Marco Conidi
Nuvole e Regole

Many in Italy will ask this question: who is the greatest in Italy between Ligabue and Vasco Rossi? My answer is Bleaha, the greatest is Marco Conidi. I'm not crazy, and anyone who has listened to the latest album or any of the previous ones will agree with me.

Because alas, for most of the people, being the greatest means selling more, while a great artist stands out for the emotions they can evoke, for the intellectual honesty, and for the courage to constantly reinvent themselves, maintaining a high standard of quality.

For many of you, the first question that will naturally arise is "Who is Marco Conidi?" so it’s worth giving a brief Chronostory.

The album in question is his latest musical endeavor released in 2005, a cosmic gap, a full 8 years from the previous one "Marco Conidi" (Ala Bianca/Cgd East West). A Roman, on his 5th studio album, from a career that began back in 1989 and includes 2 participations in the Sanremo Festival in 1991 with "Bungaro/Bella" with the song "E noi qui" and in 1992 with the splendid and epic "Non è tardi", produced like the entire album "C'è in giro un'altra razza" by the great Guido Elmi, which contains other hits like the title track, "Non è Hollywood", "Sulla Strada" which remain hits recurrently performed in his concerts along with "Angeli maleducati, Mi mancherai, Jonny mezzanotte, Un passo via da te" authorized cover by Bruce Springsteen "One step up" included in a tribute album to the "Boss", and Italiani D'America, an anthem for Italians abroad. The live performances are indeed the crucial point of Marco Conidi's career shunned by major record labels and radio stations. Marco finds refuge in his steadfast group of fans: 7,000 "Angeli maleducati" who have always followed and supported him over the years, a unique and unprecedented act of love in Italy.

But let's return to the brand-new and splendid album "Nuvole e regole" which marks a further step forward artistically, reaching moments of high poetry, expertly accompanied by excellent musicians and precise, unobtrusive production.

Marco Conidi has grown with his music that compared to previous albums has moved towards more British sounds, he who for years was a champion of a certain American singer-songwriter rock. Listen to the splendid ultra-generational anthem like "Oggi sono diventato grande" with that piano intro vaguely reminiscent of Coldplay's "The Scientist", and with a chorus that sticks in your head from the first moment, the beautiful poetic and heartbreaking "L'amore che viene" with the magical hands of the great Sergio Cammariere on the piano, "L'identità" a rock piece with lyrics protesting the rampant consumerism of today's society that makes us all the same, the romantic entanglement with pop/rock musicality "L'altro", the suave and captivating "Curve di campagna", the electrifying rock of "Vino rosso e candele", the poetry "Le stagioni delle assenze" masterfully interpreted by Giammarco Tognazzi, the rock of "Il mondo non è colpa mia" which turns into carefree and ironic pop in the (pointless) remix by Flaminio Maphia.

In conclusion, an excellent album rich in interesting ideas and great songs, long (a whole 14 tracks) but not boring, as long as the wait for his fans (8 years), rich in important collaborations (except for Flaminio Maphia), that honors one of the most underrated artists in the Italian panorama. It is very unfortunate that this masterpiece could warm the hearts of only a few... If you still find it, buy it with your eyes closed!!!