L'imboscata (transl. The ambush) is a studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, released by Mercury Records in 1996. After some more experimental albums and meditative songs, the album marked the return of Battiato to a rock sound and to a massive commercial success, mainly pushed by the success of the song "La cura".[1]
| L'imboscata | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 23 October 1996 | |||
| Genre | Electronic, rock | |||
| Length | 39:20 | |||
| Label | Mercury Records | |||
| Producer | Franco Battiato | |||
| Franco Battiato chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editFor this album Battiato changed his songwriting technique, composing most of the music on the guitar and not on the piano.[2]
The album was recorded between June and August 1996 at Plus XXX Studio in Paris and Digital Studio in Capri.[3] Among the musicians who collaborated to the album, were David Rhodes, Gavin Harrison, Antonella Ruggiero, Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, and Nicola Walker Smith (the wife and collaborator of composer Geoff Smith).[2][3]
Antoine-Jean Gros' Battle of the Pyramids was chosen as cover art.[2][3] The album was dedicated to the Sicilian novelist Gesualdo Bufalino, who had died in June.[3][4]
Release and reception
editAnticipated by the lead single "Strani giorni", the album was released on 24 October 1996.[3] It was the first album of Battiato with Mercury Records, after 17 years with EMI.[3] The album was also released in a limited edition, which included a booklet with writings of Sgalambro and Battiato, plus Battiato's paintings illustrating each song.[4] In 1997, it was released a Spanish-language version of the album, La Emboscada.[4] The same year, it was released the VHS L'Imboscata Tour 1997, with the songs of the album performed by Battiato in a concert at Forum di Assago on 4 April 1997.[4]
The album marked a return to commercial success for Battiato, and in a few weeks it sold twice as much as the previous album.[2]
Track listing
edit- "Di passaggio" - 3:35 (lyrics: Franco Battiato, Manlio Sgalambro)
- "Strani giorni" - 3:57
- "La cura" - 4:01 (lyrics: Franco Battiato, Manlio Sgalambro)
- "... ein Tag aus dem Leben des kleinen Johannes" - 3:47
- "Amata solitudine" - 4:04
- "Splendide previsioni" - 3:52
- "Ecco com'è che va il mondo" - 4:21
- "Segunda feira" - 3:59
- "Memorie di Giulia" - 3:16
- "Serial killer" - 4:06
- Music by Franco Battiato. Lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro except when noted.
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[5] | 2 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| Italian Albums (Hit Parade)[6] | 9 |
References
edit- ^ Enrico Deregibus (8 October 2010). "Franco Battiato". Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. Giunti Editore. ISBN 978-8809756250.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b c d Zuffanti, Fabio (30 June 2020). "L'imboscata". Franco Battiato: Tutti i dischi e tutte le canzoni, dal 1965 al 2019 (in Italian). LIT Edizioni. ISBN 978-88-6231-868-6.
- ^ a b c d e f La Posta, Annino (2010). "1996-2000:Shock in My Town". Franco Battiato: soprattutto il silenzio. Giunti. ISBN 978-88-09-74253-6.
- ^ a b c d Spessato, Carla (20 October 2021). "Passa la gioventù, non te ne puoi fare un vanto". Franco Battiato: Come un incantesimo. Giunti. ISBN 978-88-09-95527-1.
- ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 44 (dal 25.10.1996 al 31.10.1996)". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved 3 March 2024.
- ^ "Gli album più venduti del 1996". Hita Parade Italia. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
External links
edit- L'imboscata at Discogs (list of releases)
