Lucio Battisti

Water is quickly turning into one of the coolest reissue labels in recent memory.

I think Area, Eugenio Finardi, and Alberto Camerini are my favorite Italian artists of the '70s though.

I usually grab the one described as someone's most eccentric first, and Anima Latina isn't that, but it sure is amazing. It hasn't been reissued by Water but it's in print and easily found on Amazon.

good article in this week's bay guardian: http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=3943&catid=107&volume_id=254&issue_id=303&volume_num=41&issue_num=39

Just search for his "Le tre verità" single (I think it was released in 1970): angular riffs, edgy production and definitely the blueprint for Blonde Redhead.

That's some high praise!

so far I have Anima Latina, Umanamente uomo and the red-bordered Greatest Hits. of those, Umanamente uomo is the one to get if you're into well made but eccentric pop like Franco Battiato circa Fetus (though this is a lot more mainstream than that). I can tell why Water chose to reissue the odd ones.

Anima Latina is the one to start with if you're into Os Mutantes / Nascimento / Veloso. I like Veloso's Aruca Azul but I think I'm completely in love with Anima Latina, it's got unbelievable symphonic flow, each track doesn't end as much as just momentarily pauses for a beat, and then the next detour just kicks right in. and the production is incredible, full chamber orchestra + latin dance. and his vocals really grow on you, you can see why people just fall for him as a personality.

Sadly (or maybe obviously) Anima Latina was completely misunderstood in Italy: way too eccentric and personal to be a commercial success, it was harshly criticized for his production (vocals were considered too low and buried in the mix, and this in Italy is almost a mortal sin).
And did I ever tell you about the urban legend of Lucio Battisti being a "fascist"?

"That's some high praise!"

Absolutely: that song is incredible, and totally ahead of its time. It's really that good.

anyone know anything about Adriano Celentano? i think it was one of the guys in the band Studio saying he dug battisti and celentano, so it put me on the search. i've only heard bits here and there. seems he started out as an elvis inspired rocker and is still putting out music. i'm not sure if he ever got too avant, but i definitely want to hear his 70s stuff. i accidentally downloaded Joan Lui which was mislabeled as from 75, but it's actually from 85. kinda reminds me of battisti's stuff from around the same period. slightly electro pop w/great italian vocals.

this is one of the best things i've heard from him so far (excellent video to boot)
Prisencolinesunaciusol
http://youtube.com/watch?v=9Ger_CT_zvQ

Marco, Anima Latina stayed at #1 on the charts in Italy for 13 weeks. Is that not a commercial success?

Anyway, I think all of his albums are essential!

Sebastien Tellier has been praising this guy like hell for the past couple of years.

I've been writing about "Io vorrei, non vorrei, ma se vuoi" on the Mick Ronson thread, since that's where I first encountered this song, but I should take it here instead. I'm starting with its mother album, Il mio canto libero. This is really great.

There's a lot of stuff to be discovered!

"Marco, Anima Latina stayed at #1 on the charts in Italy for 13 weeks. Is that not a commercial success?"

It sold "only" 250.000 copies, not enough to be considered a real Battisti success!

Odd that no one's mentioned his big single "Ancora Tu". It's the kind of thing you can just put on repeat. First encountered it on a Sebastien Tellier mix.

Oh god Anima Latina is so so amazing, should have been in the Alt 70s poll.

What it reaaaally reminds me of is The Soft Bulletin.

partner picked up 'lo tu noi tutti' the other day and it's fantastic! of course leave it to ilm to have a thread about him w/ jaxon up there somewhere. really stellar stuff, can't wait to listen to more.

been listening to this guy a lot

I want to drive in a convertible along a tall, steep cliffside when I listen to him

sometimes an entire year goes by without me playing 'Anima Latina' and then I come across it again and I wonder what the hell I was thinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c5yl4CIsJs

One of my favourite Battisti singles, 1971's Le Tre Verità:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGO-vF2lE1E

I'm kind of disappointed that ILX doesn't have 300 posts on this guy! I found out about him a while ago through an online friend from Italy, though he was a lot more into his 90's work, which is a really odd kind of technopop, nothing like Anima Latina or his early singles (which are ace). Still this is interesting since I don't think I've ever heard anyone praise those albums.