Sergio Endrigo
Endrigo (1966)

LA RECENSIONE

...And as I listen to a record from about fifty years ago, looking at its cover I understand the greatness and freedom of the artist and the era. Before analyzing the songs, let's talk about the cover, a cover that without speaking tells the personality of the artist and the record in question. The Cover represents a field of poppies, with Endrigo and his guitar in the distance, an image perfectly chosen for a songwriter like him, the great and unique Sergio Endrigo.

The record starts with the song "Girotondo Intorno Al Mondo" (the song with which Endrigo participated in Scala Reale 1966), a song that aims to unite the world, for a united world of peace, a text in Endrigo's style, very deep, a song that gets the record off to a good start. Then it moves on to a popular love song "Teresa", in which Endrigo wonders what his beloved will think of him now that he has kissed her. Another Chanson D'Amour "Dimmi La Verità" (B-side of the 45 rpm "Mani Bucate") is a very intense song, with Endrigo's voice very warm and intimate, almost like an Italian "Crooner", really very beautiful. Next up is "Adesso Sì", a Sanremo song by Endrigo from 1966 (brought to Sanremo in duet with Chad and Jeremy, reaching eighth position), a very Sanremo-style song, consisting of a pop ballad, with a valid text, but without a deep voice from Endrigo, a song that does not convince much. After side A, comes side B of "Adesso Sì", "Io E La Mia Chitarra", a song that almost takes you to the Far West, in fact, Endrigo writes an Italian country-songwriting song that breaks up the record a bit but is pleasant. Another initial guitar strum, but this time with a love text that tells a love story made of deception and mistakes. With this very melodic Italian song, Endrigo concludes side A of the 33 RPM.

Side B opens with "Chiedi Al Tuo Cuore", a slow Italian-style song, Dorelli style, very pleasant, but from Endrigo, we expect something more authorial. And here comes what I was asking for, "Mani Bucate", a song accompanied by a simple guitar loop, with a fabulous text, full of teachings and truth. Endrigo moves from "Mani Bucate" to a "Come Stasera Mai" (B-side of the 45 rpm "Teresa" from 1965), a romantic song, in which a lover declares to his woman that he has never loved her like that night... "La Donna Del Sud", a song written and sung by Bruno Lauzi, here well interpreted by Endrigo, who proves to be also a great performer and author. The record closes with a song signed Bardotti-Endrigo, with the famous song "La Ballata Dell'Ex", which tells the story of a partisan persecuted after the war. A song with a very beautiful text and rhythm, a fantastic song to close a very sentimental record with some bursts of pure songwriting.

The record is beautiful, but inconsistent, in fact, it starts very well only to get lost and find a true path at the end. With the record, Endrigo wants to make a breakthrough in his career, making him one of the greatest songwriters of the moment, and let's say he succeeded!