Lucio Battisti
Images

With this album, Lucio attempted the American adventure 45 years ago, an unfortunate experience that officially had no repeats. Lucio had already visited the New Continent four years earlier, but South America, and the result was the masterpiece "Anima latina," which, for me, is among the four reatine albums deserving 5 stars (in addition to the two from 1972 and "Don Giovanni").

This time it involved translating the album "Io tu noi tutti," providing a partial version with five out of eight tracks and adding two classics from his repertoire. From the Italian album, "Linterprete di un film" is omitted, although it would be considered as "Star in a film," along with "Ami ancora Elisa" and "Questione di cellule," deemed too "Italian" by arranger Mike Melvoin. From the historical repertoire, chosen from a selection that also included "Eppur mi son scordato di te" and "Il nostro caro angelo," are "La canzone del sole," which simply becomes "The sun song," and "Il mio canto libero," which is not translated literally but as "A song to feel alive." The result, as mentioned, was rather disappointing, with the two repertoire pieces already sounding "old" and not suited for an overseas audience. Among the few noteworthy elements are "To feel in love" and "Keep on cruising," more convincing than the others, one in a romantic sense, the other in a rock sense. The English versions of "Soli," "Ho un anno di più," and "Neanche un minuto di 'non amore'" remain, which frankly do not strike and seem too stuck to the Italian versions, without offering any new insight.

The album went practically unnoticed in the States, and my rating is 2 stars, a unique case for me in the entire Battisti discography, along with "E già," which this year turns 40. Lucio would work two years later on the English equivalent of "Una donna per amico," achieving more convincing results in pronunciation and the rendition of the songs. However, "Friends" would only be discovered in 1995 by journalist Tullio Lauro, as in 1979 it remained shelved, prematurely ending a hypothetical international career for Lucio.