AMG Review of Tra un Manifesto e lo Specchio

Mariano Prunes
All Music Guide

There is no shortage of Francesco de Gregori's compilations, augmented by the proliferation of live albums that the singer released since the early 1990s, that effectively function as greatest-hits collections. They certainly sold as such. With Tra un Manifesto e lo Specchio Sony/BMG attempts to cash in the seemingly endless demand for de Gregori's classics, offering a three-CD collection that spans his entire discography, from 1972's "Signora Aquilone" to 2005's "Vai in Africa, Celestino." While this compilation features several key tracks and a few rarities that are not available in any of the official studio albums, such as "La Donna Cannone" or "La Valigia Dell'attore," the only true novelty is the inclusion of " "Diamante," a previously unreleased demo with Zucchero. At a total of 53 tracks, Tra un Manifesto e lo Specchio succeeds in painting a comprehensive picture of de Gregori's entire career, yet it also feels oddly incomplete. First of all, the packaging is unworthy of the box set category -- in fact, this is an extended greatest-hits package and nothing more. Secondly, while virtually every song present here is a classic, a truly comprehensive collection should have featured at least twice as many, or enticed de Gregori's fans with a bevy of rarities. As it is, it stands halfway between the several one-disc greatest hits or live compilations already available, and the purchase of a few of the essential studio albums. For an artist as important as de Gregori, the latter will always be the better option, at least until he finally gets the full box set treatment his discography truly deserves.