Jovanotti
L'albero

LA RECENSIONE

The CD "L'albero" was released back in '97, and as soon as I realized that no one had commented on it on DeBaser, I thought: "I have to do it!"

As I have read from other reviews dedicated to his records, it doesn't seem to be very appreciated in recent years, but I believe this album is his best and has nothing to do with the latest releases, neither in the lyrics nor in the emotions they convey. I find it a pure, sincere CD, and much less "commercialized." There is a great variety of songs (and don't start saying "he does it to satisfy all tastes and sell more!" because most people who say that have never listened to it properly): romantic, introspective, critical, and others that might mean little but still stir emotions.

"Intro," a song-chorus with a short text made of two phrases repeated four times, which contradict each other; "I take the sun in the face... I drink a lot of rain..." which intrigues and introduces the listener to contact with nature and the track that gives the album its title...
I move on to "Bella," one of the winning tracks of the album and repeatedly played on the radio. As with almost all of Jovanotti's tracks, the lyrics are much more important than the accompanying melody, but in this song, they seem to go hand in hand. Words that seem to come out of a "lauda," and it's unclear who or what they are dedicated to since everyone can interpret them as they see fit.
After this comes "La linea d'ombra," a much less known introspective song compared to the previous one but containing much more meaning. It starts with a series of sounds and melodies reminiscent of the Far East, where time flows slowly. It manages to convey to me an emotion of disorientation, mainly due to the rhythm accompanying the most significant lyrics of the entire album. Anyone who has ever paused to think about themselves, even if only for a moment, because placed before a choice requiring great responsibilities, can relate to this song.
"Questa è la mia casa" may seem a silly tune to superficial ears, but not only does it have a good use of instruments (the bass sound is very evident), it also has an extremely significant text that maybe goes more unnoticed because of the famous chorus "I want to go home... and where is home?..." making it seem like a naive song.
"Umano" and "Il Muratore" are perhaps two tracks to be taken more lightly; "Canzone Piccola" tells of all the baseness around us.
"Il re" is a song dedicated to his woman. Jovanotti compares himself to a sovereign thanks to their love.
"Per la vita che verrà" is another beautiful song enriched with exotic melodies and romantic lyrics.
"L'albero" is the track that names the entire CD; Jovanotti compares himself to a tree and speaks with the same innocence and sincerity that a child might have, enchanted and amazed by the majesty of nature.
"Occhio non vede cuore non duole" recalls '30s America settings (an emotion it transmits to me), dealing with the organized and invisible crime of these times that is aided by the way the world turns, i.e., multinationals in developing countries, denied medicines to those who cannot afford them, the concept of "malavita" that no longer coincides with illegality. It is undoubtedly a known and condemned idea even if little or nothing is done, yet despite everything, Jovanotti with this song expresses his disdain, which I consider not hypocritical.
"Ueikap!" talks about his impotence in the face of the indifference of many other people towards a violent and conformist society.
"Luna di città d'agosto" is another song dedicated to a woman and is also one of the winning tracks of the album, with fascinating, poetic, and very melancholic lyrics.
Another song that may seem naive but actually hides a great meaning is "Il fiore del 2000" because it talks about the history that in '97 was repeating itself, that is, war was about to break out, which by now has erupted and that has never really erupted because it has always been present... it has never ended as it has never started.
The two connected songs "Big Bang (part 1-words)" and "Big Bang (part 2-thoughts)" are a kind of collection of ideas he has laid out in the songs that make up the album. In this track, too, I feel a sense of bewilderment.
"La ritmica" is the penultimate track and, in my opinion, the most predictable and obvious of the album, while "La pace" is a perfect conclusion to a perfect album; it does not speak of "peace" as opposed to "war," but of inner peace and through metaphors and similes, it presents what represents for him the state of inner balance. There cannot be balance without respect for nature, other men, and others' ideas.

I love this CD. I have owned it for more than six years and have not yet stopped listening to it and relating to it because it is one of Lorenzo's least predictable, least obvious, and most introspective CDs.