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Rating: A complex of notable Roman origin, that of the Calipop, which regular visitors to the Capital's venues during the '66/'67 period might easily remember. A fairly musically proficient group, they preferred the gentler side of beat over the more crackling one; however, ironically, instead of recording a Beatles cover, to whom they were instinctively closer, they decided to take the opposite path by choosing one of the most beloved classics by the Rolling Stones: Let's Spend The Night Together, thoroughly cleansing the text, often accused of overt eroticism, which flavored the excellent original version by Mick and company.
And so here is "Restiamo ancora insieme" (innocuous rose water spread in broad swaths so as not to translate it with a more suitable - but highly risky for censorship - 'passiamo la notte insieme'); one would expect it to start with the same insistent piano of the Stones, but instead the intro loses its value, tone, and nuance as it's performed with a timid guitar. Fortunately, as soon as the soloist's voice starts the verse, the track manages to gain altitude and unfolds at full pace, thanks to the singer's rather gritty voice that modestly sings "...Restiamo ancora insieme, non te ne andare mai, dai...", somewhat clumsy but to avoid darts (or for lack of courage)... The cover continues quite fluidly, only to falter in expression again at the end, where improvisation becomes more difficult; in short, a bit of advice like for grappa: cut off the head and the tail and take the heart, pardon, the central part.
On the other side, the five Calipop transport themselves to a sound carpet theoretically more congenial to them: they snag one of Endrigo's many little unforgettable successes and try to direct their shot at the more tranquil "Dove credi di andare". Transformed into a timid 'acoustic-beat', it opens with the bass and distorted chords, supported in truth by a rather out-of-place choir. It appears history might repeat from side A: indeed, the central part becomes tasteful and more balanced, with a rendition seemingly halfway between the Mama's & Papa's and... La Cricca (!), with a good acoustic guitar groove and a well-articulated bridge. When compared to the author's original, Dove credi di andare almost becomes another song. This gives rise to an inevitable reflection: it would be truly intriguing to know who advised the various groups and singers of the time on the choice of songs to record; in some cases, the preferences are so baffling that not even the luminous Philo Vance would be able to untangle the yarn and reach the name of the murderer to hand over to the Police, in other words, to the collectors.
Therefore, a record not to be torpedoed but not exactly to be praised; it seems to have been produced a bit too quickly and certainly, whoever took care of the arrangements must not have had very clear ideas or perhaps ample time to dedicate to them. This is not a rejection for the Calipop, certainly, however, not a hymn either.
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