Red Canzian
Testimone del Tempo

Here in 2018, among the many Sanremo novellas, comes the third solo album from the now former bassist of the Pooh. A good multi-instrumentalist, but nothing memorable, Canzian, who stands out more for having maintained his voice well without transforming every vowel into an A. In this album, he promises to return to his roots as a rocker from the 70s, when he was a member of Capsicum Red, who, at least in terms of potential, should have become the Pink Floyd of Italy. Too bad they were not even remotely close to this achievement, if it exists at all. So Red decided to accept the very enticing offer from the Pooh to replace Riccardo Fogli, and we know how things went on from there... Let's say that "Testimone del Tempo" aims to continue and expand the pop rock path opened with "L'istinto e le stelle", but starting a "rock" album with a song presented at Sanremo already gives you chills.

Anyway, let's get to the facts. "Ognuno ha il suo racconto" has lyrics that have been heard a thousand times before but with music that is definitely very, very catchy and, although it reflects some Pooh influences, it is very pleasant, thanks to its engaging rhythm, the prominent good drumming, and the frequently present electric guitar and bass riffs, along with the inevitable choruses. The other tracks on the album were written by Miki Porru and Canzian himself, who at times has set to music the lyrics of highly influential figures like Enrico Ruggeri or Aldo Tagliapietra from Le Orme. There are songs that are very entertaining and at the same time ("Per cercare di capir le donne") damn rhythmic, which make you forget about the lyrics that verge on the satirical. The absence of Valerio Negrini's touch is noticeable. In this sense, "Tutto si illumina" is an exception, written by Ivano Fossati, which is a track you can tell was written by a singer-songwriter, more acoustic, with fewer electric instruments in the arrangement (the prevalence of the double bass and piano is pleasant) and at the same time with elegant lyrics, that make their "presence" felt in the song. Another break from the rule of catchiness is "Cantico," a suite of 8-minute lyrical and distorted rock, crafted with Renato Zero and Canzian himself, divided into a duet with his daughter Chiara: neither the similarity of the lyrics with several of Zero's songs nor the clear aim of echoing tracks like "Parsifal" or "Un po' del nostro tempo migliore" make the album brilliant, but the acoustic-electric alternation of the arrangements, the background choirs, and Chiara Canzian's warm voice which suggests recommending that you listen to it. Continuing with the album's analysis, not entirely convinced, I still leave a commendation for the new single "L'impossibile": for some reason, it really feels way too familiar, both in the lyrics and the arrangements. Cute, nonetheless. Other tracks included are "Presto tardi forse mai," which best embodies the much-acclaimed rock soul of the album, rhythmic and blonded with at times overabundant percussion, and a similar definition could be given to "Cosa abbiamo fatto mai," where the lyrics excellently represent the reality of the man-nature relationship and meet a refined Mediterranean melody. Amid the mix, I make two more mentions: "La notte è un'alba," by Ermal Meta, a true poem arranged in a magnificent way (whether you like it or not) and "Eterni per un attimo," where the progressive soul coincides with the duet with Aldo Tagliapietra.

Overall, the album is noteworthy; it is not the usual commercial stuff and has the merit of not being too redundant due to its scarce similarity with many of the Pooh's works. It results in a brilliant composer Red, a good multi-instrumentalist, accompanied by excellent musicians and worthy as a performer. Those tracks I haven't mentioned are no different, but, especially "Da sempre," suffer from their little relevance to the rest of the album and their terribly déjà vu rhythm. "Testimone del Tempo" is thus an album with a thousand faces and I recommend you listen to it, overlooking also the fact that Red was a member of the now outdated Pooh.