Marina Rei
Al Di Là Di Questi Anni

Marina Rei has always been likeable to me, beyond her debatable musical works or not. Maybe it's her passion for percussion, maybe it's her unique voice... I'm not sure. The fact is that until some time ago, I had never delved into the artist; rather, I thought she had disappeared. Then I learned about the release of a new album, a collection of revisited songs. Piqued by curiosity, I listened to the work and found myself pleasantly surprised.

In "Al Di Là Di Questi Anni" Marina Rei reinvents herself, retracing her career by dressing her most famous songs in new attire. And the new look of these tracks is really cool. The album is recorded live, which is like a sort of studio live performance. The new arrangements, crafted by her and Anton Giulio Frulio, are excellent. To me, this album is pure Rock. Sure, there are no overdriven guitars, distorted basses, or noisy drums, but rock isn't just about that. The atmosphere is Rock. The first track is "I Miei Complimenti", with light, almost gentle voice and music, and here the percussions, the singer's origins, return. "Fammi Entrare" (also presented at the Ariston) is superb, with a piano intro intertwined with electric guitar feedback noises, then the singing starts, the strings, and it's a crescendo of unease (as in other songs), with the percussions starting a massive outburst of emotion, an indescribable pathos. Excellent execution. "Inaspettatamente" begins with a well-rhythmed tempo of drums, guitar, and piano, with violin interjections. It's a dark-colored track, with a psychedelic ending made effective also thanks to string, percussion, and electric guitar arrangements.

With "Al Di Là Di Questi Anni" a more playful and serene sound returns. With this track, Marina travels back to her first album. "Un Inverno Da Baciare" is amazing. The original version had a good starting idea, but the arrangement didn't do the track justice. Here too there's a play of crescendos. The beginning breathes unease, the percussions go straight to the heart, especially in the first chorus, where they assert themselves with an aggressive and fast rhythm. The finale is a volcano about to erupt, it's the personification of desperation, "Non Ho Più Paura", a cold chant, almost screamed, repeated, an indescribable anxiety, the sea swallowing everything, the sky falling, the earth trembling. Perhaps the most successful revisitation. Marina Rei also pays tribute to the Afterhours, by covering "Quello Che Non C'è". This version needs no comments, it just needs to be listened to. Like the rest of the album, 13 old hits plus a cover, rearranged, reinterpreted, reinvigorated with new pathos, with new joy or melancholy.

An undoubtedly experimental album, a journey through time that absolutely must be undertaken.