Lucio Dalla
Canzoni

THE REVIEW

Let’s start with the important things: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCIO! Today he would have turned 77. And given the occasion, we take an album that no one had yet reviewed on Deb, namely Canzoni from 1996. After the quirky beginnings culminating at Sanremo with the songs 4/3/1943 and Piazza Grande, after three albums with the poet Roversi, three historic albums, the unusual 1983, the masterpiece Viaggi organizzati, the rather ugly Bugie and two more than good albums (Cambio and Henna), Lucio comes out with an album that takes what was good in his production but also some negative things.

The first four tracks are the most successful ones: the beautiful Ayrton opens the dances with a ballad about Ayrton Senna and culminates in a final guitar solo that gives you chills. Then there's also Canzone, chosen as the launch single, which, with its haunting melodic line and a masterful text written by Samuele Bersani, manages to get into your head and heart. Then what to say about the romantic Tu non mi basti mai and Domani, both endowed with a sensitivity that is hard to find in Dalla’s 90s production. The following songs also work very well: Ballando ballando is nice and functional, the calm sweetness of Sul mondo, the Neapolitan style of Nun parlà. So does the entire album proceed on this good path? No, not all the tracks work. Amici I've always found embarrassing, the lyrics are really bad and the music (which tries to reprise the technique of the final guitar solo in Ayrton, failing miserably) is rather weak. Prendimi così is the lowest point: absolutely predictable lyrics and flat music. The final Cosa vuol dire una lacrima and Goodbye are pretty while remaining among the worse pieces.

In short, an album certainly not to be discarded but not at Lucio's usual levels due to some more banal tracks far from his masterpieces. I return to my pit, waiting to write something new.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCIO