Album of the day: Enzo Jannacci, “A Man in Half”

Enzo Jannacci
“A Man in Half” (Cd Ala Bianca ABR 128553874-2)

The poetry of Enzo Jannacci’s songs has accompanied us for more than fifty years with his paradoxical and tragic world, populated by characters who seem to have emerged from Beckett’s theatrical texts, disoriented, absurd and yet extraordinarily alive, moving, bearers of a humanity that every day seems increasingly out of fashion compared to the models prevailing today.
Since the days of “The Dog with the Hair” and “His Brother’s Umbrella”, Dr. Enzo has been able to look at the world from a crooked perspective that has allowed him to mercilessly focus (often through hilarious humour) on the distortions and defects of modern man, contrasting the apparent inevitability of homo homini lupus with the weapons of dreams and music.

and Poetastrica (as he himself defined his own texts), expressed through his dazed and immediately recognizable voice.

The splendid albums that Jannacci recorded for Nanni Ricordi’s Ultima Spiaggia label have incredibly waited a long time
a quality reissue on CD (crazy stuff); and to say that albums like “Quelli che…” and “O vivere o ridere” are milestones of Italian song, but this evidently isn’t enough for a record industry obtusely nailed to sales figures.
After being isolated for four years by the same multinationals that muzzled his past, Jannacci had finally found in the Ala Bianca label a group of sensitive and intelligent collaborators who gave him the opportunity to express himself freely.

The previous “Come gli Aeroplani” was already beautiful, but in “Un uomo a metà” Enzo gave us one of the most splendid flowers of his production. Twelve songs that review all the varied aspects of Jannacci’s personality with always engaging melodies and memorable lyrics (“Maria” is one of the most beautiful songs of recent years).
The passing of time seems to have accentuated the melancholic component in his production, but the pessimism (never resigned) of “È stato tutto inutile” and “Niente domande” is balanced by “Il pesciolone”, a paradoxical chronicle of a day at the seaside.

The very short version for voice and piano of “Arrivederci” by Umberto Bindi is heartbreaking, and it closes like a breath an album not to be missed.

Carlo Boccadoro, composer and conductor, was born in Macerata in 1963. He lives and works in Milan. He collaborates with soloists and orchestras in different parts of the world. He is the author of numerous books on musical subjects.

This text is taken from “Lunario della musica: Un disco per ogni giorno dell’anno” published by Einaudi, courtesy of the author and the publisher.