Customer Reviews

Zucchero & Co.

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John Lee Hooker sings with his soulful voice and mellow tones with Zucchero's rustic, Italian pop and blues, "I Lay Down". This song was recorded in 2001, and John Lee Hooker died in a month's time. When you hear this tune, you will play it over and over in your mind.

"Come sweet soul of mine
I lay down with the angel
I lay down with an angel

I lay down
With an angel
I lay down
With an angel
'cause she treat me kind sometimes
Vieni in me
Portami via
Ali d'oro"

Zucchero which means Sugar, whose real name is Adelmo Fornaciari, was born in Roncocesi, Italy. He learned to play the organ at church, and was eventually introduced to Black Spirituals by a visiting American. He formed his first band known as "Le nuove luci", The New Lights. He traveled Italy playing his music. In 1994 he played at Woodstock Festival with Eric Clapton and Lucianno Pavorotti. But this is one of the first times his music has been played in the US. This CD is climbing the charts quickly. Zucchero has joined many talented musicians and has produced a CD of magnificence.

The most magnificent of these tunes is "I Lay Down" with John Lee Hooker. I forecast this as a top ten hit. This is followed by "Blue" sung with Sheryl Crow, with her lovely, lilting voice. They performed "Blue" first in 1998 in another album. The lyrics are written by Bono of U2. This song will catch you and lift you into the stratosphere.

Former Cranberries singer, Dolores O"Riordan, sings "Pure Love" with Zucchero, a memorable performance. She has a particularly lovely accent.

Miles Davis heard the song "Dunne Mosse" "Dune of Mercy" on the radio while he was touring in Italy, and he performed it with Zucchero. Gravelly voice and catchy rhythm.

Sting asked Zucchero if he could write lyrics to "Muoio per te", "Mad About You."and this is the final version. This is Sting at his finest.

"Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" with Vanessa Carlton is one of the newer tracks on this CD. Vanessa Carlton plays the piano and Haylie Ecker plays the violin. You will recognize the lovely melody and sing along.

I have not been a fan of Macy Gray, but she sings "Like The Sun" with feeling and style. Macy Gray sings and Jeff Beck added a guitar solo

"Wonderful World", Eric Clapton met Zucchero in 1989 and they started singing together whenever their tours coincided. Eric Clapton at his best,sounds like his earlier style.

"Diavolo In Me" (Devil in me) with Solomon Burke is a treasure. Zucchero and Burke met in the 80's on several tours and festivals. Their styles click and this song is sweet. Higher and higher as the notes and their vocies swell, the sweeter the song.

"Miserere" with Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli was written by Zucchero and Bono. Pavarotti recorded it first, and Bocelli recorded the studio version. Bocelli as an unknown is now a known entity.

This is a masterpiece of an album. The Italian pop and blues of Zucchero mixed with the talented voices of BB King, Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Sting, Sheryl Crow, John Lee Hooker and others have given us a mix of a soulful, resounding memory. Highly Recommended. prisrob

America is a very insular country, but we hardly ever recognize it, or admit it. We think we are so worldly, and that we drive the engine of popular culture all over the world, but if that is true, then why haven't we heard of this guy? Zucchero is a musical phenom, hugely popular on virtually every continent except North America. This CD collects some of his best work onto one disk, and it is a truly incredible listening experience. Zucchero possesses a voice that resembles Eric Clapton at his most soulful, and his songwriting is universal in its scope and appeal. Just a quick look at the diverse list of guest performers on this CD is a mind-boggling experience, and rather accurately portrays the degree of respect that other musicians have for him; John Lee Hooker, Sheryl Crow, Solomon Burke, Eric Clapton, Macy Gray, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli is only a partial list of the guest performers appearing here. One song is co-written with Sting, another with Bono. The sound veers from Moby-like trance blues ("I Lay Down", with John Lee Hooker) to reflective mood pieces ("Dune Mosse", with Miles Davis), to anthemic ballads ("Cosi Celeste", with Cheb Mami), all with a distinctive international flavor that indicates why he is such a force in world music, everywhere except for America. The only fault I have with this collection is its air-tight production, and subtle tendency toward power balladry, but one man's scrap is another man's gold, and there is a lot of gold here, regardless of your tastes.
If there were any justice in this world, or if the American entertainment industry had even the slightest degree of open-mindedness, this CD would be the best-selling album in the U.S. for 2005. Unfortunately, the music industry is not open-minded, and global events have adequately proven that the word `justice' has been rendered virtually meaningless. So, if we cannot rely on our national culture to present something that is truly excellent, we must do it on our own. Do you wish to be the hippest, most knowledgeable and worldly person in your circle of friends? Then be the first on your block to buy this CD. Your friends will be awed, while you revel in the satisfaction that you are among the first Americans to discover the excellence and diversity of Zucchero. A- Tom Ryan

