Search - Gianna Nannini :: Grazie

May be an acquired taste

A. J. Sutter | Tokyo, Japan | 07/09/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While some Italian pop music has successfully crossed borders (e.g. Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti), a lot of it isn't exactly easy to listen to. Among other idiosyncrasies, it often seems as if a singer's surest path to success is to sound as if he's smoked 3 packs a day since childhood. Or as if she has.



Gianna Nannini is such a singer. I'm not familiar with her earlier work (she's about 50 now), but on this CD she sounds like grizzled and raspy male rock star Luciano Ligabue. Moreover, she is often way off-pitch.



Still, I found it hard not to like this album. Her voice packs a wallop. The opening track, "Sei nell'anima" has a great melody, sentimental lyrics ("Sei nell'anima,/e li ti lascio per sempre [You're in my mind/and I'm leaving you there forever]") and all her emotion packed into it. Many of the other tracks are satisfying as well, albeit they're very conventional pop-rock like you've often heard before in English. If you can tolerate Nannini's barely-OK technical skills and a voice that's anything but sweet, you'll find a lot to enjoy here."

Excellent, Gianna!

William Rasmussen | Malmö, Sweden | 06/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An excellent cd from Gianna Nannini, Italy, surely the greatest female rock-singer of today! It starts out with "Sei nell' anima" a beautiful ballad, so nice and so easy. "Le carezze" a favourite, a tune with a heavy, groovy touch. "IO" another favourite, almost a disco-happy-feelings-tune, though the lyrics is oh so heartbreaking. In "Treno" you can enjoy Giannas close and touching voice, accompanied by a beautiful guitar and strings just so lovely. You'll get some good rocksongs in "Possiamo sempre" and "Mi fai incazzare". All the other songs are very good too. Gianna is surrounded by very good musicans all together, and by Will Malone, not the least, as Co-producer. Don't ever belive me! Find out yourself by getting your on cd. And I know you will give me only one answer for reviewing this: Grazie!"