Edoardo Bennato - Isola Che Non Ce'e (CD)

All Music Guide

The music of Italian musician Edoardo Bennato is a madcap, fast-motion Fiat collision of Bob Dylan, Eddie Cochran, Harry Nilsson, and that charming peculiarity (to Americans, anyway) that all European pop artists bring to their music. This retrospective covers most of his over 30-year career. While it does not offer much more than memories for Bennato fans, L'Isola Che Non Ce'e is a great introduction for uninitiated. From the barroom piano of "Meno Male Che Adesso Non C'È Nerone" to the punk rock singalong "Uffà Uffà"; or " Isola Che Non C'È," which is like an Italian-language version of "Just Like a Woman," Bennato sells whatever style he settles into with his joyous vocals and a rocking band. The album ends with one of its strongest tracks, the gorgeous ballad "Quando Sarai Grande," taken from his 2001 album Afferrare Una Stella, which was another in a long line of Bennato concept albums.

- Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide