A spectrum is in the meanders of Italian music: those of the covers. Anyone who records one, are everywhere, no longer only to talent as X Factor And Friendswhere they served as a business card for emerging with a still fragile personal repertoire. Some, among the last, have already triggered unthinkable feuds, Like the one between Gianluca Grignani (original author and singer) and Laura Pausini (here coverist) For My story between my fingersat the center of a story of authorizations that perhaps have been and perhaps not, who knows, as well as preview of I sing 2new album of interpretations of other people’s pieces of Pausini herself scheduled for autumn, almost twenty years after the success of I sing (2006). Others do not need controversy, such as those just out of Happy birthday Elvis!, The album that in 1995 changed the career of Ligabue, of which the Emilian singer -songwriter, to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary, has “authorized” (for real) a version of covers, a song for song, with various guests.

Question of taste

In short, there is of all kinds. Yet … boh. You could do more, listening to the pieces. For heaven’s sake, the market is what it is: artists today is asked for a constant presence, even in the absence of ideas, so the cover is sometimes a solution from minimal effort and maximum result – exactly like the infinite anniversaries celebrated with tours, remasted, in short, the so -called Colombo eggs. In addition, the covers remain a great way, by the original authors, which therefore are gladly granted, to enhance their catalog: now that all music is available on Spotify, having great songs on their side is a asset To make and reinterpretations are perfect for keeping the engine on. Translated: from here on we will listen to many others. And it’s not bad, eh, just think of what the Måneskin managed to build with Beggin or the same Loving youwhich in turn Gianna Nannini had taken from the CCCP in 1995. But they were other times, today instead the crisis of overproduction is also reviewed here.

Pausini is a great interpreter, the first I sing It was a bang, especially considering what he pulled out of the title-track, a song actually less than Riccardo Cocciante’s discography. It always serves a flicker. But this time, beyond the controversy, his My story between my fingers It does not work from the beginning: the original was a pop ballad with a listless and cursed look, a sort of Okay it’s okay by Vasco Rossi less incorrect; This looks more like a power-pop without identity, intense in production and in general in the emphasis (also too much), but for this innocent-and without soul-in the final yield. A nice karaoke, here, which however does not justify such a great operation.

Of similar problems suffer, to remain to date, the covers of Happy birthday Elvis!13 tracks for even 15 guests, in which there is a little bit of everything: from Ligabue’s friends such as Francesco De Gregori, Elisa and Fiorella Mannoia to the new generations, such as Gazzelle, Venerus and even Shablo with Mimì and torment. For heaven’s sake, it is also clear to Ligabue himself, I believe, that putting together artists so distant in a single album, also leaving their open field, without ever making Ligabue’s voice heard, means creating a huge carousel. There are those who save, mostly giants like Mannoia and De Gregori, because she is among the greatest interpreters ever that we have, he with a dry version of Some nightsa harmonic waltz and style guitar Goodnight Fiorellinoin which it is clearly the charisma that dominates. Further on, beyond the predictable karaoke effect, what is sorry again is the lack of soul: many pieces, as in the case of new My story between my fingers by Pausinithey are produced with today’s standards and all play irreparably clear, Lindi and Pinti, glossy for the radio, when in reality the strength of the originals was their dirt nineties.

Better the originals

Here, the problem is right there: it is not that they should not be made, nor that a piece should never be distorted, on the contrary; The best covers, sometimes, are those that overturn the counter, but to do so you need to have an idea, a direction, something to say using words and music already played by others. Or at most, they should put a certain desire to make the original listen to, bringing hidden pearls out. If the result, however, is to reduce everything to the taste of a playlist and an algorithm, even here pieces that at their time knew neither playlists or algorithms, is damage. As well as singing songs by others, authorizations or not, just to put them in the circle, stamp the card. The covers are an art in themselves, they ask for ideas at the base, even before identification. But today, you can see, the ideas around are little.