La Voce Del Padrone

Franco Battiato brought his experimental instincts into unusually concise pop songs on La Voce del Padrone. Its seven tracks place synthesizers, memorable choruses and images from different cultures side by side, without explaining away the strange connections between them. The record made that approach familiar to a huge Italian audience.

“Bandiera Bianca,” “Centro di Gravità Permanente” and “Cuccurucucù” are the obvious entry points. The quieter “Gli Uccelli” reveals another side of the album, giving its tightly arranged pop a moment of stillness.