Paolo Benvegnù
14-19

Paolo Benvegnù 
"14-19" Ep 
La Pioggia Dischi - Venus (2007) 

It just finally hit the stores. But I can't stand it. That's the novelty. Because there are no other new things on the disc. And that's not nice. It's a spitting image continuation of "Piccoli fragilissimi film".
Therefore, it's magnificent and I will listen to it my whole life. But I'm sick. Here everything is even more polished without having a commercial strategy, and that's ridiculous.

There's a magnificent cover of Domenico Modugno, which makes you think how much Our artist could gain if he tried exploring those grounds that would certainly lead him straight to Sanremo, but what do we want to do, stay a little here and a little there?
Might he have said yes: - since I want to get out of this indie crap, I'll round my music a little and see what happens...?-
Paolo is too true for this thing, it can be found in the lyrics, in the live performances, and in the various etceteras, so what do we want to do?

I had already noticed an essential thing about Benvegnù's music: the lacquered production, as they say, takes away great spontaneity, roughness, truthfulness, and expressive urgency, first to the voice and words, and then contaminating the music as well.
I was listening to the live pieces at the magazzeno bis which are the pieces translated in the album, and I had trained my ear to a sound and aroma that left me breathless, the same emotionality of the concerts, on new pieces, and played perfectly as if it were an official record.
Therefore when today, through the faithful friend Silvio Famsincera, I tasted the new CD with the idea of rushing to the nearest indie shop in Padua (there are none anyway) to buy another copy - I was happy and hoping, being my favorite songwriter... but thought won over heart and sought a word deep in cynicism and found it..
Used to the emotions of his first touching LP.. it's.. bland, nothing more to say. But the pieces for those unfamiliar are splendid. Eh!!!
Let me give you an example of an analysis I never do, but Famsincera likes so much:
The distance is perhaps the piece that remains most faithful to the live listening and for this reason, it is preserved, and I've already mentioned elsewhere how marvelous it is: the genius is inherent especially in the text: an extreme farewell letter, when you have very few things left of your partner who says: "silence seems indispensable.. and then to finish the words within tired gestures... and then to relearn to remain alone..we are distant... you will have nothing but absence from me, what you have left is the distance...", what more to add?
"Hungry" is the piece that makes one shout with enthusiasm, which with more strict musical shrewdness could have become a likely single even on MTV: with that smattering of electro (here's where post-production is fine) and us, the very ironic spoken word, big chorus, and Benvegnù-style ingredients (yes, because it’s already a style), but listen to the live version from the aforementioned live and go pale. Missed chance.
In the silence is the most touching of the lot and perhaps one of the most beautiful love songs, his, of impossible love, as only he knows how to translate into words and music.

But do we want to talk about the fairy-tale-like string arrangements or just the finale? What are the clouds is the valid Modugno cover that raises positive reflections on Paolo’s future or on what he could do if he experimented with a Luigi Tenco meets 60s sound axis and similar, so... much better than the latest Morgan.
... when will there be an anarcho chansonnier version of "Desperate Love" or "If you my boy" (listen to Nada absolutely), can you imagine him singing "Your style is your ass" of Ferrè’s memory?
Oh right?
Irregular space... Is it a Marco Parente cover? Oh no?

ps.
damn Paolo, PaoloPAOLO CURSED (citation...) I can't speak well of it, it’s to be handled with care!
but of course yes no
It’s a great EP! But you have spoiled us...
But I am a fussy listener more than a fan and I want evolution..
Yes and I was spoiled by the live performances..
Hello?
Though true that I can't stay without your voice and your words
Yes yes, of course, I will listen to it better
Hello... I can't hear well there's no signal..
And I'll tell you more: I will make it "mine" still maybe waiting more confidently for the full-length (new album) that is better.
Yes yes, bye my Paolo
Until next time, as I have no more credit on my cell and after buying your CD... even no more money in my wallet!