Francesco Guccini
Guccini

I'm glad to have stirred up a 'small' fuss, a little dust, let's say, with my semi-disapproval of 'Madame Bovary', in which I also referred to this LP, which precedes that album.

The album has few tracks, only six, as often happens in his albums from previous years. But then, with so few tracks, of which two, therefore a third, are not very relevant, how can this album be a masterpiece?!

Simple, it's not! However, I really like it. Meanwhile, I go crazy for the idea of concept albums; only a few episodes of this type are found in his work (in fact, it's rare to find true concept albums; generally, they are songs that are more or less easy to connect with a common thread). This makes some episodes more interesting than others, where it becomes apparent that the compilation of the disc is more like a 'diary', a survey of considerations from a certain period, without a coherent link between one track and another, and without the possibility of being involved in a story with a beginning, a thesis, and an end.

We owe all these quirks without a doubt to De André, who, in my opinion, made the album form his specialty.

Here, there's a particular theme: the futility of travel as a means of realization, or, more Guccinian, as a solution to the problem of existence, the search that has no discovery, the answer that has no question.

Based on this consideration, it's right to talk about three tracks in particular: 'Shomer Ma Mi Llailah' doesn't say anything new to those who have already followed his more existential albums, but it returns to the addressed subject: the question has no answer, it's not the answer that matters, but continuing to ask, to search, because this necessity is closely linked to living and its meaning. Nothing new, you might say, and in fact, despite the track being born from such a deep and Gucciniana idea, it's not among the best; it could have been realized better, could have been truly unforgettable and much more 'Guccinian.' However, on the same theme, we've already heard other better-executed tracks, which I'm not going to list due to the frequent presence of this theme.

Nothing to say on 'Gli amici', completely forgettable.

Let’s move on to the interesting part: first, staying linked to the theme of the album, it's important to remember 'Argentina' and 'Gulliver', not only important for considerations on travel and existence, but also very beautiful, deep tracks, which however enjoy a new brightness: the gloomy considerations on the repetitiveness of existence, of knowing one's future and already being tired of it ('Argentina'), the senselessness of the journey, of experience, of discovery, which leaves behind only 'shells of words' ('Gulliver') are not colored in black and blue, like the cover of 'L'isola non trovata', they don't have that twilight taste of 'Stanze di vita quotidiana', it is a different Guccini, but I find it still very authentic.

I'm not really enjoying this review; until now, I've avoided reviewing my favorite albums for fear of not doing them justice, but tonight, I'm definitely doing it. What I wish to convey is that, at least in my opinion, we are talking about a great album, one that is easy to listen to, also thanks to its brevity, but that leaves many stimuli for the listener, a great desire to listen again, to love every song, and then maybe to stop, once finished listening, to reflect.

I’ll close with the last two tracks: a love only imagined, touched, but left to a dream dimension, which, besides enchanting us, makes us regret that he didn't make other songs of this type, having instead insisted much more on different themes. I was referring to 'Autogrill'. The other love is a well-known love, a bit tired, embarrassed in front of certain tenderness, but immensely great; great because it's aware of the difficulties, the annoyances, the small and vulgar things of every day, all that predictability, that boredom that a true, non-oniric love must swallow every day. And so the only way to love each other despite this is to truly love each other. This and much more could be said of a beautiful 'poem' titled 'Inutile'.

'Autogrill' and 'Inutile', 'Argentina' and 'Gulliver'. This album collects four important moments of Guccini's production. And it's among his best episodes, along with 'Radici'; 'Amerigo' etc..