release date: Oct. 1, 1992
format: digital (12 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,26]
producer: Corrado Rustici
label: London Records - nationality: Italy
Track highlights: 2. "L'urlo (Medley with 'La solitudine')" - 3. "It's Alright (The Promise)" - 7. "Un'orgia di anime perse" - 9. "Come Back the Sun" - 12. "Miserere (feat. Luciano Pavarotti)"
6th studio album by Zucchero in the international English issue with four songs that apparently have been exchanged from the "ordinary" Italian edition but which are all simply translated versions. This version is released on London Records, whereas the Italian issue is released by Polydor. On the Italian issue the artist is credited with his full moniker as 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari' while he is simply credited as 'Zucchero' on the International / English version - as seen on the front cover. The album is Zucchero's first to be released simultaneously in an Italian version for the domestic market and an English-versioned issue.
Overall, this is a bit of a step down from his most recent album(s). Although, I feel that the Italian version is the better choice with what I sense reveals a stronger coherency with songs mostly in the same mother tongue, it's still an album with an almost all-American sound to it. It's made with americana slide-guitars and dobro, country-rock banjos and harmonica and with dominating Wurlitzer or Hammond organs and acoustic guitars - all put together making it sound like Eric Clapton jamming with Ry Cooder while they try to sound like The Band.
Zucchero is an artist with his own distinct qualities and he has made several strong releases with inspiration from American music styles but on this it's as if he tries too hard to make an American album instead of continuing making Italian music with various influences.
With two previous number #1 albums in Italy and growing international esteem he has sought out an embracement of both markets, so that, yes, there's still an Italian foundation but the tone has become unmistakably English-American regardless what version of the album you purchase.
If your thing is John Mellencamp, The Doobie Brothers, J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton, then this might just be your kinda thing. It's not for me, though, and in the discography of Zucchero Fornaciari this sits pretty much at the low end.
Not recommended.
