Franco Battiato
L'arca Di Noè

THE REVIEW

Little masterpiece in Battiato's career, 'L'arca di Noè' musically situates itself between artistic pop with the choruses of La voce del padrone, and the essential 80s electronic of Orizzonti perduti e Mondi lontanissimi.

But I highly recommend this album especially for how these sounds blend with the magnificent lyrics where we can find the Battiato we love the most, the sharp, ironic, critical, and bitter one at the same time. Therefore, besides the well-known 'Radio Varsavia' and 'Voglio vederti danzare' (masterpiece song), stand out corrosive and captivating lyrics. Battiato has something for everyone: for the church, in the scathing critique of the little gem 'Scalo a Grado', for the ignorance of today's electronic quiz world in 'La torre', while he evokes apocalyptic experiences in 'Clamori', a desolate and realistic portrait of a world going to ruin, and in the masterpiece 'L'esodo', the song that sonically stands out the most in the album, alongside Voglio vederti danzare. The sharp rhythm of the bass accompanying Battiato's voice is interrupted by apocalyptic choirs. Finally, 'New frontiers', from which I quote the final verses that alone are worth the price of the album. Battiato singing cheerfully and bitterly: "Innocent men with somewhat beastly looks look for love inside parks and along avenues", while immediately after the choir voices start the final refrain, accompanied by the electric guitar: "The walls of the brain have no more windows".

The genius of Battiato's 80s irony'... Unfortunately, lately Franco has appeared to me somewhat worn out, and going to Sanremo interpreting his latest song in evident playback, in my opinion, did not make a good impression.