J-Ax caps off the success of his 2011 Meglio Prima album and tour with the live release
Meglio Live. There is a reason, however, why rap/hip-hop artists rarely bother with live albums. So much of the appeal of their music resides on the sonic impact of their productions, aimed to sharpen and diversify what otherwise could become repetitive and muddled --which is exactly the way
Meglio Live sounds. However, no one could accuse the band, comprised of
Space One,
Fabio B., Guido Style, DJ Zak, and Steve Luchi (or special guests
Jake La Furia,
Guè Pequeno,
Paolo Jannacci,
CaneSecco,
Mistaman, and
Franco Godi) of not turning the energy levels all the way up. The concert was clearly a riotous party for all involved, performers and audience alike: the sound, however, often comes off as cluttered as a tape recorder bootleg of a punk bar band. Perhaps aware of the huge gap between his smart studio albums and the raw product here,
J-Ax overcompensates with generosity. Meglio Prima is available in two editions, as a CD+DVD with 22 songs, including three previously unreleased, and a Deluxe 2CD+DVD edition, which adds 18 more live selections and two more new studio songs. As if to underline that he is now an established solo artist, only three tracks from his
Articolo 31 days are included. On the other hand, all of
J-Ax's four albums are amply and equally represented, making this album a more than apt encapsulation of his solo output. The five new songs are the single "Brillo Ma da Lucido," "I Gelati Sono Buoni," "Fumo Ancora," "Rare Tracce," and "Io non Sono Partito," all good examples of
J-Ax's rap'n'roll philosophy. Overall, this is a release intended for fans only, who will be especially pleased with the DVD, probably a much better representation of an unruly
J-Ax live act. Everyone else is better served by the studio albums. ~ Mariano Prunes