say the least) craftsmanship. He stars in a TV series, "Il supervissuto," which tells the story of his feats and legends. Despite everything, he’s still going full throttle. more
Vasco Rossi -Buoni O Cattivi
It's a sales record: Vasco seems to be totally in sync with his (inexhaustible) audience. But the album is one of the worst in his discography: as monotonous as a flatlining EEG, needlessly frivolous (and stupid) at many points, exhausting in its obsessive quest for any kind of chorus ("Un senso"). It dominates radio and TV, commercials and billboards. But it (seems) to have nothing left to say. vendite: discografia: more
Vasco Rossi -Nessun pericolo... per te
Now resigned (or satisfied?) to the joys of home life, he loses his anger, inventiveness, and anarchy (but, truth be told, he had already lost them some time ago). He calls Polanski (parbleu) and has him direct the video for "Gli angeli," but his aura does not cross Italian borders. "Sally" is a masterpiece; what revolves around it is (much) less. more
Oasis -Definitely Maybe
Seven (!) platinum records mark the debut of the most controversial group (loved and hated in equal measure) of '90s Brit-pop. The melodies and moods are typical of the most radio-friendly pop, and that’s a limitation, but the execution is of immense sophistication, which is a merit. Tracks like "Live Forever" and "Cigarettes & Alcohol" hit the mark effortlessly: young people follow them with an enthusiasm (perhaps) worthy of a better cause, but Oasis, at this moment, are in spectacular form, despite the already escalating tensions between the Gallagher brothers, destined to explode in the years to come. more
oasis -(what's the story) morning glory
The perfect, or almost perfect, Oasis. They push hard on the pedal of the most consumable pop and hit a series of almost admirable harmonies and choruses, riffs and melodies. "Wonderwall" is the calling card of English pop for the decade (and even Thom Yorke would fall under its spell), while the piano opening of "Don't Look Back in Anger" benignly reveals an undying Beatles passion that the Gallagher brothers have never hidden. It's also worth mentioning the remarkable "Roll with it" and "Cast no shadow," as well as the masterful closing entrusted to the nearly 8 minutes of the epic "Champagne Supernova." more
Mango -Sirtaki
Culmine by Mango is one of the most beautiful Italian albums of all time. Pleasant, soothing, charming just the right amount, it skillfully blends local pop with Mediterranean sounds closer to Greece: "Nella mia città" and "Tu... sì" are two Perugina kisses that hit the mark, but the title track and the big single "Come Monna Lisa" are gems above the average of Italian music of that era. Gran Mogol wrote the lyrics. Grecia: more
Luciano Ligabue -Lambrusco, coltelli, rose & pop corn
It starts to repeat itself. The second album is, no less, a sequel to the debut, a bit less convincing but still very well played, with some spot-on riffs ("Sarà un bel souvenir"; "Urlando contro il cielo"). "Camera con vista sul deserto" leaves you speechless, other things less so. more