Giuni Russo
Energie

"Un'estate al mare, voglia di remare
fare il bagno al largo,
per vedere da lontano gli ombrelloni-oni-oni"
(Un'Estate al mare - 1982)

With this "tormentone" song from '82, Giuni Russo emerged in the Italian music scene. An extraordinary performer with a powerful, sweet, flexible, and sober voice, she managed to synthesize lyrical singing with pop, in an absolutely creative and original way. Franco Battiato, has been working for some years with a fixed team, composed of the arranger Giusto Pio and extraordinary musicians like the guitarist Alberto Radius (Battisti). In 1981, alongside his pop masterpiece "La voce del padrone", he wrote, arranged, and produced this "Energie", an extraordinary work for arrangements and creativity. Giuni, with her vocal gifts, manages to make this album unique, refined, modern, and impactful, brimming with a classical character and rhythmic structures that stand out along with splendid melodies.

"L'addio" is dramatic and symphonic at the same time, with splendid orchestrations. "Atmosfera" is the best you could ask for from pop, like the delicacy and minimalism of "L'attesa". Battiato's imprint is evident. The violin of maestro Giusto Pio outlines exquisite patterns, interacting with a virtuosic bass by Paolo Donnarumma, and synths used like in the themes of 80s Japanese cartoons. The most experimental and surprising moments of the album are "Crisi metropolitana" and the single "Una vipera sarò", where Giuni plays with her voice, creating incredible vocalizations in terms of technique and rhythmic precision. The masterpiece of the album comes at track 6, with "Il sole di Austerlitz", a visionary, sadly warlike track, with a violin solo at the end. This is pop of the finest kind, like no longer made. The playfulness, refinement, and originality of the arrangements with immediately memorable melodies, make "Energie" an extraordinary album, inexplicably not reissued on CD since the '81 LP. I was happily forced to download it from winmx and then burn it. If you want, I can share it. Recommended for romantics, '80s bass lovers, and absolutely for Battiato fans. Pure poetry in only eight tracks.