Edoardo Bennato
Pronti a salpare

Edoardo Bennato "ready to set sail"

Edoardo Bennato was among the greatest Italian singer-songwriters between '73 and '83, then the decline.

First, a crazy yet interesting album like Kaiwanna, then a series of less inspired and very opportunistic albums (Ok Italia, Abbi dubbi, Il paese dei balocchi). In the 90s, Edoardo tried to recover with some decent works, but nothing more (Se son rose fioriranno, Sbandato), and essentially, he never recovered. However, beyond the quality of the albums, some choices surprise, as they clash with what he preached in the early years of his career. Certainly, the World Cup anthem, but also the Tim commercial or the collaboration with Britti, all moves that drastically reduce his credibility. After all this and with an already struggling career, Bennato returns with a new album, and surprisingly, it's not bad; in fact, it might be something more. Firstly, for the first time in many albums, it has an excellent sound, warm and lively at the same time. Then, out of the 14 songs, at least 7-8 are of high quality. The title track, first of all, manages with its lyrics and music to recreate certain vibes of the best years; acoustic guitars at the forefront and inspired lyrics make it a great introduction. Then there's "La calunnia è un venticello," an excellent blues with lyrics borrowed from Rossini, very interesting. The Orwellian "è una macchina" also works, listing the pros and cons of rampant technologization over a gospel blues base. Unfortunately, "Pronti a salpare" does not only contain gems, and the self-referential "A Napoli 55 è a musica" and the overly "young pop rock band" arrangement of "il mio sogno ricorrente" are proof of this. But above all, it's surprising the choice to include two previously released songs "Povero amore" and "Zero in condotta" which could have easily been left out. In short, with some exclusions and adjustments, "Pronti a salpare" could have aimed for four stars, but as it stands, remains a good three-star album. I don't think it will turn the tides of Bennato's career, but it certainly adds a somewhat positive album to an all-too-erratic discography.