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THE REVIEW
I was pleased to see the acclaim garnered by the review of Tutti morimmo a stento as well as by the new reviews of De André that I've seen. So, with this renewed spirit and inner sadness, I reflect on what Faber's death meant for us.
For this reason, I feel compelled to review what is one of the most beautiful and legendary albums of the Poet. It starts with a very bold concept (the musical rendition of the APOCRYPHAL GOSPELS!) for that time, but what stands out - as always in his works and especially in his life - is the purest emotion marked by different faces: pity, denunciation, sorrow, hypocrisy. The atheist De André...
Here everything changes: Mary becomes a servant, Joseph "father by profession".
In this masterpiece, emotions and the sacredness of Jesus's birth are encapsulated, but also a tribute - as always - to the humble and the afflicted, which began especially with "Tutti morimmo a stento" and found an extraordinary continuum in this album.
How can we forget "Tre madri," a heartbreaking, short song about Mary (if I hadn't been a child of God...), Via della croce (which speaks about the loneliness of the two thieves), L'infanzia di Maria...
What strikes is that despite the themes being strong and the words too, there is nowhere the perception of "blasphemy." Here Faber intends to criticize the hypocrisy of the Church (always a master in the art of dissembling and mother of the most infamous religious lies) that has burdened especially the weak and the oppressed with dogmas never said by the one they claim to serve.
"La buona novella" is not an act of accusation against the figure of Jesus (even though Faber thought he was just a "great man"), but a punch in the heart of Christianity and not of Christianity itself.
A beautiful, intense album, perhaps guilty of being ahead of its time (if it were released today, it wouldn't have been so mistreated by religion and politics), yet another masterpiece by De André.
The one who - perhaps - no one will manage to bring back, and whom we miss so much. It's been five years since he's been gone, and the pain hasn't passed. At this point, I doubt it ever will...
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Summary by Bot
This review honors Fabrizio De Andrè’s iconic album La Buona Novella as a groundbreaking work that musically interprets apocryphal gospels. It highlights the album’s emotional richness and its critique of religious hypocrisy without blasphemy. The reviewer reflects on De Andrè’s enduring influence and the album’s ahead-of-its-time nature. The heartfelt tribute marks De Andrè’s lasting absence and impact on listeners.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Fabrizio De André
Italian singer-songwriter (cantautore) Fabrizio De André (18 Feb 1940 – 11 Jan 1999) is known for poetic lyrics, narrative songs about marginalized people, and landmark albums including Creuza de mä and La buona novella.92 Reviews
Other reviews
By stargazer
"A work in which sacred and profane are perfectly mixed, dense with a universal message of love and brotherhood."
"If you hadn’t been the son of God, I would still have you as my son."
By hypnosphere boy
"La Buona Novella is one of the greatest masterpieces of Music of all time."
"The refinement of lexical choice, the ease of rhetorical instrument, and the beauty of the evoked images... blend perfectly with the stories being told."
By Diecimilagiorni
His voice, which is sadly missed in this new millennium, has united women and men who might have little in common.
This album has made me exult, cry, reflect, curse. It has taught me a way to love.
By Mr.Black
Opening a work with a Christian choir denotes the will to go against common sense, being mocked by the more prosperous layers of society.
De André, as he will always do in the face of the tragedies of the downtrodden, sides with his Christ, analyzing his delicate human adventure, contrasting it with the crimes of the oppressive system.
By asterics
Purged of arrogance, the word penetrates and warms within.
That that man was called Joshua, that he was God made flesh, matters little. But that Joshua was a man instead, is what matters.
