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Rating:
LA RECENSIONE
"Viva l'Italia" is an album from 1979; I am eager to review this work because I believe it is one of De Gregori's most significant (which implies that he can be considered among the greatest Italian songwriters and, therefore, in the world), both from a musical and textual perspective.
The sequence of songs is as follows:
1- Capo d'Africa 2- Buenos Aires 3- L'ultima nave 4- Eugenio 5- Stella stellina 6- Viva l'Italia 7- Gesù bambino 8- Terra e acqua
The first thing I want to highlight is the ingenuity of all the sung melodies (perhaps the only exception is "Terra e acqua") reaching the highest levels in "Eugenio" (very subtle, refined melody, perhaps not appreciable on first listen), "Stella stellina" and "Gesù bambino". The sounds are acoustic, with notable Latin-American influences, warm and rich (the arrangements are excellent). The lyrics are typical of De Gregori, all of high level, with the outstanding feature of being unsettling but not saddening, with melancholic and ironic veins simultaneously. The instrumental introduction of "Capo d'Africa" is very beautiful and interesting.
For completeness, I list the instrumentalists:
Phil Spencer (Guitars) Mike Neville (Bass) Tommy Eyre (Keyboards) Freddie Kagen (Keyboards) Jerry Shirley (Drums and Percussions)
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Summary by Bot
Viva l'Italia, released in 1979 by Francesco De Gregori, stands out as a major work both musically and lyrically. The album features rich acoustic sounds with Latin-American influences and melodies that range from subtle to refined. Its lyrics skillfully blend melancholy with irony without becoming saddening. Noteworthy tracks include Eugenio, Stella stellina, and Gesù bambino, supported by a strong lineup of instrumentalists.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
06 Viva l'Italia (03:55)
Viva l'Italia, l'Italia liberata,
l'Italia del valzer, l'Italia del caffè.
L'Italia derubata e colpita al cuore,
viva l'Italia, l'Italia che non muore.
Viva l'Italia, presa a tradimento,
l'Italia assassinata dai giornali e dal cemento,
l'Italia con gli occhi asciutti nella notte scura,
viva l'Italia, l'Italia che non ha paura.
Viva l'Italia, l'Italia che è in mezzo al mare,
l'Italia dimenticata e l'Italia da dimenticare,
l'Italia metà giardino e metà galera,
viva l'Italia, l'Italia tutta intera.
Viva l'Italia, l'Italia che lavora,
l'Italia che si dispera, l'Italia che si innamora,
l'Italia metà dovere e metà fortuna,
viva l'Italia, l'Italia sulla luna.
Viva l'Italia, l'Italia del 12 dicembre,
l'Italia con le bandiere, l'Italia nuda come sempre,
l'Italia con gli occhi aperti nella notte triste,
viva l'Italia, l'Italia che resiste.
Francesco De Gregori
Italian singer-songwriter (cantautore), born 4 April 1951 in Rome; emerged in the early 1970s and is known for poetic, often hermetic lyrics and landmark albums such as Rimmel, Bufalo Bill and Titanic.63 Reviews
