Patty Pravo
Una donna da sognare

I am a woman like this... a dreamer... so different from those who are always the same...

In 2000, the most ethereal and lunar Italian performer produced this album with Vasco Rossi and Gaetano Curreri of Stadio. The songs, almost ballads, were crafted by Vasco to highlight Patty's style and magic, who I would say saves the album from the banality of Vasco's songs in recent years thanks to her talent.

It starts with "Una donna da sognare" and the song is perfect to emphasize the charm, the moods of a woman who desires and knows how to be desired, and Patty excels in providing a perfect and magical interpretation. It then moves on to "Se chiudi gli occhi", which is a much simpler but very beautiful song for its lyrics and how the singer delivers the lines "se chiudi gli occhi volerai su un fiore un bacio buonanotte amore": a very fresh, very simple but also very sweet text.
The following are "Sparami al cuore" and "Una mattina d'estate", which are opposed to each other in terms of lyrics, the first " voglio fare l'amore con te, sarà bello sarà farlo con te, io mi inginocchio e tu che fai, tra un pò sorriderai" and the second sweet, fresh. But both do not convince with the arrangements, the usual arrangements by Vasco & Co which work for him and his crew, as they sing, but for a singer who has performed the pieces of the best Italian, French and international songwriters, these songs don't let her soar: it's like driving a Ferrari in a small square.
Next is "Seduttori sedati", which hits both sexism and feminism, men and women "donne a capo di industrie femmine solo un pô, con computer in tasca e la domestica in nero, uomini profumati, ben curati e depilati... uomini vanitosi sempre meno curiosi, facciamo un gioco vigliacco, ci tocchiamo nel pacco... donne in monopetto, donne senza sesso, uomini di fatica, uomini senza camicia, femmine in carriera, piene di cene importanti...". Very fitting text, especially in these times, and Patty sings it divinely with a slightly witch-like voice, with a finale that recalls a Grace Jones song. It is the piece that I love the most along with the following "Parliamone", perhaps because both songs allow the singer to explore her vocal range, moving from low, deep tones which Patty sings in her unique style to higher tones where her harmony stands out.
"Buongiorno a te" is a song dedicated to a woman, a special friendship, and "Innamorata d'amore" are again two ballads from the Vasco & Stadio clique. The latter seems like one of Stadio’s usual songs which, as I repeat, are suitable for them as they do not know how to perform, but for Patty, they seem to ground her: perhaps this is the truth, here the singer does not get lost in her lofty flights, in her lunar journeys, but seems to come down to earth. Incidentally, Patty herself says about the album, "here I am a performer, I immersed myself in the album like an actress in her role, each song a film. So 'one does not necessarily have to have lived those experiences to sing them'.
This is followed by the rock of "Countdown", which Patty nails perfectly (it's strange to hear her sing these things but this shows how she is able to reinvent herself) and the album ends with the very sweet "Tienimi" which, like the first song, manages to highlight the artist's skills.

The album cover is by Mario Schifano.