Nomadi
Ma noi no!

THE REVIEW

After three albums by the Pooh, I couldn't miss the chance to write a review of a compilation from a different group in terms of lineup and duration, but similar in genre to Facchinetti's boys, and, like them, a producer of many "high" things, many masterpieces, and many colossal blunders. "Ma noi no" is an excellent album for those who want to rediscover the early Nomadi, although it is covered by a veil of sadness as it is the last album produced by the Emiliano group before the death of a historical singer, a great voice like Augusto Daolio, who "was" the Nomadi. Besides professional session musicians like Vince Tempera and Ares Tavolazzi (respectively the pianist and bassist for their lyricist Guccini), guitarist Cico Falzone and drummer Daniele Campani joined the group around the album's release period, and unfortunately, bassist Dante Pergreffi recently passed away in a tragic road accident. Here we find the primordial versions of "Io vagabondo," "Crescerai," and "Un giorno insieme," evergreen songs of great success, where the warm and engaging voice of Daolio stands out more than the combination of still nice lyrics (emotional but not artistic masterpieces) and nice, effective arrangements that are not overly technical and vaguely country (which is not always a negative aspect). Alongside the evergreens, we also find less famous, less catchy songs that, in my opinion, become a bit heavy in the long run and are not engaging (Per fare un uomo, Gli aironi neri, Gordon), while in the niches, "Il pilota di Hiroshima," "Ma noi no," and "I ragazzi dell' olivo" certainly deserve more, written and composed during a decidedly not rosy period for the Nomadi, which today transforms into a melancholic veil every time it is listened to. And then there are them, the stories of Guccini, true poems that, despite wanting to excessively highlight the lyrics over the music, interpret themes genuinely and less in the songwriter's manner, such as deaths on the road (In morte di S.F., better known as Canzone per un'amica), nuclear holocaust (Il vecchio e il bambino, Noi non ci saremo), or the exciting and provocative, censorship victim, "Dio è morto." In the Nomadi versions, there is a greater focus on arrangements compared to Guccini's very simple acoustic folk recordings. And the lyrics remain poetry. Overall, an excellent collection for those who want to rediscover Daolio's Nomadi, decidedly superior to the pseudo group led by Danilo Sacco and Yuri Cilloni: good singers, but, like Matia after Ruggiero's departure, they faded into oblivion, the same happened on a smaller scale to the Nomadi. In the grand repertoire, many beautiful songs, many mediocre songs. And in this album, the previous statement is fully realized.