Pino Daniele
Le vie del Signore sono finite

Perhaps it's natural that not much is said about an album lasting 9:56, but it's a shame that Pino Daniele's soundtracks are not as well-known as they deserve to be. It would have been nice if Pino had released the soundtracks of the films he collaborated on. In Troisi's "Ricomincio da tre," Salemme's "Amore a prima vista," in the latest "La seconda volta non si scorda mai" by Siani (to name a few), uncle Pino gave his touch of Mediterranean flair, using the weapon of acoustic instrumentals, a weapon he knew to be very efficient in creating a certain type of Southern Italian atmosphere. Maybe in the future, he'll release a beautiful box set with all his soundtracks inside, who knows.

This very short "Le vie del Signore sono finite" (a film also by Massimo Troisi) lasts less than a common single and contains one sung track and five instrumentals. The central piece is the sung one, "Qualcosa arriverà". Pino Daniele would also perform it again in the mega concert in Piazza del Plebiscito during the "Schizzechea with love" tour. It's one of those typical ballads from Pino in the late '80s, which would be followed by a long line of similar style successes that would mark many of his future works. A mix between melancholy and subtle joy. According to me, it's one of the most beautiful songs in the artist's career. Track number 4 of the album presents an instrumental version where the guitar takes the place of the voice and enriches the melodic line with arpeggios and typical Pino sixth intervals. The chorus voice is instead played by a sweet wind instrument that makes the piece even more airy than it already was. Among the other tracks, there's "Promenade", with a melodic pattern that Pino has presented to us many times. The same goes for the very short "Nustalgia". It lasts only 40 seconds, but cinematic needs dictate the law, and there's no escaping. "Chez moi" is a waltz, which if I remember correctly, serves as musical background for a dance party scene in the film. "Tarantarabe" has the passion of rhythmically driven classical guitar pieces, whose phrases emerge compellingly, including fast passages. The sound is typical of those years. We are in 1988. A year later, we will hear similar atmospheres in the album "Mascalzone latino".