Giusto Pio
Restoration

In the years around 1983, some people spoke of a true “Battiato clan”, by analogy with the famous Celentano clan from some years earlier. Around the success of the Sicilian artist, as is well known, there is also that of other figures connected to him, such as Alice, Giuni Russo, and many others.

Among these is the faithful co-author and arranger, Giusto Pio, who, after the good reception of “Legione Straniera”, decided to release another album, this “Restoration”, once again written in collaboration with Franco Battiato.

The album is once again a collection of instrumental tracks, characterized by pop-rock arrangements, with Pio's violin taking the soloist's parts, and a penchant for musical citations that matches the more explicitly literary taste of Battiato from the same period. The record gives an impression of greater cohesion and consistency compared to its predecessor, and for this reason, it is overall more preferable, albeit slightly.

Among the tracks, the title track stands out (which is a reimagining of a piece by Fauré), “Jour De Fete”, “Radio Taxi”. The point made earlier for “Legione Straniera” applies here as well; for Giusto Pio, who came from classical music and now dedicates himself to experimentation, these albums were created with a kind of “serious lightness”, meaning fundamentally for fun but not carelessly—far from it. All this makes “Restoration” a pleasant listen, without undue ambitions but capable of providing moving moments thanks to the airy melodies typical of the compositions by this great pair of authors.

There is indeed no doubt that those who loved Battiato's works from the '80s will certainly find a familiar atmosphere here and once again reconsider the indispensable contribution that Giusto Pio made in creating the magical alchemy of those unrepeatable years.