Let's continue with the second event dedicated to Franco Battiato.
The first album of the 1980s by the Sicilian artist is "Patriots," released in 1980. Originally, the album was to be called "I telegrafi del martedì grasso," but the title was changed before publication. The album achieved moderate success, reaching the thirtieth position in the charts. One of the most successful singles from the album is "Up Patriots to Arms," a title with a hermetic meaning. Battiato recounted seeing this phrase on a billboard in a Birmingham pub in 1975, interpreting it as a call for positive change. Other notable tracks on the album include "Prospettiva Nevski," "Le aquile," and "Venezia-Istanbul." This work marks a turning point in Battiato's artistic journey, with the use of literary quotations and an approach to Islamic culture and Eastern mystical-philosophical theories.
Battiato's success grew in the early 1980s with the album "La Voce del Padrone" in 1981. The song "Bandiera Bianca" from this album won the Sanremo Festival, while other tracks like "Centro di Gravità Permanente" and "Radio Varsavia" became extremely popular. This record represents a new turning point for Battiato, exploring themes related to Gurdjieff's theories and the inner search of the human being. Success continued with the release of the album "L'Arca di Noè" in December 1982, which became the best-selling Italian record of the year. The song "Voglio Vederti Danzare" achieved enormous success, while other tracks like "Scalo a Grado" and "L'Esodo" received critical attention for their provocative lyrics and innovative sounds.
In the following years, Battiato continued to experiment and expand his repertoire. In 1983, the album "Orizzonti Perduti" was released, characterized by the extensive use of electronic sounds. In 1984, he participated in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "I Treni di Tozeur," achieving great sales success in Europe. In 1985, he released "Mondi Lontanissimi," a work distinguished by its sci-fi scenario and use of sampled sounds. In 1986, Battiato ventured into composing sacred and academic works with the release of "Genesi." The period between 1988 and 1990 saw the release of the album "Fisiognomica," followed by Battiato's first live album, "Giubbe Rosse." In 1991, "Come un Cammello in una Grondaia" was released, an album characterized by religious and spiritual sounds. In 1993, Battiato released "Caffè de la Paix," a work that reintegrates pop elements from the 1980s with theological themes. This album was named Best Album of the Year in the Musica e Dischi poll. In 1994, Battiato began an artistic collaboration with Manlio Sgalambro, which led to a series of successes, including the famous song "La Cura." This period marks another significant phase in Battiato's career, exploring themes related to love, healing, and spirituality.
Today's listening suggestion is "Summer On A Solitary Beach" from "La Voce del Padrone."
The track we propose for listening today is one of his most successful singles: "Sussudio," from "No Jacket Required."
