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Rating: THE REVIEW
Anno Domini 1986. After 6 years of career, one album, a soundtrack for a theatrical performance, a 45 rpm single, and three EPs, Litfiba decided to take a significant quality leap. As their second album, they courageously decided to release a double LP consisting of 16 tracks (as the title suggested, there should have been 17, but the title track was excluded before the release). Everything about this album makes it one of the masterpieces of Italian rock of all time: the fantastic arrangements crafted by Francesco Magnelli and Gianni Maroccolo, the visionary lyrics of Piero Pelù (never again as inspired after "17 Re"), the cohesive rhythm section of Maroccolo-De Palma, and the soundscapes created by Antonio Aiazzi's keyboards and Ghigo Renzulli's essential guitars.
It stands as the second episode of the "Trilogia del Potere", between "Desaparecido" (1985) and "Litfiba 3" (1988), and thus the themes addressed are renewed: anti-militarism, rejection of military service, criticism of established power and society.
The 16 songs contained in the album differ greatly in style: from the more typically new-wave pieces to the post-punk attacks, to the sweet ballads, concluding finally with the new-wave frenzy of "Ferito," the epitaph of a genre that would no longer see great masterpieces after this album.
Finding a hair in the egg, the only flaw of this work lies in the voice, still not mature, of Piero Pelù. On the whole, however, it is not noticeable, and "17 Re" remains a masterpiece: the beauty of songs like "Apapaia," "Come un Dio," the already mentioned "Ferito," "Gira nel mio Cerchio" (which immediately became classics of the Florentine band) or "Sulla Terra" and "Oro Nero," make listening to the album a pleasure for anyone; any detractor of Litfiba will be disproven after a careful listening to "17 Re."
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Summary by Bot
Litfiba's 17 Re, released in 1986 as a double LP, is hailed as a masterpiece of Italian rock. It features visionary lyrics, innovative arrangements, and a mix of new-wave and post-punk styles. The album is the second part of the 'Trilogia del Potere' and addresses themes like anti-militarism and social criticism. Despite some criticism of Piero Pelù's immature voice, it remains a classic and essential listen for rock fans.
Litfiba
Litfiba is an Italian rock band formed in Florence around 1980. They were central to the Italian new wave/post-punk scene of the 1980s and are widely associated with the early trilogy of albums Desaparecido, 17 Re and Litfiba 3. The core public figures in reviews include Piero Pelù and Ghigo Renzulli.87 Reviews
Other reviews
By Perez
"You can win a war in two and maybe even alone, you can extract the heart even from the blackest murderer, but it’s harder to change an idea."
"I felt they were mine! Because they had a beating heart, because like me, they didn’t fit in with anyone, because they were charged."
By the clash
"'17 Re': 16 masterpieces, a double album, new wave, post-punk, decadent and irritating visions, sensuality, darkness, apocalypse, war…"
"A riff repeated endlessly, just as space will remain endless around that heart, the one on the cover, barbed and filled with the pain of wars, silences, deaths, and vendettas."
By ms
"‘17 Re’ remains with ‘Desaparecido’ in the Olympus of Italian rock."
"Tracks ‘gira nel mio cerchio’ and ‘oro nero’ are two of the best songs ever produced by Litfiba, alternative music to the pale pop of those years."
By David Bowie
"17 Re is, in all probability, the least easy and most fascinating album by Litfiba, able to withstand the test of time with an innovative sound."
"Piero Pelù, a modern Iggy Pop whose famous shamanic registry makes even the simplest lyrics original."
By Ferito
A superb piece in both composition and execution makes this album a masterpiece for all Italian rock.
'Apapaia'... Perhaps the greatest song of this group.
