TUTTI MORIMMO A STENTO

A great thanks is due to user Thandrus for their now 13 year old(!) review of this, De Andre's second studio album. This concept album, as they explain, is about the pains and tribulations of drug addiction--Thandrus notes that we should keep in mind that this was at the height of the LSD craze in the then Swingin' '60s, and I can't help but agree. For this, grateful for the Wikipedia article for the album, as it has a breakdown of each song. I would lastly like to show my appreciation for Thandrus' call to their potential though likely bias, as 'Faber' is one of their 'all-time favorite artists' and they consider this one of the best of the '60s. High praise. I'm certainly intrigued (and readied by the overwhelming love other users of the site have shown in their ratings; before me, a 51% representation for 5-stars).

"Cantico dei drogati" starts off the concept apparently with a strong allusion to heroin, based on Riccardo Mannerini's poem "Eroina". The protagonist is addicted to the point of being on death's doorstep, realizing that his addiction is a cowardly way to live... Interesting... Well, the music is far more orchestral, far more lush than his first album. Lovely stuff. Following the theme of the "Cantico" is the interludial "Primo intermezzo". This track is rockin' and tense! Rolling (harpsicord?) keys are juxtaposed with the sharp stabs of horns and the percussion. The acoustic guitar continues in theme at the start of "Leggenda di Natale" only to fall away to a soft, singular ballad. Instrumentation builds with orchestra and then lofty electric guitar. Beautiful. A song about loss of innocence... A tragic story of a girl raped by a stranger...

As the name implies, our second interlude, "Secondo intermezzo" picks back up the theme from the first intermezzo. So of the time, ultimately, both in radio-readiness and in dark, Baroque tone. Still dark in affect is "Ballata degli impiccati", featuring Fabrizio's warm voice and a sort of Spaghetti Western rhythm. So of the time haha.

All falls away to strings and trumpet... and a sort of jazzy piano accompaniment on the intro to "Inverno". Doesn't sound like anything else on the album thus far [the intro, to clarify]. This is a sort of melancholic, but optimistic track; as the Wiki article states, "One must remain open to love, but without trying to condition when it might arise and when it might die." I guess they killed that vibe compositionally. Very classic everything. This is followed by "Girotondo", tied together by that final trumpet note. This song is alternatively upbeat and features a... surprising children's(?) choir. Less surprising when you consider the topic is the impending doom of nuclear warfare, this "is a darkly ironical song" similar to "Ring Around the Rosie". I... didn't enjoy this one haha.

In stark juxtaposition is our third pause, "Terzo intermezzo", a solo acoustic, classical guitar. This is followed by "Recitativo", a warm, but sad ballad. Some of the prettiest music of the whole in my opinion. Its sister song is the final "Corale", composed in a Bach-like style. A different children's choir enters in here. Very classic. But... yeah. I dunno. I appreciate this album for what it is, but the majority didn't do a whole lot for me.