La buona novella is a concept album inspired in the life of Jesus Christ. This is, of course, a topic that has been done in every media and in every possible way since year AD 1, as it constitutes the central story of Christianity, and by extension of a good deal of Western culture. What could have possessed Fabrizio De Andre to undertake such a project, given his anarchist, anti-bourgeois stance that had so often run him into trouble with the Church, for the allegedly blasphemous content of his songs? Clearly, he had to expect controversy from the right (which was probably welcomed, anyway), but he also risked alienating his own leftist audience, considering the serious, deeply respectful tone of this work. An independent, uncompromising artist if there ever was one, De Andre did not care either way; and we should all be thankful, for his retelling is nothing but astonishing. Several factors contribute to the stunning originality of La buona novella. First of all, De Andre uses the Apocryphal Gospels as his main source instead of the official versions. The main change is one of perspective, as the story of Jesus is not told by the disciples, but by minor characters that are casual (and often unwilling) witnesses: the thieves, their mothers, the carpenter who builds the crosses, Mary and Joseph. By contrast, not only there is no song by Jesus, but also his entire life and miracles are bypassed altogether. The first side of the LP deals with Mary's childhood and pregnancy and ends with her exile, while the second is entirely dedicated to the Crucifixion.