Centauro - Il Pan del Diavolo

Centauro - Il Pan del Diavolo

2:32

Sono all'osso, 2010

Written by Pietro Alessandro Alosi and Alessio Fabra?

A hard-hitting acoustic punk song, in the vein of Against Me.   Dual male vocals give the song a driving, aggressive force.  It's a bit repetitive; there are two verses and a bridge, and the chorus is repeated four times.  The lyrics are rather abstruse, either decrying or affirming women who "dress like whores" and want to make someone happy.  Not sure who the centaur is supposed to be.  

Una Festa Sui Prati - Adriano Celentano

Una Festa Sui Prati - Adriano Celentano

3:22

single, 1973

Written by Adriano Celentano, Luciano Beretta, Michele Del Prete, and Mogol

Celantano sings this one with a somewhat deep, raspy growl, very little like the Dylanesque nasal voice he uses on "Prisencolinensinainciusol."  This song is an ode to good friends, good food, a beautiful day, and a warning to carpe diem, my boys.  "Domani questo può finire, vorrei sapere / Perché domani ci dobbiamo odiare."  ("Tomorrow this can end, I would like to know / Why tomorrow we have to hate each other.")  With an uptempo beat and some throaty "ba bum bum bums," this is a rouser.

Domani smetto - Articolo 31

Domani smetto - Articolo 31

2:37

Domani smetto, 2002

Written by Articolo 31

Title trax!

An Italian rap band I discovered from the Masked and Anonymous soundtrack (they rapped "Like a Rolling Stone" in in Italian).  This song, whose title translates as "I'll stop tomorrow," has a more pop-rock edge to the rap, with the choruses being actually sung.  In fact, there's not much of a hard edge here; a bit like Smash Mouth than D12 or even Linkin Park.  The lyrics, which I translated, reveal an anti-authoritarian screed, not deeply political, more like on the level of Sum 41 maybe.  I dig it.

Prisencolinensinainciusol - Adriano Celentano

Prisencolinensinainciusol - Adriano Celentano

3:61

single, 1972

Written by Adriano Celentano

Looped horns and drumbeats, with deliberately gibberish lyrics.  No, it's not the Digitial Underground!  It's a folk-funk number by an Italian guy taking the mickey out of English-language hits.  It's so catchy, though.  It sounds a little bit like Bob Dylan, or at least someone impersonating Dylan.  Who knew grammalot would crack the Top Ten in three countries?  I guess Celentano did.