Fabrizio De André: the first four albums, explained
Special reprints of the records that represent the substantial artistic and cultural legacy of the great Genoese artist, unpublished booklets with the lyrics of the songs, autograph notes from the singer-songwriter, thoughts, reflections, comments, extracts from interviews relating to the songs and albums and reproductions of some unpublished writings preserved at the Study Center dedicated to him at the University of Siena: la Foundation Fabrizio De André Onlus And Sony Music Italia they are preparing to open the treasure chests of Fabrizio De André, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death (it was January 11, 1999). It will debut this Friday, February 16with the release of first four highly anticipated reissues of his studio albums (you can pre-order the box sets by clicking here)the project “
Way Point. Where do you come from… Where are you going?“, to retrace the history of the beloved singer-songwriter through his words, his thoughts, his vision and his “journeys”, still relevant today.
The project celebrates and delivers to the new generations the artistic and cultural legacy of one of the most followed and influential Italian artists, underlining how the brilliance and depth of his words and his unique vision continue to inspire. De André’s records return to stores and the releases follow the original chronological order. If we exclude the collection “Tutto Fabrizio De André” from 1966, which contained songs already published on 45 rpm singles by the Karim record label in previous years, starting from 1963, the series could not fail to start with the classic “Volume 1”, published in 1967 and considered to all intents and purposes as the first studio album by Fabrizio De André. And the reissues of “Tutti morimmo a stento”, “Volume 3” and “La Buona Novel” will also be released on Friday.
The story of “Volume 1”
It is one of the most representative albums of Fabrizio De André’s career. It contains songs such as “Via del Campo” and “Bocca di rosa”, accompanied in the new booklet by autographed lyrics and comments by Faber regarding the songs. SIt marks a crucial moment in De André’s career, as it represents his recording debut as a soloist after his first experiences. At the center of the album is the ability of the Genoese singer-songwriter – who in 1967 was 27 years old – in telling universal human stories.
Songs like “Barbara’s song” offer a window into the lives of ordinary people: De André immediately reveals himself to be capable of giving voice to those who are neglected by society, transforming the experiences of the “last” into musical poetry. One of the album’s highlights is “Charles Martello Returns from the Battle of Poitiers”, an epic ballad that skillfully mixes history with fantasy: through the words sung by De André, we are transported back in time.
The story of “We all died with difficulty”
The album, released in 1968, represents the artist’s first concept album, whose reflections in the booklet take us back to the genesis of the work, accompanying us song by song. TOReceived enthusiastically by critics and audiences of the time, it further consolidated De André’s reputation as one of the greatest Italian singer-songwriters of his generation. The artist was inspired by the poetry of Charles Baudelaire, the works of Vladimir Mayakovsky and a variety of personal experiences. Through his music, De André explored universal themes such as love, death, loneliness and desperation in this album, bringing to light the contradictions and nuances of human existence: from “Canticle of drug addicts” to “Ballata degli hanged”, the work is breathtaking.
The story of “Volume 3”
Published, like the previous one, in 1968, the album also contains new versions of songs previously published by the Karim record label, including “La canzone di Marinella”. Among the pages that make up the new booklet there are some autographed working notes, relating to the birth of “La ballata dell’eroe” and some comments on the songs also taken from the autographed notes, as in the case of “Piero’s war”.
The story of “The Good News”
Inspired by the apocryphal gospels, the work – because we must talk about works when faced with certain masterpieces – was released in 1970. The re-edition features comments and autographs, including unpublished notes, with which to retrace the birth of the album and the contents developed by De André in the project. In this album, with his poetic sensitivity, the Genoese singer-songwriter offered an alternative vision of the evangelical characters and events, transforming them into powerful allegories of life and hope. “The return of Joseph” rereads the story of Joseph and Mary, while “Mary in the carpenter’s shop” presents us with a Mary different from the one that has traditionally been handed down to us, more human and complex. But perhaps the culminating moment of “La Buona Novella” is the track of the same name, a long suite that narrates the life and death of Jesus Christ: De André guides us through the key events of Jesus’ life, offering a personal and provocative vision of the his mission and the destiny of the Messiah.
“Way Point. Where do you come from… Where are you going?” will develop throughout 2024 with various initiatives. The albums will be reissued in black LP 180 gr and CD version.
These are all the planned reprints:
Volume 1
We all barely died
Volume 3
The good news
Not to money, not to love, not to heaven
Story of an employee
Songs
Volume 8
Rimini
Fabrizio De André / The Indian
Crêuza de mä
Clouds
Hello Souls
Singles
