No U Turn

Per conoscere Me e le mie verità Io ho combattuto Fantasmi di angosce Con perdite di io Per distruggere Vecchie realtà Ho galleggiato Su mari di irrazionalità Ho dormito per non morire Buttando i miei miti di carta Su cieli di schizophrenia No U Turn © 1974 Franco Battiato The lyrics of this song refer to the psychological crisis Battiato experienced in the summer of 1973 when he moved to New York City to find a new musical direction from that of his first two albums.

To know myself and my truths I battled phantasms of anguish with losses of the “I.” To destroy old realities I floated on seas of irrationality. I slept to not die, throwing my paper myths onto skies of schizophrenia. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “On his fourth album, Clic, Franco Battiato moves further out – into realms of pure and elemental approaches to sound – to create a seminal work that flows naturally from one musical form to the next. Every second ripples with orbital chords, kosmische textures and schizophrenic string quartets, yet somehow manages the same dramatic pacing and variety as his avant-rock albums Fetus and Pollution. Originally released in 1974 on Bla Bla, Clic features Battiato on VCS3 synthesizer and piano, along with trusted collaborators Gianni Mocchetti on guitar and Gianfranco D'Adda on percussion. While only "No U Turn" bears the maestro's voice, these seven tracks contain some of his boldest melodies, an underlying thread that runs through the choral arrangements and meditative compositions.” – Superior Viaduct review.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Sulle corde di Aries - On the Strings of Aries

After the release of his first album, Fetus, Battiato performed regularly and continued to do so through the making of his second album, Pollution. Meanwhile his publicity firm was developing the image of Battiato as an iconoclastic avant-garde artist, a musician who remained distant from his public, confronting them with challenging material in the process of repudiating traditional Italian music tastes. Some concerts got out of control as audience members became rowdy and fights broke out. Battiato grew ever more uncomfortable with this public persona. He cared more about creating new music and felt the need to exit the path he was on. So he distanced himself from his collaborators/promoters and moved to New York City to “find himself.” Instead of experiencing creative renewal, he fell into a deep state of spiritual crisis and isolation. Ending his life seemed like the best solution. One night he surrendered to his despair, only to find himself in an exalted state of being that he’d only previously experienced in his reveries while exploring the new electronic sounds of his VCS3 synthesizer. He returned to Sicily and realized he needed to build into his daily life a routine of retreat and meditation. Battiato said, “During the recording of this album I discovered my road, my instinctive nature, in the primordial sense.”

Sequenze e frequenze - Sequences and Frequencies

La maestra in estate Ci dava ripetizioni Nel suo cortile Io stavo sempre seduto Sopra un muretto A guardare il mare Ogni tanto passava una nave Ogni tanto passava una nave E le sere d'inverno Restavo rinchiuso in casa Ad ammuffire Fuori il rumore dei tuoni Rimpiccioliva la mia candela Al mattino improvviso il sereno Mi portava un profumo di terra Sequenze e frequenze © 1973 Franco Battiato Battiato brings together two images of himself from his childhood, one in summer and one in winter. He has said that the message of this song is that each one of us needs to find our own solutions in ourselves, which is possible only through the purification of oneself.

The teacher in summer tutored us in her courtyard. I was always seated on top of a little wall, to watch the sea . . . every once in a while a ship passed, every once in a while a ship passed. And during the winter evenings I stayed locked inside in the house to moulder. Outside, the sound of the thunder, my candle reduced down. In the morning, suddenly the calm brought to me a scent of earth. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . 1973's Sulle Corde Di Aries is the third chapter in Battiato's foray into esoteric pop. While the artist would venture further out into avant-garde terrain on subsequent releases, his early records enjoy a lyrical and playful spirit – eschewing traditional, song-based composition in favor of kosmische voyages. On Sulle Corde Di Aries, Battiato guides the labyrinthine structural changes and majestic tones to evolve gradually over four electroacoustic suites. . . While Fetus and Pollution are often considered his masterpieces, Sulle Corde Di Aries remains a hidden gem in Battiato's catalogue. With more of a cohesive album-feel than the previous records, Sulle Corde Di Aries slows the pace to take in the sweeping scope of otherworldly sounds and soulful harmonies.” – Superior Viaduct review.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Aria di rivoluzione - Air of Revolution

