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Rating: Talking about Litfiba means bringing up an important piece of our rock history, even though perhaps today there's little left to add to what has been said and repeated over the past thirty years. As prominent figures of the Florentine and Italian scenes of the 1980s, the band underwent many transformations, quickly abandoning their unique new wave sounds that had brought them success even abroad, in favor of more accessible and less fascinating rock. Despite dissolutions and reunions, there's no doubt that the most interesting phase remains the early 1980s, more closely linked to those sounds coming from across the Channel, yet definitely more heartfelt and evocative. On one hand, it has often been stated that there is no interest in making out-of-print material available again, much to the dismay of many enthusiasts, on the other, it's pleasant to see how occasionally something still surfaces from the archives. If a couple of years ago, "Eneide di Krypton" and "Live In Berlin" were finally reissued on vinyl, it should be noted that this was an operation that reintroduced very diverse material, combining in a single, prohibitively priced box set, "Live and Rare" recordings from the early days with rather disappointing work from fifteen years later, when the Florentines had already lost themselves in very bland pop-rock. The recent "Trilogia 1983-1989" tour was a way to play songs that had long been absent from the setlist, such as "Elettrica Danza" and "Versante Est," known to the most die-hard fans but almost unknown to the more casual listener.
The Record Store Day, an event organized to encourage visiting music stores and featuring the release of limited edition records, is not new to the Litfiba brand, but this year the offering is decidedly more interesting than past ones. For the first time, the single "Luna/La Preda," originally released way back in 1983, is being reissued. The record followed a year after the mini-album "Litfiba," the debut of the Florentine ensemble, and the group was naturally still green but the elements that would define their sound in the future were already evident, at least until Antonio Aiazzi and Gianni Maroccolo remained in the lineup. The original record has been highly sought after by collectors for years, often reaching outrageous prices; having the reissue is certainly not the same, but it at least gives a very precise idea of how the record appeared in its first edition.
The 2014 version is presented in two different versions, seven and twelve inches, numbered, for the joy of those who want to have absolutely everything from the Tuscan band. If the tracks in question were to be reintroduced several times during the 1980s, it should still be noted that this is the first time they are being made available again in this version. "Luna" would become a key piece in the concert setlist for years and can indeed be heard, in addition to the legendary "12/5/'87 (Aprite i Vostri Occhi)," on numerous bootlegs of varying quality, all easily accessible on the internet. "La Preda," on the other hand, would be rearranged for the much-desired first LP, "Desaparecido," which in 1985 condensed five years of experimentation into forty minutes of music, a cornerstone album of Italian rock, raw but much more significant than most of the records that would follow.
The packaging faithfully reproduces the original, with the lyrics of both songs printed on the back. Such a release is naturally not targeted at the group's average listener but at the more attentive one, also because it is not uncommon for people who claim to be fans of the Florentines to have an extremely vague knowledge of their discography, almost always focusing on the albums with greater commercial success. A reissue can never replace the original record, but it is certainly a fascinating reissue, definitely recommended for fans of Italian new wave.
1. Luna
2. La Preda
Piero Pelù, voice
Federico Renzulli, guitars
Gianni Maroccolo, bass
Antonio Aiazzi, synthesizers
Renzo Franchi, drums
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