Irene Grandi
Hits

THE REVIEW

Irene Grandi returns to the Italian music scene with a greatest hits album, not the first but the second of her career (the first being "Irek" in 2001).

Eight CDs released in thirteen years (from the self-titled "Irene Grandi" in 1994 to the latest "Indelebile" in 2004) and a decent success. Despite having catchy and appealing songs, she has never managed to break into the Italian music market: one of the many mysteries surrounding the already gloomy domestic music scene.

The album is composed of two CDs; the first contains all the old songs up to 2001, while the second CD includes two unreleased tracks and other more recent hits in unplugged versions. CD 2 opens with the first unreleased track, 'Bruci la città,' the first single from the album, written by Francesco Bianconi of Baustelle: a love song, summery and ear-friendly. 'La finestra' is the second unreleased single, also very beautiful and catchy. It is followed by some of her more recent hits ('Prima di partire per un lungo viaggio', 'Buon compleanno', 'Non resisto', 'Lasciala andare') in acoustic versions. CD 1, on the other hand, contains the best songs from her entire repertoire, those that made her famous: the cheerful 'In vacanza da una vita', the rhythmic 'Bum bum', the Sanremo hit 'La tua ragazza sempre', written by Vasco, 'Eccezionale', 'Verde rosso e blu', ending with 'Per fare l'amore', known for her performance at the Festivalbar when she sang on stage pregnant with her first child.

The other songs on the CD are not really well-known, but they are appreciated for their sheer simplicity at the first listen. Irene Grandi has always been a singer not too much in the limelight compared to other Italian colleagues. And it is about time she gained a bit more success, as she has proven with her simplicity, skill, and charm that she deserves it.