Quell'autista in Abissinia Guidava il camion Fino a tardi E a notte fonda Si riunivano A quel tempo in Europa C'era un'altra guerra E per canzoni Solo sirene d'allame Compagni, chi di noi non sarebbe contro la guerra? Però, lo splendore delle "stelle del mattino" (armi) di Müntzer sopra i contadini in rivolta, quando illuminavani i loro aguzzini di una luce sanguinosa... Però, la melodia del lanciafiamme di Stalin quando, a Natale, urlava nelle orecchie gelate dei soldati di Hitler: "Pace sulla Terra" Passa il tempo Sembra che non cambi niente Questa mia generazione Vuole nuovi valori E ho già sentito Aria di rivoluzione Ho già sentito Chi andrà alla fucilazione Però..... l'eleganza dei missili automatici nei cieli di Ho Chi Minh, quando i prodotti di ingegneria da Detroit davano loro l'incredibile bacio..... Però.....la bellezza della mitragliatrice sopra la spalla del guerrigliero boliviano, quando fornisce argomenti sorprendenti che i suoi oppressori finalmente capiscono.... La cosa migliore, però..... Poliziotti addestrati contro il popolo quando annegano nel flusso della massa rabbiosa, rigettata attraverso le valli stradali. Ma finalmente, finalmente prendere tra le loro mani non le armi, ma la mano salvatrice di coloro che cercano pace....... Aria di rivoluzione © 1973 Franco Battiato At the song's beginning, Battiato refers to his father who for a time was a truck driver in East Africa during the Fascist period of colonialism. Battiato's verses alternate with the two halves of a poem by German singer/songwriter Wolf Biermann ("Genossen, wer von uns wäre nicht gegen den krieg") that lays out the fascinations of the tools of war.

That driver in Abyssinia drove the lorry until late, and deep in the night they would gather. At that time in Europe there was another war, and for songs only emergency sirens. “Comrades, who among us would not be against the war? But . . . the splendor of the “morning stars” (arms) of Müntzer above the peasants in revolt, when they lit up their tormentors with a bloody light . . . But . . . the melody of Stalin’s flamethrowers when, at Christmas, it screamed in the frozen ears of Hitler’s soldiers: “Peace on Earth” . . . Time passes, it seems that nothing changes. This generation of mine wants new values and I have already felt the air of revolution, I have already sensed who will go into the shooting. But . . . the elegance of the guided missiles in the skies of Hi Chi Minh City, when the products of Detroit’s engineers gave them the incredible kiss . . . But . . . the beauty of the machine gun over the shoulder of the Bolivian guerrilla, when he supplies surprising arguments that his oppressors finally understand . . . The best thing, however . . . Policemen trained against the populace when they drown in the rush of the angry mob, rejected along the valley roadways. But finally, finally taking in their own hands not the arms, but the saving hand of those who search for peace . . . English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . 1973's Sulle Corde Di Aries is the third chapter in Battiato's foray into esoteric pop. While the artist would venture further out into avant-garde terrain on subsequent releases, his early records enjoy a lyrical and playful spirit – eschewing traditional, song-based composition in favor of kosmische voyages. On Sulle Corde Di Aries, Battiato guides the labyrinthine structural changes and majestic tones to evolve gradually over four electroacoustic suites. . . While Fetus and Pollution are often considered his masterpieces, Sulle Corde Di Aries remains a hidden gem in Battiato's catalogue. With more of a cohesive album-feel than the previous records, Sulle Corde Di Aries slows the pace to take in the sweeping scope of otherworldly sounds and soulful harmonies.” – Superior Viaduct review.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Da Oriente ad Occidente - From East to West

Riduci le stelle in polvere E non invecchierai Mi appare in sogno Venere Tu padre che ne sai? Lontano da queste tenebre Matura l'avvenire Il cielo è senza nuvole Padre fammi partire! La luce sul vulcano Mi indicherà l'uscita Al fuoco delle tenebre Scelgo una nuova vita Da oriente ad occidente © 1973 Franco Battiato

Reduce the stars to dust and you won't grow old - Venus appears to me in a dream. You, father, what do you know of it? Far from this darkness the future matures, the sky is without clouds. Father, let me depart! The light on the volcano will show me the way out. In the fire of the darkness I choose a new life. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . 1973's Sulle Corde Di Aries is the third chapter in Battiato's foray into esoteric pop. While the artist would venture further out into avant-garde terrain on subsequent releases, his early records enjoy a lyrical and playful spirit – eschewing traditional, song-based composition in favor of kosmische voyages. On Sulle Corde Di Aries, Battiato guides the labyrinthine structural changes and majestic tones to evolve gradually over four electroacoustic suites. . . While Fetus and Pollution are often considered his masterpieces, Sulle Corde Di Aries remains a hidden gem in Battiato's catalogue. With more of a cohesive album-feel than the previous records, Sulle Corde Di Aries slows the pace to take in the sweeping scope of otherworldly sounds and soulful harmonies.” – Superior Viaduct review.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Il silenzio del rumore - The Silence of the Noise

