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Rating:
THE REVIEW
What can I say? I was stunned when I discovered that out of 15,000 plus reviews, the one for Nannini's second album was missing.
An album that [I believe] will be remembered more for its cover rather than the actual value of its songs, even though it doesn't contain anything truly unlistenable. The image features the symbol of America at the time, the Statue of Liberty; but the arm stretched toward the sky doesn't hold the torch of peace, but rather a more modern and common vibrator. Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, then, seen from the other side, the female side. Or perhaps that of "America", an anthem to masturbation that caused quite a stir at the time; the lyrics are very well written, and on a classic rock riff, the singer delivers a respectable performance, with a final crescendo that is certainly one of the best-executed moments of the album from a stylistic point of view.
Nannini doesn't have an amazing voice, she bets everything on energy, her vocal cords scratch the listener. She proposes herself as the only serious candidate to replace the late Janis Joplin (Anno Domini 1971), at least in Italy: in her appearance, in her behavior, and - of course - in her songs. "Io e Bobby McGee" is an ambitious rewriting of the much more famous "Me and Bobby McGee", and although it doesn't possess the extemporaneous beauty of the original - the final climax is missing, starring the good Janis - it's easily labeled as a good cover.
Gianna gets help with the lyrics from Roberto Vecchioni and, as often happens, the final result benefits from it. Of course, perhaps when listening to "Lei" one might wonder why Vecchioni didn’t include it in one of his albums, or whether Nannini suddenly changed tastes (after all, I don’t think she was really a sex symbol back then either). Nonetheless, the album fares well, with no epic songs, but with an honest rock - blues made mostly of ballads - "California", "Goodbye My Heart", "Sognami", the dramatic (?) interpretation of "La Lupa e le Stelle" - with classic instrumentation, guitar - bass - drums - piano - sax. It's just rock n' roll, in short, as someone might say. This is what one has to be content with, and I believe that the comparison with that album is not at all out of place.
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Summary by Bot
The review highlights Gianna Nannini's album 'California' as a solid, energetic rock record that stirred controversy due to its provocative cover art. Though it lacks epic songs, the album delivers honest rock and blues ballads with respectable vocal performance. The collaboration with Roberto Vecchioni enhances the lyrics, and the ambitious cover of 'Me and Bobby McGee' stands out. Nannini is positioned as a serious Italian rock artist with a raw, powerful style reminiscent of Janis Joplin.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Gianna Nannini
Gianna Nannini is an Italian singer-songwriter from Siena, frequently described in the reviews as a prototypical Italian female rocker thanks to her raspy, shouted vocal style and strong stage presence. Her early work moves from late-’70s rock (California) toward ’80s electronics/new wave, and her international breakthrough is tied to producer Conny Plank, with albums such as Latin Lover, Puzzle and Profumo often cited as career peaks.14 Reviews
Other reviews
By Fabriguitar
Gianna Nannini’s talent, I say now but never would have said before, is enormous.
For my taste, California is, of the artist, the highest point of genuineness (already sufficiently matured) of the sound and the ensemble.