One listen of "Pure Love" and I was hooked! Sitting in an Italian Cafe in downtown London and what I thought was a familiar voice coming from the cafe's speaker turned out to be Zucchero, not Peter Gabriel as I thought. I immediately had to ask the waitress who the artist was. The CD starts out with an amazing duet between John Lee Hooker and Zuccharo - "I Lay Down", you can really feel the emotion in this song. "Muoio per te" sung with Sting (Mad About You) is brilliant. A must buy, a little of something for everyone on this CD.

Musical tastes are so different that it is hard, if not impossible, to give a definite opinion about a particular record. If you enjoy light jazzy groovy tunes with some good vocals in English, Spanish and Italian with occasional stronger percussion you will LOVE this record! The big American names accompanying the Italian artist should be a good indication of the quality of the music. Fortunately, Amazon allows us to listen to bits of every track on the CD, so one can make their own mind about it before buying.

I would like to give this record ten full shining stars if I only could ;-)

(The last track 'Miserere' skips on my new CD, I will be looking for a replacement.)

I heard about this CD, along with a few excerpts, on NPR, and purchased it a few weeks later. I was very touched by Zucchero's story. If American musicians from Eric Clapton to BB King are fans, I had to hear him myself. And now I am a fan, too. I love having music like this in my collection. The sounds are relaxing and engaging without being overwhelming, and the collaborations with people like Sheryl Crow, Sting, and Mile Davis have a great mix of classic and new. I love it, and I hope it eventually gets the attention that it deserves!

Please note this review is pertaining to the IMPORT (not Italian) version of this CD which has 18 tracks. Of the four extra songs not on this CD, only one of them is a 'skipper,' (the Tom Jones duet that I mention below). Otherwise, it's worth the few extra dollars (I think) to get the longer, IMPORTED version. If not, get this one! You have got to give Zucchero a try if you haven't already. I also highly recommend his "BLUE" CD.
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I adore this CD. It's worth the price just for the Macy Gray (Jeff Beck) duet in "Like The Sun" which is my favorite, if I was pressed.
If you already have 'SHAKE', you will recognize the John Lee Hooker duet from that cd; but you can't hear that tune too many times, either.
"Blue" from the BLUE cd is made fresh with the Sheryl Crow addition. I don't know who "Mousse T." is, but the "Mama Get Real" duet is a toe tapping winner.

I only have to skip past a couple of unfortunate songs here: the duet with Tom Jones (!!) being one of them. But there is Lots to love here like I said before-well worth the price for any Zucchero fan.

regards,
Laurie in Alaska

Zucchero is a true talent. His Joe Cocker-like voice fills your ears with emotion, pain, exhileration. The songs are fabulous, the arrangements intriguing. He is the real deal. I especially like the songs adapted by Frank Musker, but all are great. He is a master in his prime.

Good introduction to Zucchero and his blues style for individuals who like a blues beat with a touch of pop. His collaboration with other well-known artists provide the listener a taste for his talent. Do not let his "italian" name or the Italian portion of the CD scare you off. Most songs are in English and some are in both Italian and English. Immerse yourself in something out of the ordinary it will enrich your musical listening experience.

Love this CD. Heard this guy on Pandora, and went and got the CD. This one is songs he did with other artists, whom you probably have heard of, mostly in english, and very jazzy and bluesy. Really nice. I'll be buying more from this guy.

This CD is amazing - it sucked me in with the first track and I've enjoyed every other track as well. Zucchero is very unique and the artists he recorded with are all riveting! Very much worth the money!