Viva Lì

Well, after all, it's just an anthology of excerpts. Yes, it's true, there are 3 unpublished pieces, but they don't really hold much value. Of course, having it at home always has its charm. Doesn't it? Marco Poletti Dixit.

A concert that will probably have been a grand concert. I wasn't there, too bad. Marco Poletti Dixit.

All in all, one of the most important Italian singer-songwriter albums of the Seventies. Venditti contests and hopes for a better future, writes lyrics of the highest quality, and blends them with abundantly powerful music. It’s a popular Venditti, one who loves to be among the 'ggente, and amidst the rubble of "Bomba o non bomba" and the parental anxieties of "Sara," you get the impression of stepping into a murky and inhumane world. But after all, they were only (?) the Seventies. Together with "Le cose della vita" (1973), "Quando verrà Natale" (1974), and "In questo mondo di ladri" (1988), it represents the creative peak of Monsieur Antonellò Vendittì. Marco Poletti Dixit.

Oh my goodness, what an outrageous album! I won't add anything more to avoid shooting at the Red Cross. Marco Poletti Dixit.

As a rocker, he has put the past behind him: now he’s just a stage animal good to be exploited and then re-exploited. The days when he could talk about unease and generational anger are long gone; now he speaks with clichés and low-grade semi-advertising slogans. Nevertheless, he still manages to excite and compose a few catchy and lively tunes. But it’s little, far too little, unless you’re stuck in 1989 (the year, for the record, of the excellent "Liberi liberi"). If you’re a fan, you love him (and idolize him); for others, all things considered, it’s a (almost) stinging disappointment. Marco Poletti Dixit.

Fourth album by Vasco, and certainly one of the best (but not the most beautiful). For better or worse, it contains all the Vasco of the early Eighties: the ironic one from "Voglio andare al mare," the late-punk one from "Ieri ho sgozzato mio figlio" ("It was a mistake, I thought it was a rabbit, I swear, I thought it was a rabbit"), the anxious and neurotic one from "Valium," but above all, it includes the generational one from "Siamo solo noi," where he recounts, without metaphors or bold big words, the youthful reality of the late-Seventies kids—those who have no rules (alas) but have been destroyed by a society with no saints or heroes. Undoubtedly effective. Sometimes the anger is too much, but it's good to see a relatively young singer scream his dissent and existential and ethical disorientation at the world. When Vasco still knew how to make great music (from 1989 onwards he hasn't managed to hit even a half-success by mistake). PS: the review is sterile and essentially empty and hollow; the cover, of course, is not the original. By the way, what is it? Marco Poletti Dixit.

Indeed, for Vasco there’s no danger (sales are always extraordinarily high), but for the public, there is some danger, and it hurts too. Undoubtedly effective are "Gli angeli" and "Sally" (Vasco’s version is much better than Mannoia’s), while everything else is a solemn, kitschy pseudo-artistic mess tainted by scrupulous commercial temptations. It’s a shame because the band supporting Vasco is truly top-notch: Vinnie Colaiuta, Andrea Braido, Mike Landau, Randy Jackson. Marco Poletti Dixit.

Vasco's debut. A bit naive, a bit of a rascal. He will refine over time, but "Silvia" and "Jenny è pazza" are two gems of extraordinary musicality. Very melodic, after all, arranged by Gaetano Curreri. Marco Poletti Dixit.

Whether you like it or not, Vasco’s supreme masterpiece. An archetype of the more mature and grown-up Vasco Rossi, it excites fans with ballads like "Domenica lunatica" and "Muoviti," and every now and then, it also allows a moment for reflection and self-criticism ("Liberi liberi"). He is in great shape, dissects tracks like they are peanuts, and writes beautiful and carefully crafted music alongside his friend Tullio Ferro. It's impossible not to love him and hold him close to your heart: unfortunately, the golden moment ends here. Except for "Gli spari sopra" (1993), nice but not exceptional, Vasco won’t hit the mark again. However, he will continue to sell in droves, and the big concerts in the largest Italian stadiums will become a summer staple that fans will always embrace with great passion and spirit. Grasshopper will surely not like this album. I enjoy teasing him, since he is said to be a lover of good music (but really?). Marco Poletti Dixit.

Vasco is now just trying to win over the audience. First there's "Io no," then he tries to daze them with "Rewind," and finally, in a fit of honest moral intellectuality, he claims that, after all, these are "Canzoni per me." It's not the worst Vasco of the last fifteen years, but it comes pretty close. Maximum result with minimal effort? Perhaps, considering he sells in tons. Marco Poletti Dixit.