Fans had to wait almost a decade to see
Fabrizio De André performing live, since the Genoese songwriter famously shunned all public appearances until 1975, and only sporadically gave concerts or interviews after that. As a result, every
De André tour became an event in its own right. This 1979 tour in particular was very eagerly awaited because
De André had asked
Premiata Forneria Marconi (also know as
PFM), the most popular Italian rock band at the time, not only to be his supporting band, but also to decide the repertoire and work out new arrangements for
De André's classics. The collaboration was a resounding success. For all his reluctance to perform live,
De André had a natural stage presence and he sounds positively exhilarated throughout the set.
PFM's rethinking of the material along the lines of '70s progressive rock is always interesting to hear, with synthesizer counter-melodies taking the place of the orchestral arrangements, drums emphasizing the rhythmic patterns, and an epic feel added by electric guitar solos. This much anticipated live album became a sensation upon its release, and spent 67 weeks on the charts. A second volume taken from the same concerts was released the following year. ~ Mariano Prunes