REVIEW: Zucchero, Overdose D'Amore (Ark21)
- Reto Koradi
The American music market has always been a hard ground for artists from Continental Europe. Zucchero managed to make a small dent into it in 1991, scoring a top 5 hit with "Sense of a Woman/Senza Una Donna," his duet with Paul Young, but has come nowhere near the superstar status that he enjoys in Italy. His attempt to change this comes in Overdose D'Amore, a collection of ballads spanning more than 10 years, spiced up with some new material.
Zucchero has never been afraid to transcend borders, both in style and language. On the new songs, he joins forces with Sheryl Crow (who sings lyrics written by U2's Bono) for "Blue," and Sting for an Italian version of "Mad About You." He flirts with classical music in "Va, Pensiero," which originates from an Aria by Verdi, and "Miserere," his duet with Pavarotti from 1992.
Even though these big names might add appeal, Zucchero stands strong all by himself. A sub-average Sting song is not good enough to be a highlight on this album, Sheryl Crow certainly doesn't add any significant talent, and at least in the opinion of this reviewer, the big tenors would be just as well off doing what they do best: sing operas. The true pearls on Overdose D'Amore are performed without prominent help. "Diamante," a song that Zucchero dedicates to his grandmother, is as beautiful as a ballad gets. "Senza Una Donna" in its original version is as outstanding as it was 12 years ago. A number of other songs, like "Cosi' Celeste" and "Menta E Rosmarino," show that Zucchero masters the rare art of writing and performing songs of sheer beauty without ever getting sugary.
Zucchero may not be the most original and innovative artist you will ever encounter, but his songwriting skills and distinctive voice make his work timeless. If you want to broaden the scope of your record collection with material from one of the culturally richest European countries, Overdose D'Amore is an excellent buy.
