Zucchero
Miserere

MISERERE - ZUCCHERO SUGAR FORNACIARI -

THE NEW AND FRESH (SO TO SPEAK) ALBUM OF THE REGGIO ARTIST ADELMO FORNACIARI ARRIVES IN STORES IN THE YEAR 1993.

BLUES, OPERA, ROCK, LOCAL POP??? A MISHMASH, A BIT OF EVERYTHING, AN UNUSUAL MIX THAT DIVIDES CRITICS AS USUAL, RIGHT AFTER THE RELEASE OF THE FRIENDLY SINGER'S WORK.

AN ALBUM, AS DEFINED BY THE SINGER-SONGWRITER HIMSELF, COMPLEX AND RICH IN BLUES NUANCES, DENSE WITH DEPRESSIONS AND FULL OF DOUBLE ENTENDRES AND SEXUAL ALLUSIONS.

IT STARTS WITH A BANG WITH THE SINGLE "L'URLO", A COVER WRITTEN BY 2 ENGLISH AUTHORS, WHERE ZUCCHERO ADDS HIS OWN BY FISHING IN THE MURKY WITH RHYMES AND HEAVY QUOTATIONS "THIS IS A SCREAM THAT GOES FROM THE ASSHOLE TO THE HEART"...)) A "PEPPERY" START, A SWEEPING RHYTHM ALMOST LIKE A TARANTELLA THAT IMMEDIATELY EMBEDS IN THE LISTENER’S HEAD, MAKING YOU UNCONSCIOUSLY START SINGING THE CHORUS: "WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT BEING A FOOL, TELL HIM HE'S A FOOL!!! BETWEEN ONE FOOL AND ANOTHER, THE TRACK ENDS WITH A BANG, TO MOVE ONTO A DELICATE BITTERSWEET BALLAD FILLED WITH SLIDE GUITAR BY THE EVER-PRESENT CORRADO RUSTICI (HERE IN THE ROLE OF EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GUITARIST, AND ARRANGER) "IT'S ALL RIGHT (THE PROMISE)". SOFT AND SWEET, I REMEMBER HEARING IT DURING A FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY, AND AS SOON AS I GOT HOME, I IMMEDIATELY SEARCHED FOR IT AMONG RADIO AND VIDEO MUSIC STATIONS (YOUTUBE AND SIMILAR DID NOT EXIST YET).

WE MOVE TO THE THIRD SINGLE "IL PELO NELL'UOVO" - MUSIC BY ZUCCHERO AND LYRICS BY THE SWEEPING AND DETACHED (STRANGE METAPHOR, I KNOW) PASQUALE PANELLA, A SUPERLATIVE POET FIRST FOR LUCIO BATTISTI, THEN WITH COCCIANTE. A BLACK RHYTHM WITH FUNKY NUANCES, WHILE A TWISTED GUITAR MAKES US DANCE TO A LATIN BEAT. A WILD ZUCCHERO WHO ANGRILY AND SOLEMNLY DECLARES: "THAT I’M SO ANNOYED, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS FINE...!!!! AND EVEN HERE, GOODBYE TO SUBJUNCTIVES....! EVERYTHING IS FORGIVEN TO THE BLUESMAN FROM REGGIO TOSCANA, IF FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS HE’S BEEN MAKING ITALY AND EUROPE DANCE TOGETHER!!

"MISS MARY" IS WRITTEN WITH THE EVERGREEN ELVIS COSTELLO, A GREAT ALL-ENGLISH PIECE, WELL STRUCTURED AND WELL SUNG BY OUR HERO; "ANNA SOLATIA": POETRY PROCLAIMED: JUST VOICE AND GUITAR, ALMOST A PAINFUL AND VERY INTENSE INTERLUDE.

"UN'ORGIA DI ANIME PERSE" RESUMES THE CONVERSATION ALREADY STARTED IN THE PREVIOUS ALBUM WITH "DIAVOLO IN ME" AND, ALBEIT IN PASSING, ALSO WITH "OVERDOSE D'AMORE" - SACRED AND PROFANE MERGE TO GIVE BODY AND SOUL TO A POP BLUES MIXTURE OF CERTAIN IMPACT.

