Black Cat (Zucchero album)

Overview

The album will marked a music comeback to soul&blues roots and sound of the "Oro Incenso & Birra" (1989). According to Zucchero, the album does not have the meaning of Western prejudice of Black cat, yet Afro-American for "figure of speech, a greeting, a symbol of auspice". As well there's a component of anarchism toward the "market rules". It is his "darkest album and rough ever in terms of sonority".

On CNN was announced that the album will include a new song "Streets of Surrender" (S.O.S) which lyrics are written by Bono, dedicated to the victims of November 2015 Paris attacks. Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits is a special guest and guitarist on the song, as well "Ci Si Arrende". The single "Voci" is sampled by "Ignorant Boy, Beautiful Girl" by Loney, Dear, while "Ten More Days" is a cover by Avicii.

The album's English version will include collaboration with Elvis Costello on "Love Again" (renamed as "Turn the World Down"), Spanish version collaboration with Alejandro Sanz on "Fatti Di Sogni" (renamed as "Hechos de sueños"), while on Japanese version guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei played on "Ti Voglio Sposare".

It will be presented at the record breaking 11 consecutive concerts at the Arena in Verona in September, and following Black Cat World Tour. The Arena concerts, held between 16–28 September, will be only concerts in Italy, and will be special events with vast and diverse repertoire of old and new songs, and diverse special guests.

Composition

Zucchero recounts that the album was "born" during the tour in Southern parts of United States. He played in cities like New Orleans, Nashville, Lafayette, and immersed himself in their blues sounds, with guitars played with bottlenecks cut. He wanted to reproduce sounds from films like 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained.

He wrote the songs like in the early days when everything was more simple as didn't have nothing to lose, and didn't care about the logic of the market. He intended for every soung to have different "dress", thus entrusted seven different songs to each of album producers T Bone Burnett, Brendan O'Brien, Don Was, of which were chosen twelve. The songs shows "social obligation", and few gospel songs lyrics talk about "new slaves" the migrants.

In the single "Partigiano Reggiano" (Partisan from Reggio) a verse sings "Bella ciao". Although the Reggio Emilia province was "red", and his uncle during World War II was deported to Germany, he "speak not of right or left, but someone who has ideals and that it is ready to make wall against what does not work".

Release

The album was released on 29 April 2016 by Universal, in CD, standard vinyl and limited edition red vinyl. It was released in three different versions; Italian, International (with English and Spanish version), Japanese. The song "Partigiano Reggiano" is album's first single in Italy, released 24 March, while "Voci (Namanama Version)" the album's first single internationally, released 25 March.

Track listing

All tracks written by Zucchero Fornaciari, except where noted.