"Pure archaeology of Italian beat" is how delrock defines it, criticizing it as if it were an Inter-Poggibonsi game in March. And yet.

In 1966, the national Lucione is a clumsy clarinet player who has already toured several areas in the Bologna region, in the company, among others, of Pupi Avati - whom he had left in '62, precisely because of Dalla's wild clarinet antics.

A comic strip, in short.

Seeing him now on the cover, legs crossed next to his "Idols," brings a smile. And listening to what the Belpaese offered at the time - a dull poor copy of the English beat - is even worse. But Dalla brings his passion for jazz, the fiery kind from dixieland bands, and a curiosity towards James Brown who was starting to make waves across the ocean.

The songs are little more than sketches dominated by an omnipresent Farfisa, tender mockeries of the genre ("Quando ero soldato", "LSD"), as well as genuflections to what the era demanded ("Lei non è per me" and practically the entire second side). In between, tributes to James Brown (a wild "I got You" and "Mondo di uomini", from "It's a Man Man's World"), an intense title track and "Paff...Bum!", which stands out only because it will be presented at the Sanremo festival paired with none other than his majesty, the Yardbirds.

Another four years will pass before a follow-up, and Dalla will be the first to lose track of this debut.

Those were truly different times, no doubt about it.

Tracklist and Lyrics

01   Quando ero soldato (02:50)

02   Lei (non è per me) (02:54)

03   I Got You (02:34)

04   L'ora di piangere (02:41)

05   L.S.D. (02:15)

06   Mondo di uomini (03:01)

07   1999 (02:25)

E' bruciato
anche l'ultimo fiore
grigio fumo
è il colore del sole
sono solo
in un mondo che tace
finalmente è scoppiata la pace
aspettavo
che venisse il momento
ora parlo
solamente col vento
finalmente
questo mondo è più bello
il fratello
più non odia il fratello

Cosa farò
non lo so
cosa vorrò
niente, niente, niente

Son salito
su di un tram che non parte
sto seduto
come sempre in disparte
non mi piace
tutto quello che dico
ho paura
io mi sento nemico

08   Tutto il male del mondo (02:42)

09   Pafff...bum! (02:21)

10   La paura (02:01)

11   Io non ci sarò (03:01)

12   Le cose che vuoi (02:56)

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