L'ARCA DI NOÈ

"L'Arca di Noè" è il dodicesimo album di Franco Battiato ed è un album che ha venduto circa 550.000 copie ed è stato uno degli album al n°1 in Italia in quel 1982. The album was recorded at the "Studio Radius" by Alberto Radius, former guitarist of Formula 3 and Il Volo and his trusted collaborator together with Giusto Pio, here in the role of violinist and author. The rhythm section is made up of Paolo Donnarumma (bass) and Alfredo Gollino (drums). Furthermore, Pietro Pellegrini, Luigi Tonet, Shane Dempsey and Filippo Destrieri also play (various keyboards and synthesizers) and the choirs are from I Madrigalisti from Milan. This list of musicians would be enough to say that "L'Arca di Noè" could not be a wrong album.

Musically "L'Arca di Noè" is an album devoted to a POP which I classify as Synth POP although it is very close to a Lite Prog but keeping its distance from it. The use of electronic instruments such as sequencer and Fairlight make the album very interesting but a little cold (which was intentional, at least for me) and, in any case, Alberto Radius is little used (and he is brilliant in "Scalo a Grado" where he his solos are useless). I also mention "Radio Varsavia" linked to the strikes that were underway in Poland and "I want to see you Danzare", a simply brilliant song that I can't fit into a specific genre and which has become an evergreen of Battiato and of all Italian music. Also interesting are "La torre" and "New Frontiers" for their unconventional songwriting.

"L'Arca di Noè" is not a difficult album to listen to. As mentioned, it is very close to Synth POP while remaining in an experimental field. And then it's a very cold album and, at least for me, very calculated as a result: it must be easily listenable and remain imprinted in the mind. However, it remains an experimental product that has aged really well. But, in the end, not Franco Battiato's best album of the POP breakthrough.