Nomadi
Ma Che Film La Vita

THE REVIEW

Augusto Daolio: Voice and Guitar. Beppe Carletti: Keyboards, Piano and Accordion. Dante Pergreffi: Bass. Cico Falzone: Guitar. Daniele Campani: Drums and Percussions.

1) Il Paese Delle Favole; 2) C'è Un Re; 3) Ma Che Film La Vita; 4) Suoni; 5) Salvador; 6) Ricordati Di Cico; 7) Primavera Di Praga; 8) Mercanti e Servi; 9) L'uomo Di Monaco; 10) Un Giorno Insieme; 11) Auschwitz; 12) Gli Aironi Neri; 13) Gordon; 14) Canzone Per Un'Amica; 15) Dio è Morto; 16) Io Vagabondo (Te Deum Con).

This album represents one of the best live performances in the history of Italian music, and it is essentially the epitaph of Augusto Daolio, who died just over a month before the release of the album, on October 7th in his home in Novellara, struck down by a cancer identified only 7 months earlier. Thus ended the career of one of the greatest men in music history: singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and first and foremost, a great man.
For the Nomadi, it is the saddest year in their more than forty-year career: the passing of the historic vocalist follows that of bassist Dante Pergreffi, with the band since 1984, in a road accident on May 14, 1992. All this might appear ironic since this "black year" follows the happiest period in their history: in 1989, guitarist and violinist Christopher Patrick Dennis (1975 - 1989) and drummer Paolo Lancellotti (1969 - 1989) left the group following a dispute with the Carletti - Daolio duo, paving the way for virtuoso guitarist Cico Falzone and Daniele Campani, a genuine powerhouse on drums, both still with the band today.
The fruit of this union is two albums of new material: "Solo Nomadi" from 1990 aims to rejuvenate the group’s sound, offering new motifs and centering the operation on the Daolio (lyrics) - Carletti (music) - Veroli (production and arrangements) axis, and creating great songs like "Salaam, Ragazzi Dell'Olivo", "Salvador", and "Senza Patria". In 1991, "Gente Come Noi" is released, one of the best albums in the group's history, marking unprecedented success, with outstanding vocal performances by Augusto and dazzling arrangements, with tracks like "C'è Un Re", "Uno Come Noi", "Dam Un Bes", "Il Serpente Piumato", etc... In 1992, "Ma Noi No" is released, where the five reinterpret old hits of the group, from the beginning to the present, dedicating the album to Dante Pergreffi, who passed away shortly before its release.
When Augusto died, Beppe Carletti heeded the wishes of the fans and ensured they could listen to the last, extraordinary performances of their idol by releasing this splendid live album, comprised of 16 great songs, which favor the repertoire of this new formation but do not exclude the great classics, showcasing Augusto in top form, able to transition from deep and warm tones to grand highs, and including some segments where the great vocalist interacts with the audience. It opens with a reinterpretation of "Il Paese Delle Favole", giving it a more folk dimension than the original, moving on to "C'è Un Re", performed magnificently, as is the following "Ma Che Film La Vita", introduced by Cico's commanding guitar riff, initially accompanied only by the drums, then moving, after a moving greeting from Augusto to the band members, to an extraordinary performance of "Suoni", where the vocalist sings better than on the original. At number 5 comes "Salvador", executed perfectly, followed by "Ricordati di Chico", with a more rock edge than the studio version, while at number 7 comes the first "gucciniani" classic: the beautiful "Primavera Di Praga", to which Augusto's interpretation gives an unparalleled intensity. "Mercanti e Servi" occupies the eighth spot, in a purely hard rock version, dragging the listener as best it can, then relaxing them with "L'Uomo Di Monaco". At ten is "Un Giorno Insieme", lasting until the first chorus, with Augusto accompanied by Beppe's heartrending piano, then moving to "Auschwitz", a timeless song, illuminated by the group's extraordinary arrangements and a grand performance by Augusto, giving it the solemnity it needed.
Followed by the intense "Gli Aironi Neri" and a great "Gordon", closed by Ago's shouts. In the end is the "golden trio," with which the group will close all concerts from here on: "Canzone Per Un'Amica" benefits from a purely rock arrangement and one of Augusto's best career performances, as does "Dio è Morto", introducing the beautiful speech that Augusto delivers over the opening notes of "Io Vagabondo", which once it starts, completely engages the listener for its entire duration, reaching the final chorus, where Augusto pours his soul, and the audience sings in unison with him one of the best pieces of Italian music, then continues with the European march, a great invention by the five, hoping it never ends, staying glued to the last extraordinary performance of Augusto, who chose to leave us just like this...

The album sells 115,000 copies in 15 days. Nothing more needs to be said...