VIVA

Pooh are quickly sliding towards pure light italian pop (the album sold very well, almost six hundred thousands copies in Italy at the time). Other reviewers say that Viva follows the mood of the previous album Boomerang. Well, I'm not so sure... no, in fact, they're different. After all, you know ... I heard the disco-like opener IO SONO VIVO... eh e heh eh, what the hell I was supposed to say?

There's less variety in the music and a massive use of late seventies/earl eighties keyboards. Drums are a bit subdued. On the other hand (I mean positive thing) electric guitar has a more prominent role and is played very well especially in the - guess which... - the closer track.

So let me uncover (only) the best from this record. Yes, there is still something worth to be listened to.

TUTTO ADESSO has a catchy electric guitar riff but nothing more for a progger.

RUBIAMO UN'ISOLA is better: it has a delicate folk start (and chorus) with mandolin and acoustic guitar.

What else, you may ask... nothing. But, fortunately, again the listener can wait for the last track. This time we are lucky enough to have a couple of nice shots! (we have deserved it after such a boredom... ehe heh ).

First the excellent L'ULTIMA NOTTE DI CACCIA (The Last Night of Hunting): the song tells the story of Powah, a 20 years old warrior from the Charavatana tribe (Ontario), fallen in love with a white girl. Pooh learnt it from a native american teacher during a visit to a reserve in Ontario, while touring north America in 1977.

Lyrics are wonderful 'cause it's the young warrior himself who tells the story. Each phrase a scene, each word a symbol ("...heart of war always watchful, heart of oak in the wind / moon of june that burns wood, for a woman and a dream..." and "... she said she will come, tongue of snake she has not...").

Musically the song is based on a three voices chorus and vibrant arrangement (excellent the nervous electric guitar ... but flat keys). A classic for Pooh.

The closer is a totally instrumental track that (as the previous one) has nothing in common with the rest of the album. Excellent electric guitar, the best number of Dodi Battaglia in this record for sure and inspired theatrical keyboards for a sort of full symphonic epilogue (it was used live as an overture... I recommend you to search on youtube).

In conclusion: two excellent tracks and nothing more than good melodic italian pop. But those two tracks deserve to be heard.