Samuele Bersani
Che vita! Il meglio di Samuele Bersani

THE REVIEW

Yes, Samuele Bersani. A perpetually "emerging" songwriter, a charming guy from Romagna famous for numerous radio hits, fundamentally a sentimental soul; a bit like me. I discovered him, musically speaking, during a particular period in my life. One might call it post-love-illusion depression, but in hindsight, I prefer to speak only of great vulnerability.

This album, I’m not ashamed to admit, kept me company for quite some time. With its moments of amusement, reflections, its sentimental nuances, and playful ones. Many of the songs are catchy tunes that get stuck in your head and bounce around, just waiting for the right moment to be hummed: in the shower, among friends, before falling asleep... Some tracks are nothing short of iconic for people of my generation; who could forget lines like "ciao ciao belle tettine" (from "Freak"), "in America lo sai che i coccodrilli" (from "Coccodrilli"), "Chicco ha una cicatrice" ("Chicco & Spillo"), "troppo cerebrale" ("Giudizi universali"). I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that, in a few years, I might hum these tunes to my children, just like my father did with me and Battisti's songs!

Other pieces highlight the ever-growing songwriting talent of Bersani; love songs (unsurprisingly, ending loves!) and beyond. The unreleased tracks "Che vita!" and "Milingo" are snapshots of third-millennium news, arranged with a distinctly tragicomic touch (do you remember the scarcely believable story of Monsignor Milingo!?). Far more "heavy" are "Il mostro", a reworking of the first song authored by Bersani, "Barcarola albanese", "Chiedimi se sono felice".

Deserving a special mention is the little gem of the album, which is the unreleased "Le mie parole". The lyrics, written by Pacifico, are pure poetry. And especially the sober interpretation by the talented Samuele fits perfectly.

In some ways, we should thank the delightful Samuele for gathering these tracks all in the same album (though in reality, he quite candidly admitted he did it for "record label" reasons).
Personally, I can't help but wish him many more years of success! (With a bit of personal regret, because the times of Chicco & Spillo and the beautiful breasts are gone... sigh!!)