Il silenzio del rumore Delle valvole a pressione I cilindri del calore Serbatoi di produzione... Anche il tuo spazio è su misura Non hai forza per tentare Di cambiare il tuo avvenire Per paura di scoprire Libertà che non vuoi avere... Ti sei mai chiesto Quale funzione hai? Il silenzio del rumore © 1972 Franco Battiato The classical piece at the beginning of "Il silenzio del rumore" is "Tales from the Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss II.

The silence of the noise of the pressure valves, the cylinders of heat, production tanks . . . Even your space is made to order, you don’t have the drive to try to change your future for fear of discovering liberty, which you don’t want to have . . . Have you ever asked what function you have? English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser "Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll." - Superior Viaduct review After the release of Fetus, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Areknames - Gnikkalebllahsfi

Ima areknames Mala areknapes Ima areknames Mala areknapess Atenoip arret elevoun Sisopromatem ereitnorf alled etnem Areknames © 1972 Franco Battiato To understand these lyrics, read them backwards (it's not perfect; e.g., “atenoip” should be “atenaip”); that gets you "se manchera" in Italian and "if shall be lacking" in English. As theorized by Joel Cairo on Genius Lyrics, the translation of "Ima" and "Mala" has them being chord indications: ima -> a-mi = accordo – mi (in English: chord - E) and mala -> alam = accordo – la minore (chord - A minor). Battiato associated chords with chakras; E is the third note in a C scale -> 3rd chakra, A is the sixth note in a C scale -> 6th chakra. The 3rd chakra is associated with the solar plexus and symbolizes mental activities, intellect, personal power, and will; the 6th chakra is associated with the third eye and evokes intuition, extrasensory perception, and inner wisdom. Therefore, the un-reversed first two lines could be: If willpower shall be lacking, If wisdom shall be lacking.

Ec gnikkalebllahsfi mac gnikkalebllahsfi Ec gnikkalebllahsfi mac gnikkalebllahsfi Tenalp htrae ehtwen Sisohpromatem sreitnorf ehtfo dnim English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser "Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Beta

Son felice di essere un beta Il mio giorno non è duro Dentro il mare mi posso vestire Dai gamma e dai delta Farmi ubbidire Quando gioco non rompo mai niente La violenza non ho nella mente La violenza non ho nella mente La violenza non ho nella mente Dentro di me vivono la mia identica vita Dei microrganismi che non sanno Di appartenere al mio corpo... Io a quale corpo appartengo? Beta © 1972 Franco Battiato The classical piece at the end of "Beta" is an excerpt from "The Moldau," part of a larger symphonic tone poem by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.

I’m happy to be a beta. My day isn’t hard. In the ocean I can dress myself with the gamma and delta, make myself obey. When I play I never break anything. Violence I don’t have in my mind. Violence I don’t have in my mind. Violence I don’t have in my mind. Inside of me lives my identical life of microorganisms that don’t know they belong to my body . . . And me, to what body do I belong? English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser "Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll." - Superior Viaduct review After the release of Fetus, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Plancton - Plankton

Sto vivendo da due secoli in oceani Ho imparato come respirare mare Le mie mani diventano squame Sotto il mare sta cambiando la mia struttura E il mio corpo è sempre più uguale ai pesci I miei capelli diventano alghe Plancton © 1972 Franco Battiato

I’ve been living for two centuries in oceans. I learned how to breath sea, my hands become fins. Under the sea my structure is changing and my body is ever more equal to the fishes, my hair becomes algae. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser "Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll." - Superior Viaduct review After the release of Fetus, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Pollution

La portata di un condotto È il volume liquido Che passa in una sua sezione Nell'unità di tempo E si ottiene moltiplicando La sezione perpendicolare Per la velocità che avrai del liquido A regime permanente La portata è costante Attraverso una sezione del condotto Atomi dell'idrogeno Campi elettrici ioni-isofoto Radio litio-atomico Gas magnetico Atomi dell'idrogeno Campi elettrici ioni-isofoto Radio litio-atomico Gas magnetico La portata di un condotto È il volume liquido Che passa in una sua sezione Nell'unità di tempo E si ottiene moltiplicando La sezione perpendicolare Per la velocità che avrai del liquido A regime permanente La portata è costante Attraverso una sezione del condotto Pollution © 1972 Franco Battiato

