Over the years I have already presented nine albums that have shaped my music taste including ones from Alice, Cyndi Lauper, Mango, Pet Shop Boys, Kate Bush, Madonna, Diana Ross, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Craig David. Time to dust the series! One of the most remarkable ones is no doubt Franco Battiato and his Fisiognomica. This was a #1 album selling over 300.000 within the first two months of release.....
The album, his 15th studio album, came out in 1988 following post-Eurovision pop album Mondi lontanissimi that I already loved, and two operas he had composed and this album has also hints of them as most songs were written the operas in mind but turned out too pop for them, as he has told. Battiato's love for the Arabic music is also present and he even sings in Arabic in Zai saman and in Sicilian in Veni l'autunnu.
Included is also Juri Camisasca's (who I adore) Nomani, originally written for late Giuni Russo (who I love), but then recorded by my favorite female artist Alice. A song that still 30 years later sounds always as fresh and good it was back then, a timeless masterpiece. Another classic is L'oceano di silenzio (text based on Wasserstatuen by Fleur Jaeggy) as well as E ti vengo a cercare that underlines the spirituality of this album, that was totally something else back then. He ended up performing to the Pope in Vatican E ti vengo a cercare, Nomani and L'oceano di silenzio the year after.... Like certain Salvador might say: This is real music. And I have been searching for it ever since, while enjoying some bubble gum pop along the way as well. Soprano Donatella Saccardi is well present in the album.
The album with minor variations was also recorded in Spanish and sold gold in Spain.
E ti vengo a cercare
L'Oceano di Silenzio
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