Franco Battiato

Franco Battiato

Franco Battiato is a great Italian artist. Musician, songwriter, in 1971 he released his first album, Fetus (Foetus for the English market) very experimental, using VCS3, tapes, sound effects, he was in fact one of the first Italian progressive artists. Now he’s about to release a new album for Sony Music, to be released on October 1, entitled “Dieci Stratagemmi” (the translation would be “ten stratagems”). His original style of songwriting spans from progressive to sophisticated pop, rock and even classical opera. Believe me, the man has real talent and even if his uniqueness may not be everyone’s cup of tea, his music deserves to be explored. I think he’s a genius. His collaborations include David Rhodes, Natacha Atlas, Jim Kerr. Franco Battiato’s official website, linked below, offers some mp3 which you can download for free so you can sample some of his massive production. But if music is outstanding, lyrics are also brilliant, full of sheer poetry and wit but obviously hard to understand for non-Italians. In the 80s he released an album for the US market entitled “Echoes of Sufi Dances” containing some of his hits in English language. Many of his albums have also been translated for the Spanish market.

http://www.battiato.it

Sono pienamente d'accordo.
Battiato è uno tra i più grandi cantautori italiani di sempre.
Purtroppo, avendo ormai scelto una via un pò troppo "difficile" per il grande pubblico, rimane gradito solo agli appassionati del genere.

Isn't Foetus also an alias for that Jim Thirlwell fellow?

This is the Day.
How is it?

Great album. A masterpiece IMO. Recommended to everyone.

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Se per caso ti fosse sfuggito (non credo),
ore 21:30, stasera, Radiodue
o sarai a Milano?

No non mi era sfuggito grazie Purtroppo non sarò a Milano, troppo complicato da gestire col lavoro, penso che andrò a sentirlo a Ferrara il mese prossimo in compenso. Nel frattempo Dieci Stratagemmi non si schioda dal lettore CD!

Nemmeno per Tom Waits?

Sì sì adesso dovrà fare un po' di spazio a Real Gone che finora ho ascoltato pochissimo!

Ja jullie kunnen Italiaans we geloven jullie.

Is he anything like Zucherro or Andrea Bocelli?

Definitely different. His startings were as a progressive-experimental musician, subsequently evolving in a very original approach to pop and rock formats. In his latest album you can find through the different songs distorted guitars along with electronic patterns and a string orchestra, in a surprisingly balanced mix. Try and sample something from the website.

I've heard some of him now and it's really good, only i don't speak Italian and that makes it a bit unlistenable for me witch is a shame.

Battiato isn't easy to understand even to an Italian. His songs always have great words but, if you don't really get into them, you can't enjoy his works because the words are usually more important than the music, which isn't catching at all.
He is a very deep writer, once held a whole concert for the Pope and in the 90s also went to Iraq for Iraqian children when there was the embargo. He is almost more a philosopher than a song-writer.
He is from Sicily and also made some songs in Sicilian dialect, completely ununderstandable to any not-Sicilian person.
Sorry Dertjer, I fear you will never be able to understand him...