Lucio Battisti
Una donna per amico

THE REVIEW

The first time I heard the song "Una donna per amico" was during an early evening (12 years old) at a disco with my older siblings. I was already well-acquainted with Battisti through home listening sessions (thanks to my middle siblings), and I remember being quite surprised to hear "that" voice amidst the Abba, Bee Gees, and Rockets, who were popular at the time. When, a few months later, I began to develop my own musical tastes, I couldn't help but realize how Lucio Battisti was a musical genius, whose only misfortune, if you can call it that, was being born in Poggio Bustone in the province of Rieti instead of in London or New York. I am sure that if Lucio had been English or American, his fame would have been worldwide.

This album represents, in my opinion, Lucio Battisti at one of his highest musical pinnacles, with some points of absolute excellence. The sax solo in the opening track "Prendila così" still sends chills down my spine, and the entire song is absolutely excellent. Both "Donna selvaggia donna" and "Aver paura d’innamorarsi troppo" are two atmospheric tracks with almost perfect arrangements, while "Perché no" (in my view the song on the album with the best lyrics) is a waltz that tells the everyday life of an ordinary couple from 1978 and perhaps even from today.
Some consider "Nessun dolore" a weak bit of rock; I totally disagree, it's my favorite track on the album, and it is a proper rock song that Lucio embellishes with a masterful vocal interpretation, and features a superb bass riff. Then there's a sequence of household sounds, including plates and glasses (evidently at the table), a woman's voice (his wife Grazia Letizia?), a child's voice (his son Luca?), and here we are at the title track, "Una donna per amico". It's undeniable that the producer Geoff Westley had previously worked with the Bee Gees and some of the biggest names in disco music.
The album's fun piece, which is very pleasant and witty, starts with a hearty laugh and is "Maledetto gatto", while the ending is entrusted to a piece that frankly says very little to me. In fact, I consider "Al cinema" the only weak song on this beautiful record.

A small flaw of this album is the lyrics, which I generally find quite banal here (among other things, I have never particularly loved Mogol's lyrics, which I consider a bit simplistic in some cases, but tastes differ...).
After this album, which will stay at the top of the Italian sales charts for months, Lucio will face rather complicated years, the very banal "Una giornata uggiosa", the in some ways interesting "E già", before meeting Pasquale Panella of whom I particularly appreciate "Don Giovanni".