release date: Jun. 13, 1989
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor - nationality: Italy
Track highlights: 1. "Overdose (d'amore)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Il mare impetuoso al tramonto salì sulla luna e dietro una tendina di stelle..." - 5. "Diavolo in me" - 7. "A Wonderful World" (4 / 5) - 8. "Diamante" (4 / 5) - 9. "Libera l'amore"
5th studio album by Zucchero is released as 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari', and it follows two years after the album Blue's. All lyrics and music is written and composed by Zucchero except his popular song "Diamante", which has lyrics by Franceso De Gregori, and "Libera l'amore" with music by Ennio Morricone. As with the predecessor a Christmas version was issued later in '89 with a different cover and also with the title changed to Oro incenso & mirra. One year later a new limited and numbered Christmas edition was released with a new cover and the title D'oro incenso & birra (and with the possiblity to win a compact disc in pure gold) - all with the same tracklist; however the French version from '90 was released with the bonus track "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" featuring Paul Young.
Once again, Zucchero has managed to write and compose a fine collection of songs, and the album topped the Italian and the Zwiss album charts and made it to number #17 in France. Four tracks were released as singles: tracks #4, #5, #8 and #1 with "Diamante" as the best-selling single from the album with a chart position as number #11. The album itself was for seven years and with more than 8 mio. sold copies ranked as the best-selling album worldwide.
The album signals Zucchero's international breakthrough and is by many considered his all-time best. It's his last album to have lyrics in Italian exclusively ("A Wonderful World" only has its title and repetitous phrase 'A Wonderful World' in English), and most of his successive albums would be issued in an Italian issue for the national market and in an English-versioned edition for international markets.
Oro incenso & birra was my first acquisition with music by Zucchero as I purchased the album on cassette. As with the predecessor I believed the album to be a compilation, which may say a few things about the quality of Zucchero Fornaciari's songwriting talent.
Highly recommended.
