Together with Mina and Milva, Vanoni is remembered as one of the three italian goddesses of pop music in the 1960s and beyond - each of them different in their own way - knowing Vanoni only from her later recordings where she gently croons and sounds detached, it is a great surprise to hear her first LP that shows her in completely different light.
These are songs already previously recorded (and in some cases released as singles) several years earlier when Vanoni actually started in theatre - in Bertolt Brecht no less - many if them about "underworld" life and life of crime. At this time Vanoni was known as a "Underworld Singer" - there is a song "Sentii Come La Vosa La Sirena" where one can clearly hear police siren in the background. The biggest surprise is lady's voice which at this point was very plummy, rich, creamy and much deeper than later when she changed her singing style and focused on gentle crooning. One can easily imagine her singing these songs in the theatre. Also present is unmistakable sound of Ennio Morricone who is arranger here, he frames Vanoni's song about mafia with cinematic sounds that precedes his own "Once upon a time in the West" soundtrack. Because album is so different from everything else singer did later in her career, I find it completely fascinating - this is not simple pop music but slightly disturbing & ominous sound and therefore still fresh, in fact sounds far more interesting and contemporary than most of her later pop material. Songs sung with only a guitar ("Le Mantellate","La Zolfara") are highlight and my own personal favorite, while mainstream public probably went for more romantic and lush sound of ballads like "Senza Fine" and " Me in Tutto Mondo" where sophisticated orchestration pointed towards french chanson and Vanoni uses different, more restrained voice that would became her trademark. In a way, its almost like a photo album where one can hear how singer developed from theatrical artist to a ballad stylist. Fascinating. How I wish she stuck to this dangerous "underworld" music!
No comments:
Post a Comment