Elisa
Soundtrack '96-'06

THE REVIEW

Can you review an album without even listening to it? When it comes to Miss Toffoli, yes.

After "Lotus" from 2003 (which was followed by an objectively stunning theater tour), today we have the second greatest hits. Between the two, there was only "Pearl days", a more difficult album, almost electronic, which tended to distance itself from previous productions. With this "Soundtracks", however, Elisa literally returns to her roots. Why do I give it 2 stars without listening to it? Well, my rating was meant to be "?" but the editors didn't foresee that, so I adapt.

Yesterday, I was at Ricordi browsing the shelves for myself when this CD caught my eye, marked on the new releases shelf amidst Laura Pausini and Nek. Complimenting the triad that had perhaps unintentionally formed, I turned it in my hands seeking any interest but put it back after half a second... much more than "Lotus", "Soundtracks" is the classic Christmas panettone for fans. There are all the best hits that Caterina Caselli's protégé has managed to place in the charts since the times of "Pipes and flowers", but beware: as she herself stated, it is not a best of, but a greatest hits. That is the annoying music biz habit of gathering all of a singer X's singles, collecting them with an alluring title and cover, and welcoming with open arms the money that fans throw at it like the year-end bonus.

Oh God, judging objectively track by track, my rating would rise considerably, since I never missed the best Toffolian products, but, fundamental question, was Sugar so short on cash? Did this thing really need to be done? I deliberately omit discussing the launch single "Gli ostacoli del cuore" (obviously unreleased), written and sung together with another marketing genius, namely Ligabue. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad in itself, but I would have seen it better buried among other tracks on another album of unreleased songs, instead of being used as an improper weapon, blasted millions and millions of times across television networks, exploited to the bone in the name of promotion. And the beauty is that Miss Elisa says she's happy with it.

Wasn't she the one who started her career cloaked in the aura of someone who didn't like to conform to the precise dictates of "rules"? Wasn't she the one who released an introspective and courageous album like "Asile's world" after the success of "Pipes and flowers" when she could have continued to release b-sides that would have sold anyway?

Must I really think that money extinguishes every belligerent flame?