WE ARRIVE AT A CHALLENGING, CONTRADICTORY, AND LET'S SAY "SWEATY" PIECE ALREADY FROM THE TITLE: "PENE" I LEAVE THE SACRIFICE OF A PERSONAL INTERPRETATION TO THE READERS/LISTENERS... THE TRACK IS VERY DISTURBING AND BIZARRE. "LICK MY SORROWS BIG BLUE EYES, FOR SADNESS COMES IF YOU LICK MORE"... NOT EVEN THE LEGENDARY "MEMPHIS HORNS" CAN GIVE VIGOR TO A SONG THAT ONLY TIME WILL RETURN IN ITS AUTHENTICITY. FOR NOW, I LEAVE IT ON STAND BY.

"POVERO CRISTO" - WITH A VOCODER DURING THE VERSES, AGAIN JOINS THE SACRED + PROFANE, A SPARSE (BUT VERY DESIGNED) ARRANGEMENT BY FAITHFUL RUSTICI GIVES STRENGTH TO THE PIECE WITHOUT FALLING INTO REDUNDANCY, WITH CHORUSES FEATURING A TWENTY-YEAR-OLD GIORGIA (STILL FAR FROM THE SPLENDORS OF SANREMO).

"RIDAMMI IL SOLE" WINKS AT SOME PAST PIECES BY OUR ARTIST WITHOUT LOSING IMMEDIACY. HONEST POP ROCK AND SUPER CATCHY WITH A COUPLE OF ADELMO'S "SCREAMS" MARKING AND AWAKENING, EVEN CHEERING ON A: LAUGH CLOWN!!!!!!.

"I FRATI": CHEERFUL AND CHEEKY PUB BALLAD YOU CAN'T SAY NO TO, ZUCCHERO CLEARS HIS THROAT AND OFF HIS USUAL CURSES "HOW MUCH DOES HAPPINESS COST!!!!!, I DON'T HAVE A PENNY LEFT AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE A C... BUT IT’S FINE THIS WAY THAT EVERYTHING'S GOING BAD!; DRUNK AND CRAZY SONG TO SAY THE LEAST WITHOUT HEAD OR TAIL, SECOND TO LAST ACT OF AN ALBUM THAT, AS I SAID BEFORE, DIVIDES CRITICS AND FANS TOO.

TO END, THE SCENE IS TAKEN BY A TENOR... AND WHAT A TENOR!!! WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LUCIANO PAVAROTTI WHO SOMEHOW SLIGHTLY UPLIFTS A LITTLE SONG THAT ALREADY STARTS WEAK WITH THE TITLE: "MISERERE". A TRACK OSTENTED FROM THE START, RIGHTLY CONSERVATIVE PAVAROTTI SINGS (OR RECITES), WITHOUT TOO MUCH CONVICTION: "MISERABLE ME, BUT I TOAST TO LIFE!!!!, ZUCCHERO DOES WHAT HE CAN, BUT THE CHORAL BALLAD, ORCHESTRATED BY AN OUTSTANDING MICHAEL KAMEN (PINK FLOYD, B.ADAMS, ETC.) DOESN'T TAKE OFF, IT REMAINS ON THE GROUND WITHOUT SEEING A BIT OF SKY.

SHAME, BUT THE ALBUM IS VERY COURAGEOUS STILL, PARTICULAR FOR ITS TIME. RUSTICI’S EXQUISITE PRODUCTION FILLS THE SONGS WITH A PASTEL YELLOW COLOR, A BIT WESTERN, A BIT COUNTRY. YOU CAN HEAR CERTAIN DARKNESS (ESPECIALLY IN THE LYRICS) OF A ZUCCHERO ON THE EDGE OF DESPERATION.

TO REDISCOVER - 3/5