Francesco Guccini
L'Ostaria Delle Dame

(What do you say? Am I writing too many reviews? Eh, it seems I have a lot of free time)

"L'Ostaria delle Dame" is one of those works that, if you love the Maestrone, you just have to own. Because it's a little gem, the kind that only come around a few times in a lifetime. I should note, there are two versions: the Deluxe 6 CD version, which I don't have, and the Box, 2 CD version, which I do have. I will obviously review the latter.

Basically, someone discovered that there were some tapes that were never released and that the author himself had forgotten about, dating back to the early '80s (1982 and 1984 to be precise) where Guccini and his musicians entertain the, few, audience members at the Ostaria delle Dame in Bologna. Small concerts among friends, about an hour long, uneven, played in a casual manner (as Camilleri would have said), but genuine. No studio recording tricks, just a voice, a few guitars, and a series of anecdotes shared between the songs, some, it must be said, are very tasty and hilarious (above all the debate about which country can boast the best cycling tradition).

The tracklist looms.

The first CD, a concert from 1982, starts with the classic "Canzone per un'amica" (but the audience seems cold, and Guccini urges the attendees to at least applaud), followed by "L'osteria dei poeti" which would have been unheard before but was included in an anthology two years prior, followed by a barrage of classics: "Ti ricordi quei giorni", "Incontro", "Bologna", "Venezia", "Canzone di notte n.2", "Bisanzio", "Canzone dei dodici mesi", all played and sung as if at a party where too much was drunk (and, knowing Guccini and the taverns of Bologna, that's very likely). It closes with the unheard and youthful "Il treno va", which is a small, somewhat silly song and not very Guccinian but it's the introduction by the author that makes it brilliant. It's worth transcribing the lyrics:

This song is from '59, Modena is a very harsh city
Honestly, I am convinced that if I hadn't come to Bologna, I wouldn't have become a poet
Because it's a rewarding song and you have underestimated it
A song full of things, it's very, only that it was always held back for me
They mocked it, they made fun of me
Because they said it was very poetic, very sweet

"Dried your big eyes, seize the..."
Those idiots would say something else
I, like this, "Seize my hands!"
Very sweet, very poetic, no
The true poet is always misunderstood

The second CD is from 1984, and it's snowing. Guccini says it at the beginning, thanks for being here despite the snowfall, and it starts with "Autogrill", but the musicians have fun, that nickel tip left for the girl behind the counter (well, you know the song) isn't it a bit stingy? And they start with jokes about Guccini's stinginess himself. Very amusing. Followed by "Auschwitz", "Argentina" (and here the aforementioned cycling debate goes on for a good 10 minutes), "Il vecchio e il bambino" (with Flaco making too many guitar ornaments and Guccini getting annoyed, pure poetry) and then a rarity, but one to really savor. Guccini sings in Spanish, omg never heard that. He does it by explaining what a chacarera is and starts with two truly incredible pieces. "Chacarera del 55" and "Yo quiero un caballo negro". The last piece follows, before the goodbyes, "Un altro giorno è andato", and here too, Guccini lets himself go with some anecdotes, particularly about the lotteries sponsored by Bolognese newspapers and the fact that he dislikes Mike Bongiorno, and well, then he starts singing. Final goodbyes with a "we'll see each other in twenty years, in Piazza Maggiore".

Moreover, the recovery of the tapes is excellent, considering they are over thirty years old. The audio is great, and many compliments to whoever restored it. I told you, not to be missed.