by Mariano PrunesThe last studio album Fabrizio De André recorded before his untimely death to cancer in 1999, Anime Salve functions both as a testament to the singer's entire career and a further indicator of the stylistic restlessness that characterized De André's work since 1984's Creuza de Mä. Like its predecessor, Le Nuvole, Anime Salve is a hybrid album, albeit a much more somber one since the satirical intent of Le Nuvole is notoriously absent here. Its mixed nature is, once again, probably due to the contrasting creative forces at work. Throughout his career, De André had an unerring eye for choosing his collaborators. In turn, talented musicians such as Gian Piero Reverberi, Nicola Piovani, Francesco De Gregori, PFM, Mauro Pagani, and Massimo Bubola all left an indelible stamp on the De André records on which they worked. For Anime Salve, De André continued his ongoing research into Mediterranean folk music since Creuza de Mä, this time with arranger Piero Milesi, who had also participated in Le Nuvole. In addition, De André asked his friend and distinguished colleague songwriter Ivano Fossati to co-write the entire album. The influence of Fossati is plain to see, and occasionally his voice can be heard even louder than De André's own in Anime Salve. Roughly half the album is made of the long, slow, atmospheric, keyboard-dominated compositions so typical of Fossati's work, reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's late albums such as Us or Up . The moving title track, sung together with Fossati, is a perfect example of this tendency. The other half, instead, consists of pieces based on Mediterranean or Balkan rhythms or dances, such as the rousing "Dolcenera," very much in tune with previous Pagani-De André projects. ... Read More...