Pino Daniele
Nero A Metà

THE REVIEW

I was surprised to find that among the reviews dedicated to Pino Daniele, this album was missing. A great album, where the brilliant intuitions of the first two albums develop, but with a lesser presence of Neapolitan folk music.

Like the previous two works, this album is also perfect, from the first to the last song. "I say 'i sto 'ccà" opens the show, with Pino Daniele's classic Neapolitan-English language (well, to be honest, he uses it much more sparingly here than usual), and it's truly a wonderful welcome because the song is very beautiful. The sunny melody creates a pleasant contrast with the slightly melancholic lyrics.
Similar in atmosphere (as far as the melody is concerned) is "Musica musica", only a little more lively rhythmically. The sax in this song is absolutely worth mentioning (if I remember correctly, the saxophonist should be James Senese, as Enzo Avitabile left after the first album, I hope I'm not mistaken). It stands out from the first track for a subtle irony that prevents the piece from slipping into an excess of bitterness.

The third track is "Quanno chiove", a sweet and relaxed piece, one of Daniele's most famous. In this song everything is "soft", from the sounds of the instruments (recorded very well in my opinion) to the harmonic progressions. There's not the slightest harmonic or melodic harshness; the rhythm is slow and sweet. Yet Pino Daniele's melodic creativity prevents such relaxation from boring the listener. The pace totally changes with "Puozze passà 'nu guaio", a rock-blues piece seasoned with delightful blues phrases that are easy to listen to but never banal! The singing melody is beautiful, but especially the electric guitar solo is excellent (nothing particularly original, but very pleasing).
The album returns to calm and meditative melodies with "Voglio di più", a track with poignant drama that boasts one of the best lyrics on the album. The lyrics are entirely in standard Italian, yet it holds its own perfectly against the songs in dialect.
Another magnificent song on this magnificent album is "Appocundria", a sad and passionate song supported by a boldly Mediterranean guitar, with a melancholic yet warm sound. The song is also an occasion for Daniele to show off his guitar skills, but the piece never becomes a sterile exercise of style, and besides, the song couldn't possibly bore as it lasts just 1:38 minutes. Stronger sounds are found in "A me me piace 'o blues", it's needless to say that the blues influence is here more alive than ever (no, it's not needless! Actually, there's not as much blues as the title might seem to promise!). The song's rhythm is truly engaging, making it difficult not to move your head along with the drums and bass (speaking of the bass, there are some "sparkling" funky moments that help keep the piece's liveliness alive throughout its duration).

"E so' cuntento 'e stà'" is the piece I like the least, but it's still a beautiful song. One of my favorite tracks is "Nun me scoccia'", quite a canonical blues over which Daniele layers a beautiful vocal melody that basically takes the role usually played by the lead guitar in a blues standard. Occasionally, little piano phrases remind us that Pino Daniele's arrangements are always top-notch. The best thing about the song (besides the lyrics, marvelous in its biting irony) are the two guitar solos, amazing! Nothing ultra-technical, but we are faced with something extremely refined. The guitar sound intrigues me a lot (is it a simple wah filtered with a fuzz or something similar, or does he even use a TALK-BOX? I lean toward the second hypothesis!). "Alleria" is another masterpiece; I will just say that the piano is extraordinary, but honestly, I wouldn't know how to describe it doing it justice, so I won't even try. A slight funky sound returns with "A testa in giù". But yes! "Sotto 'o sole" also deserves a mention! Where Pino Daniele lets himself be captivated by South American rhythms while singing

"E sotto 'o sole vene e se ne va' e saglie sulamente 'a voglia e 'jastemma' e nun ne parlamme cchiù nun ne parlamme..."

And the album closes with "Alleria" which I have already discussed (or rather, not already discussed!). If you don't have it, get it, what are you waiting for?