Modena City Ramblers
Combat Folk

LA RECENSIONE

Two original tracks and five covers: this is the calling card of Italy’s most famous Irish folk band. An Irish folk tinged with red, with a combination that made a big impact at the end-of-the-decade Unity parties of the late '80s and early '90s. Listening to the album again (including the subsequent full work "Riportando tutto a casa"), it brings to mind those end-of-first-republic years, Mickey Mouse comics bought together with the newspaper by my father, and Totocalcio and Totogol with 90esimo minuto. Yet, 30 years have already passed, enough to always bring a tear to my eye when I think about it.
Returning to the album, the Irish folk is played quite well, although it’s not the only influence. The chosen covers are traditional Irish songs, except for Bella Ciao and Fischia il Vento (although the latter is introduced by a traditional Irish instrumental), which have been arranged almost as if they were Irish, but just listen to the vocal style of the singers, and we realize that we are very far from the Dubliners or the Pogues. However, Alberto Morselli’s voice has a lot of personality, and let’s say that in MCR it fits better compared to Stefano Bellotti’s, which is more playful and immature. Contessa is also a cover of Pietrangeli’s song, redone in an Irish fun style, and it’s one of MCR’s most well-known songs.
Quarant'anni and Ahmed l’ambulante are the two original songs that will be included in the following full album. The first is a political tale of the first republic, fully in MCR style and sung by Stefano, while the second is an arrangement in an Arabesque style of a poem by Stefano Benni, sung by Alberto, who after this and the next album will leave Modena City Ramblers, leaving the group to Stefano.

As a first tape, it’s enjoyable to listen to; moreover, the covers are played well, especially the as-yet-unmentioned "Farewell To Erin." Then this Irish soul will increasingly be missing from MCR, who will be more sporadically inspired by the more punk vein of the Pogues. It's a pity because they indeed knew how to play here.