The flow rate of a conduit is the liquid volume that passes by one of its sections in a unit of time. And it is obtained by multiplying the perpendicular section by the velocity you have of the liquid. In a permanent regime, the flow rate is constant through a section of the conduit. Atoms of hydrogen Electrical fields ions-isophoto Radio lithio-atomic Magnetic gas. Atoms of hydrogen Electrical fields ions-isophoto Radio lithio-atomic Magnetic gas. The flow rate of a conduit is the liquid volume that passes by one of its sections in a unit of time. And it is obtained by multiplying the perpendicular section by the velocity you have of the liquid. In a permanent regime, the flow rate is constant through a section of the conduit. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser "Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll." - Superior Viaduct review After the release of Fetus, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Ti sei mai chiesto quale funzione hai? Were You Ever Asked What Function You Have?

Ti sei mai chiesto quale funzione hai? © 1972 Franco Battiato

"Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it 'genius.' . . . Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll." - Superior Viaduct review After the release of Fetus, Battiato began touring. Al.Sa., the Milan publicity firm that collaborated with Battiato on his first two albums and that was instrumental in creating a Battiato persona that intrigued the Italian public, dubbed the tour "Battiato Pollution." The concerts, or “happenings” as they were conceived, were not simply presentations of the music from Fetus. Rather they were spectacles, with Battiato the avant-garde artist breaking down the old order in his outrageous costumes and with symbolic acts like breaking a large cross at some point during the show. The cross was meant to symbolize traditional culture, and is pictured on the back side of the Pollution album cover. The music on Pollution was developed and recorded concurrently with the Battiato Pollution tour. Again on this second album, the lyrics were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi (credited to Frankenstein), the principals of Al.Sa.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Energia - Energy

Ho avuto molte donne in vita mia e in ogni camera ho lasciato qualche mia energia Quanti figli dell'amore ho sprecato io Racchiusi in quattro mura Ormai saranno spazzatura Se un figlio si accorgesse che per caso è nato fra migliaia di occasioni Capirebbe tutti i sogni che la vita dà Con gioia ne vivrebbe tutte quante le illusioni Quante lacrime ho strappato senza mai piangerci su Quante angosce ho provocato per godere un po' di più Quante frasi false ho detto quante strane verità Per fare sul mio metro questa personalità Energia © 1971 Franco Battiato After the album came out and Battiato was finally released from his military obligations, he went on a tour, which took inspiration from the experimental art performances of Fluxus. These "happenings" (video at right) were the first of their kind in Italy, often leaving audiences somewhat disoriented, nonplussed, even disgruntled. The idea came from Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi, whose ad agency was a magnet for many young avant-garde artists in Milan at the time. (Below - one of their ads featuring Battiato.)

I had many women in my life, and in every bedroom I left some of my energy. How many love children I squandered enclosed within four walls, by now they might be litter. If a child were to notice that by chance he is born, among thousands of possibilities, he would understand all the dreams life gives. With joy he would live out every last illusion. How many tears I forced out without ever crying over them. How much anguish I provoked to have just a little more enjoyment. How many false phrases I said, how many strange truths, to form on my own measure this personality. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Fetus

Non ero ancora nato Che già sentivo il cuore Che la mia vita Nasceva senza amore Mi trascinavo adagio Dentro il corpo umano Giu per le vene Verso il mio destino Fetus © 1971 Franco Battiato

I was not even born, yet I already felt the heart, that my life was birthing without love. I dragged myself slowly inside the human body, down through the veins towards my destiny. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer (at left), the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Una cellula - A Cell

Cambieranno le mie cellule E il mio corpo nuova vita avrà Le molecole che ho guaste Colpa dell'ereditarietà Sarò una cellula Fra motori Come una cellula Vivrò Viaggeremo più veloci della luce Intorno al sole Come macchine del tempo Contro il tempo che non vuole Sarò una cellula Fra motori Come una cellula Vivrò Una cellula © 1971 Franco Battiato

They will change my cells, and my body will have new life. The molecules I have, broken, heredity’s fault. I’ll be a cell among motors, like a cell I will live. We will travel faster than light around the sun, like time machines against time that wants it not. I’ll be a cell among motors, like a cell I will live. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Cariocinesi - Karyokinesis

