album rating: ★★★★☆
Genre: Italian pop / pop rock / cantautore. Il Mio Canto Libero ('My Free Song' / 'My Free Singing') is the seventh studio album by Lucio Battisti (born Poggio Bustone, Rieti, 1943 – Milan, 1998), the singer-songwriter who, in collaboration with the lyricist Mogol (Giulio Rapetti), redefined Italian popular music during the late 1960s and 1970s, bringing to it a compositional sophistication, an emotional directness and a pop melodic sensibility that made him the most successful Italian recording artist of his era. The album was released in November 1972 on Numero Uno, the independent label that Battisti and Mogol had founded in 1969 to preserve their creative freedom after years with Ricordi. All music was composed by Battisti; all lyrics were written by Mogol. Battisti self-produced the album, also playing guitar, mandolin, piano, Hawaiian guitar, guiro and drums. The eight tracks include 'La Luce dell'Est', 'Io Vorrei... Non Vorrei... Ma Se Vuoi...' (later recorded by Mick Ronson with lyrics by David Bowie as 'Music Is Lethal' on the album Slaughter on 10th Avenue), 'Gente per Bene e Gente per Male', 'Confusione', 'Il Mio Canto Libero', 'Comunque Bella', 'Amor Mio' and 'Questa Volta'. The title track was released as a single in November 1972 and became one of the most enduring songs in Italian popular music. Billboard magazine nominated Battisti 'Italian Personality of the Year' in 1972, defining him 'singer, composer, music publisher of international fame.'
Label: Numero Uno (Italy), released November 1972.
Producer: Lucio Battisti (self-produced).
Recording studio: Recorded in Milan, Italy.
Critical reception: Il Mio Canto Libero was received as another pinnacle of the Battisti-Mogol collaboration and is one of the most celebrated albums in Italian popular music. The title track has remained continuously popular since 1972 and was certified double platinum by FIMI in 2024. The album is consistently placed among the greatest Italian albums of the 20th century. Progarchives reviewers note Battisti's 'fuller, smoother professionalism' and his 'so much more confident' vocal approach on this record. The song 'Il mio canto libero' has been covered by Laura Pausini, José Feliciano and numerous other Italian artists.
Commercial success: Il Mio Canto Libero topped the Italian album charts for 8 weeks and was Italy's best-selling album of 1973, selling 750,000 copies. The title single topped the Musica e dischi singles chart for nine consecutive weeks in 1973, becoming the third best-selling single of the year. The album has been released in Italian, Spanish (Emociones), English (Images) and German (Unser Freies Lied) versions.
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