Rip Franco Battiato
 

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Francesco Battiato 1945-03-23_2021-05-18

From Progarchives.com,

Franco Battiato is one of the most successful singers in Italy.
He began his career as a "light" singer, recording a few singles.
In 1971 he started his particular journey through experimental music, recording his proggiest issues: "Fetus", "Pollution", "Sulle corde di Aries".
Some very atmospheric parts and some very melodic songs make these records worthwhile, along with musical references to the arabic culture
and italian folk that will surface from time to time in all of his following output. His next records are gradually more and more experimental,
exploring minimalism and culminating with "L' Egitto prime delle Sabbie",
with two long pieces based on hardly one note and its harmonics. Very difficult, I can´t recommend this period to anyone but music scholars
or any Stockhausen students. After this, came a great change of direction.
From "L'era del Cinghiale Bianco" to "Mondi Lontanissimi", these are
pop-rock records, but very interesting (and even commercially successful) ones. Especially the lyrics, sometimes very deep, sometimes ironic,
full of references. He starts singing in many different languages,
even within one song.
With "Fisiognomica", Battiato started walking towards classical music,
using orchestra on some songs and composing a couple of operas. "L'Imboscata" and "Gommalacca" are rockier than any of his previous
works. The latest has a shy return to prog and experimental, yet fo
r a wide audience.

This is the best progressive soloist in Italy and now is very popular. I recommend "Fetus", "Pollution" and "Sulle corde di Aries", a kind of
trilogy and one of the Italian prog highest moments.

Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com :
One of the greatest experiences in Italian prog, great music quality,
even his most "pop" works are deep and intellectuals. He is also one
of the most popular italian singers.

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Re: Rip Franco Battiato
 

I'm not overly familiar with him but his name inevitably pops up in Italian prog conversations and I understand his importance in the genre. He was a year younger than my mother. Sad. I did a few dedications to him on here(I only got a chance to hear one). RIP Franco.

Also, too bad more people haven't commented on here. I suppose it has something to do with the lack of familiarity with his music.

Re: Rip Franco Battiato
 

In the tyme he signed by the EMI label, i was working in a rock mag call Popular1 in Barcelona and have the lucky to interwiew Franco, ama n very "intelectual" not only in music,he tellme his controversy with the religion he almost was ordered jesuist. Afther years saw him in one of the lastest concerts in Barcelona,he can't move but only singin from his chear was hipnotic, friend of us and like a teacher in music, saw us how his soul was made it of passion for this art,for me was a lost of a friend,rest in peace Franco.