Un nucleo si divide E due sono le vite E quattro e otto ancora In giusta progressione Processo di magia Processo forse cieco O forse illuminato Da memoria senza passato Un nucleo si divide L'errore lo interrompe E dentro il meccanismo Un velo che si chiama caso Cariocinesi © 1971 Franco Battiato

A nucleus divides, and two are the lives. And four and eight yet again, in the right progression. Process of magic, process maybe blind, or maybe illuminated by memory without a past. A nucleus divides, the error interrupts it, and inside, the mechanism, a veil called chance. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Fenominologia - Phenomenology

È incerto il processo mentale La voce è marmo e cemento Vivo malgrado me stesso... Difficile attuare il controllo Attorno i miei occhi c'è nebbia I contorni si fanno imprecisi... Ho già scordato la mia dimensione E forze sconosciute mi strappano da me... L'esotomia, I'IBM-azione De-cloro-de-fenilchetone Essedi-etilizzazione Han dato vita Alla programmazione X1 = A*sen (ωt), x2 = A*sen (ωt + γ) Fenomenologia © 1971 Franco Battiato The equations repeated at the end of the song relate to the harmonic oscillators used in Battiato's VCS3 synthesizer. And to my ears, Battiato's voice here is channeling some John Lennon!

It’s unsure, the mental process. The voice is marble and cement, I live in spite of myself . . . Difficult to effect the control. Around my eyes there is a fog, the outlines are done imprecisely . . . I already forgot my dimension And unknown forces rip myself from me . . . The exotomy, the IBM-action, dichlorodiphenylketone, essedi-etilizzatione have given life to the coding x1 = A*sin (ωt), x2 = A*sin (ωt + γ) English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Meccanica - Mechanics

Meccanici i miei occhi Di plastica il mio cuore Meccanico il cervello Sintetico il sapore Meccaniche le dita Di polvere lunare In un laboratorio Il gene dell'amore Meccanica © 1971 Franco Battiato In the final third of "Meccanica" you hear a slowed down, sampled version of Bach's Aria from Suite No. 3, over the voices of the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Mechanical my eyes, of plastic my heart, mechanical the brain, synthetic the taste. Mechanical the fingers, of moon dust in a laboratory the gene of love. English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List

Anafase - Anaphase

Varcherò i confini della terra Verso immensità... Sopra le astronavi Verso le stazioni interstellari Viaggerò... Anafase © 1971 Franco Battiato Anaphase - the stage of mitosis when replicated chromosomes are split and the daughter chromatids are moved to opposite poles of the cell.

I’ll pass over the ends of the Earth towards immensity . . . Upon the spaceships towards the interstellar stations I will travel . . . English translation © 2020 Dennis Criteser “Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. . . (Battiato) turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics. . . With his trusted VCS3 synthesizer, Battiato created primordial soundscapes that shift between dreamy and delirious. His unsentimental, yet evocative voice – combined with a sublimely detached approach to lyrics – spawned a new breed of divergent songwriting. Fetus, a concept album exploring themes of genetic engineering, is enigmatically sub-titled "Ritorno al Mondo Nuovo" (Return to the New World) and dedicated to Aldous Huxley. . . Battiato’s infectious melodies and innovative sound-collage techniques remain uniquely spry . . . (behind) the curious beauty of Fetus.” – Superior Viaduct review. Fetus was released in 1971 on the small alternative label Bla Bla. The provocative cover led many stores to not even display the album. The inside cover is of Niki de Saint Phalle's Hon (She) sculpture from her 1966 installation for the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. The lyrics on Fetus were written by Sergio Albergoni and Gianni Sassi under the pseudonym of Frankenstein, and then fine-tuned during recording by Battiato. Their publicity agency, Al.Sa., was also responsible for publicizing the album and subsequent tour, and the duo were quite involved in collaborating with Battiato and in creating his public persona as a ground-breaking and iconoclastic new artist. Just when recording was to begin on the album, Battiato was drafted to serve in the army. He was so unsuited to military life that, through his passive resistance to doing anything, he ended up being shuffled around the country in various military hospitals until ending up in one in Milan, from which he was able to escape at night and go into the studio to record the album. The music was not composed in advance, but rather developed in the studio, with input from all the musicians and from the recording engineer as well. Battiato was the second to purchase the newly invented VCS3 synthesizer, the first being Pink Floyd.

Back to Album List         Back to Song List