Litfiba
Live 12-5-87 Aprite I Vostri Occhi

THE REVIEW

 "12-5-87 -(Open your eyes)": a live album that from the very title is the proclamation of one of the greatest Italian bands of the '80s, Litfiba. Whether you like it or not, the Tuscan ensemble has indelibly marked the history of Italian rock, giving rise to many clones of themselves without, unfortunately, equal charisma and talent (and I regret to say that the same Litfiba "new course" belongs to this group).

But putting aside personal considerations about what was and still is the history of this band, I like to repeat that the reviewed album is truly a proclamation: of ideas, expressive strength, contradictions, and, above all, of almost brutal sincerity. It's the exact musical snapshot, without any overdubbing (as they chose differently for "Pirata"), of what Litfiba were humanly and musically in May '87: 4 individuals fresh off a fascinating, erratic but surprising and magmatic album like "17 Re", and a long tour that took them around the world, but above all 4 people in open battle both sonically and ideologically. The contrast is clear between the influence of a certain decadent" new wave" for bassist Maroccolo and keyboardist Aiazzi, and the more classic and accessible rock of guitarist Renzulli combined with Pelù's showmanship: in the middle, the balancing point, drummer De Palma with his so personal and offbeat way of driving the rhythm. But it's a battle that bears fruit: "Resta", "Re del silenzio", "Ferito", "Apapaia", "Cane", "Tziganata", "La preda" literally take your breath away, they ride fast on the bass notes and the guitar feedback, in an imperfect but effective balance, with Pelù sometimes shouting, sometimes shamanic, one of the most personal and powerful singers of those years (before his unique and recognizable voice timbre became an ironic "caricature"). Aiazzi with his melody and keyboards sweetens this mixture and Ringo De Palma, who suddenly accelerates and then slows down again, dazes and envelops the listener with his rolling.

The true masterpiece comes with "Vendette/Luna": an incredible blend of two different songs, sounds chasing and fighting each other, an almost endless and breathless race, with each instrument simultaneously wanting to excel but also to serve the song, a song that never ends (17 minutes!) but you wouldn't want it to end either. A listen that wounds the heart but also makes it beat strongly. Finally, to open and close the album, the two songs "Come un Dio" and "Ballata": the first announcing an album in perpetual ascent of sonic and rhythmic tension and the last offering an unexpected calm at the close of the concert. 

"Open your eyes" is over, it slides out of my compact disc player and, as I put it back in its case, I think that I too would have liked to be among the spectators at the Tenax in Florence on that 05/12/1987 but I also think that the album has made me feel ideally among them, sweaty and happy. What better compliment for a "live"?