Opening the drawers of memory and finding the past, the memory and in this case the music. “For friends” the posthumous album by Ivan Graziani is a discovery of musical jewels that were thought to be buried by time.
Eight rediscovered songs – thanks to the work of the Graziani family, produced by their son Filippo Graziani and distributed by the historic Numero 1 – which sound current and contemporary despite Ivan having passed away over twenty-five years ago.
A record that, in addition to leaving us a living testimony of one of the songwriters and musicians who revolutionized the way of understanding authorial music and Italian rock, also leaves us with a clean, pure musical vision far from business logic.
A gift for all Italian music fans and an opportunity to get to know an incredible musician who left us too soon and must be rediscovered and reappreciated!
TRACK BY TRACK
A woman. Song that reflects one of the artist’s favorite themes: the man/woman relationship which in this case is analyzed over time with a discreet but ferocious irony (“You slap yourself in the mirror/ then you scream out loud I’m an idiot/ but let’s go playing foosball”). Life as a couple, as we know, is not easy. These are small pictures that Ivan captures while looking at the people around him with an anthropological and merciless, but also amused gaze.
Anger. A song that also quotes his son Filippo: “Filippo is a child with tears in his pocket / And he has a light veil of sadness in his heart / Now he doesn’t know but he will learn what that anger is inside him”. To then add “Suns united, welded like sand, sea, sky/ chained to a life that you don’t want with the anger that is within us”. A father who worries about the future that awaits his son, aware that anger and disillusionment are part of the inevitable path that life offers everyone. A bittersweet piece that is destined to become a classic.
The Italian girl. A game of mirrors, a woman or perhaps a metaphor for our country: “What would you give her to the Italian girl/ What would you give her to please her/ I would buy her a little shirt/ That can shelter her from the wind” inspired by an ancient Alghero song.
The sailors’ song – anticipated in a different version in Colapesce Dimartino’s latest album – which opens with the vision of the sea and is a song that talks about the life of those who are at sea, of distance and nostalgia with a refrain that reproduces the singing of the sailors when they haul in their nets.
TV. Satire returns with one of the most caustic songs on the album which, not surprisingly, is entitled TV: “It has no taste and it doesn’t give you pain / The great circus of monsters seen on TV only and always on TV / Which will hypnotize you and you / You will see, you will see, you will see people you don’t know.” And those monsters are still there and, in fact, they are even scarier.
Miley. The “black rose of Naples”? A song full of irreverent sensuality “your jokes about Nordics / who don’t know how to make love” and which, once again, opens on a glimpse of the sea and nostalgia “You fled into the alleys / I will never see you again ”.
I will surprise you. AND‘ a visionary and dreamy song: “I had a big dream I was watching from the hill/ Burning the city with all its absurd whys/ Oh then tell me what a mystery it is”. A song about the need for change: “I am reborn new like a child yes/ I will have no more fears or absurd nightmares/ I will surprise you”.
For friends. The most rocking piece on the album with the unmistakable mark of Ivan Graziani: a tribute to music and friendship (“I’ll play a Gibson solid body for my friends”), a mockery of everyone (“a sponsor for the champion/ and a victory there will be / who knows”) but first of all to himself (“I have a license to be a fool / and a good string when my E breaks”) with that famous “po po po” of Lugano goodbye (albeit different) which made him famous, in an absolutely deliberate and irreverent quote: “And now I make an oath, maybe I lose my pen to play / May I get a cold if now and always / For my friends I won’t play”.
SCORE TRACK BY TRACK: Rating 7.50
A woman – Rating 7.50
Anger – Rating 7.50
L’Italianina – Rating 7.50
The sailors’ song – Rating 7.50
TV – Rating 7.00
Miley – Rating 7.00
I will surprise you – Rating 7.00
For friends – Rating 7.50
TO LISTEN NOW
A woman – L’Italianina – For friends
TO BE SKIPPED IMMEDIATELY
No trace… in fact it should be heard immediately!
