Vasco Rossi
Non Siamo Mica Gli Americani

THE REVIEW

1979.

A year after the first work "Ma Cosa Vuoi Che Sia Una Canzone", Vasco Rossi creates what is his essence, his first and efficient masterpiece, the cry of a generation of disenchanted people who have no more saints or heroes.

Vasco's style, unlike other singers of that period, is mainly composed of lyrics that address societal issues with original irony, playing a lot on the so-called "wordplay" and various tongue twisters, but above all, another great thing about Vasco, beyond his grit, is the music. Very catchy, it never tires you, there's not a single Vasco song that bores you. He knows how to captivate you, he makes you sing at the top of your lungs like no one else... obviously, I'm talking about the Vasco before his slow and painful (more so for us and our ears) decline in the past 7 years.

But now let's carefully analyze this great work: 1) "Io Non So Più Cosa Fare" is a very cheerful pop song with very amusing lyrics and a catchy and easy-to-remember guitar riff. 2) "Fegato, Fegato Spappolato", and here we enter the pure "Vasco" style of those years, very provocative, almost punk. Very nonsensical lyrics, matched music, almost a rock ballad suffocated with a hypnotic bass line. It became a master song of the songwriter who unfortunately over time almost risked falling into oblivion to make way for pop tunes like "Senorita", but true Vasco fans haven't abandoned it. The piece ends with "God Save The Queen" by the Sex Pistols... a worthy ending for a worthy song. 3) "Sballi Ravvicinati Del Terzo Tipo" is one of those songs that makes you dream: the mere presence of an acoustic guitar wrapped in sci-fi sound effects (spaceships, UFOs, laser beams...) makes it one of the most beautiful in the entire album, with simple yet ingenious lyrics. This too soon ended in oblivion. 4) "Faccio Il Militare", a song that deals with the theme of war with unique irony, almost exposing ("Non Siamo Mica Americani...."). Like the previous track, it's composed of just guitar and sound effects, this time of bombs and moving tanks. Another great gem of the album. 5) "La Strega" is a very rocking song, with fun lyrics and Vasco in perfect shape. In fact, he would perform this hit live many times in the future, but the energy and grit would never be the same as in these years. A pity! 6) "Albachiara" needs little introduction: the most famous ballad in Italian music. Even though it's not really his, it's not a Vasco song but.... it's "The Song of Vasco". It has always closed the concerts until the end, stretching even beyond seven minutes. The final solo and Vasco's warm voice are magnificent, filling the atmosphere like a dream. 7) "Quindici Anni Fa" is perhaps the most musically complex, as it mixes voice, guitars, bass, and drums with other instruments like keyboards, sax, and synthesizer, taking us into a magical, very Genesis-style progressive atmosphere. The lyrics then, on religion, are the icing on the cake. Perfect! 8) "Va Be' (Se Proprio Te Lo Devo Dire)" is the track that closes this album. Despite not being up to par with the others, it features a delightful jazz swing that makes it a very pleasant song, even if the lyrics aren't the singer's best. The result is good, even though it could have been better.

In a few words, we are facing the Vasco with a capital V, when he still wanted to communicate for a generation, when he knew how to take risks, when he knew how to make you dream. It's really a pity that over time he'll get lost and fill stadiums with people longing to hear love songs. If you are big Vasco fans, like me, listen to this album in its entirety and you'll discover that the genius was born right here, with this jewel of Italian music. Thank you for this masterpiece Vasco. YOU ARE LEGENDARY!

P.S: First review, and I really went overboard! (always quoting Vasco).