Vasco Rossi
Vivere O Niente

"Vivere o niente" is Vasco Rossi's sixteenth studio album; it contains thirteen unreleased tracks, considering also a ghost track that starts a few minutes after the end of the last track.

The singer-songwriter from Zocca tackles themes that deal with everyday life, and he does so with his usual ironic and provocative style.

The album, more than many others in his repertoire, presents a sort of common thread among the tracks: the generic topic Vasco addresses is "the man who lives," apparently the most ordinary theme that could exist, but one that branches out into countless aspects and dynamics.

The predominant figure in the work is indeed that of the human being who sees himself as an active subject within the world; he is the true protagonist, thanks to his moods, what he feels and thinks, his ability to relate and interact with others, what he loves and how much effort he puts into the constant search for this feeling. Despite this, he remains in a perpetually precarious balance, often falling but fortunately also having the strength to stand up again; and he can do it alone, or by relying on and counting on those closest to him, in mutual support.

Naturally, the sound of the album also helps give color and expressive strength to the topics described in the various tracks, but here I want to limit myself exclusively to presenting the lyrics.

The album opens with "Vivere non è facile," a piece in which Vasco reflects on the constant difficulty of understanding one's mistakes; although we are aware of making mistakes, it is as if we stubbornly betray ourselves. The daily "living" is seen as a continuous struggle in which protagonist and antagonist often correspond.

In the second track, "Manifesto futurista della nuova umanità," Rossi states with piercing irony, accentuated by a deliberately carefree and defiant singing, that today's society has realized it is without spiritual support; faith is now a mirage and the singer-songwriter addresses a hypothetical ever-absent God who has abandoned men to themselves, forcing them to take care of their own lives and consequently assume all the responsibilities this entails. To save oneself, therefore, man must rely exclusively on his own strength and emotions; these are indeed the only ones that will allow him to survive everyday problems and, because of their value, they should never be suppressed or limited.

In "Starò meglio di così," the protagonist is a man who realizes he is in a state of loneliness, as he finds himself suffering from the absence of someone dear to him; feelings of discouragement and self-annulment alternate with the desire to fight despite the loss suffered and to continue living, in the hope of "feeling better" in the future.

"Prendi la strada" is a bright piece in which a Vasco Rossi, animated by good intentions, offers advice on how to handle life: he urges not to give up in the face of obstacles and to take control of one's existence without being swayed by external influences; the singer-songwriter from Zocca also invites to live fully and lucidly, learning to take risks and not run away from difficulties.

"Dici che" is the track where the Emilian rocker almost acts like a mentor, but with lightness and spirit, for anyone suffering from a broken heart and appearing disillusioned and despondent. He reminds that love, like life, is unpredictable; it is not a project that can be precisely defined from the beginning; therefore, each fall must be accepted with serenity.

Once again with keen irony, highlighted by the use of the colloquial expression that gives this track its title, the protagonist of "Eh...già" takes stock of his life: despite being continuously traversed by dynamics that disrupt its smooth flow, it has never succumbed to the obstacles encountered; indeed, as the author says, the man's heart beats even stronger than in the past, underscoring his intent not to be discouraged by anything; disregarding the risks of a life lived to the fullest, he remains serenely conscious that the balances characterizing his existence will always be fluctuating.

In "Sei pazza di me" Vasco Rossi displays all the swagger and cocky attitude he possesses, elements that form some of the cornerstones of part of the Rock movement. The track features the man's long-standing desire to be the absolute center of attention for a specific person.

The title track, "Vivere o niente," instead frames the specific moment of an individual who previously faced an Aut-Aut: live with passion, fully and completely, or accept doing so passively. The decision fell on the first choice, and now the man stops to specifically reflect on the negative aspects this entailed: he sees himself full of bruises, and he knows that each of them has marked him deeply; only they remain to testify what has characterized his life. And he almost feels fear in acknowledging that what he has lived is all encapsulated in those bruises; practically nothing remains of the experiences he has gone through.

At this point, the only solution he has is to shout his malaise to the world, without inhibitions, through an impassioned outburst in search of external help.

In "L'aquilone," the image of this object suspended in the sky suggests to Vasco Rossi the idea of observing the world from above, in an isolated position and with a detached attitude, as if freeing oneself from earthly problems. Watching things from above and seeing time flow makes everything clearer, distant, and unreal; the transience of things loses significance, and there is almost a feeling that science and progress are not as necessary and important as they might seem.

"Non sei quella che eri" is the playful description of a couple's relationship in which one partner sees a negative change in the other's character compared to when they first met.

"Stammi vicino" is a very sweet song that highlights the protagonist's longing to win the love of a woman, believing that they are made for each other and that even destiny wants to unite them. In particular, it expresses the desire to support the beloved and face the uncertain future together.

Finally, "Maledetta ragione" and "Mary Luise" appear almost as diversions; they both describe, the former, the constant and harassing presence of a thought in the singer-songwriter's mind about a particular person, after which an involuntary song emerges; the latter is a teenage crush on a girl known at school. Perhaps this last track included in the album as a ghost track is rather detached from the rest of the tracks; it is more like a game, a whim of the same author who had kept this piece for many years but never managed to arrange and complete it due to the hilarity it drew from his collaborators who always snubbed it.

In light of the above, "Vivere o niente" is a rich album, with a lot at stake and very convincing, at least according to my opinion.

An essential, mature and reflective Vasco Rossi captures some of the realities that are closest to his heart; presenting his concepts with simplicity and genuineness, he tries in the most incisive way possible to convey to the listener feelings of anger, frustration, disillusionment, melancholy, hope. All spiced with that self-ironic attitude that allows him not to take himself or things too seriously.