Piero Aloise
Com'Eri Bella

4 songs.

4 songs lasted for Piero Aloise. Only 4 songs. A sign of a character who could have contributed so much to light music but decided to stop after just two LPs. The reasons are unknown to us, as are, or at least rare, the information about this minor, absolutely minor, singer-songwriter from the late 70s.

Piero Aloise began writing songs in 1970. Many of his songs were destined for popular bands of the time, like I Panda, for whom he wrote 'Voglia di morire', then Rita Pavone, with 'Lasciati andare a sognare', Anastasia Dellisanti ('Un immagine di noi') and also Marisa Sannia with 'Piccola strada di città'. His first LP dates back to 1976, titled 'Com'eri bella', which remains, after all, the song for which he is remembered, although unfortunately very little, the singer-songwriter from Cosenza. Allow me the track by track kindly. I know it's 4 songs for heaven's sake, grant me this. I know it's not the best in these parts, but this time it's acceptable. In any case, the track opens with a gentle and melancholic acoustic guitar introduction, and Piero's tone-deaf voice opens to a nostalgic tale of past times. The whole thing culminates in a lighter and seventies-style chorus, complete with backing vocals, highly treasured by groups of those years, like the Romans or the Giardino dei Semplici. And almost as if to instruct, the backing vocals introduce the repeated verses 'com'eri bella, bella, bella', until the finale, all by Piero, who in an almost resigned pose intones 'bella, come non so... spiegare io... non so'. And yet an off-topic voice closes the whole, a female voice that intones a sweet harmony and accompanies us to the end of the song. A song that is still part of the lightest and most carefree possible 70s, a song that would undoubtedly make many frown. But believe me, in relation to the genre, it is at a level that is hardly matched, both for lyrics and music.

In 1978 the second LP. Just 2 years pass, and Piero Aloise returns to record, for himself, with two more songs. The first track is 'Quanto amore c'è', which opens with really well-written verses (con te quando il vento ti sfiora/ con te quando il vento ti culla/ per te la mia mente non vola/ per te la mia anima bianca/ con te io copro i miei sogni/ di te coloro i pensieri). A love dedication worthy of the best period of 'Opera', and right in the chorus a drum marks the words of Piero who, referring to the title, sings 'ma quanto amore c'è fuori e dentro me, non è la prima volta... eppure, per noi è cosi', until the finale is a real thank you to fate for wanting that woman close to him. Little to say, yet another really well-written text, and impeccable instrumental part. The B-side offers 'E' tutto qui', another masterful example of light song, as it should be, not trivial but smooth and enjoyable. Here Piero no longer sings the joy and happiness of love, but a goodbye due to misunderstandings and a possible farewell (Mi potresti almeno dire addio/ e poi far pure a modo tuo/ buttare li un 'ti amo' stanco/ per confondere sorriso e pianto)

I said there were 4 songs. And I've described 3. This is because the B-side of the first LP should contain 'Piccola Amante', WHICH I CAN'T FIND ANYWHERE, and this really bothers me. But patience, eventually I will find it. What happened to Piero Aloise? It seems he has devoted himself to writing, specifically poetry in dialect, with which he has even won the Fabrizio De André award. What remains are songs that can be counted on the fingers of one of the Simpsons' hands, and the awareness that if Piero Aloise had continued to compose songs, he would have had nothing to envy from the great pillars of Italian light song from the 70s. On the contrary, he would have almost set the standard.