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L'imboscata

{{Infobox album

| name = L'imboscata

| type = Studio album

| artist = Franco Battiato

| cover = FB_L'imboscata.jpg

| alt =

| released = 23 October 1996

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Electronic, rock

| length = 39:20

| label = Mercury Records

| producer = Franco Battiato

| prev_title = L'ombrello e la macchina da cucire

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Gommalacca

| next_year = 1998

}}

L'imboscata ({{Translation|The ambush}}) is a studio album by Italian singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, released by Mercury Records in 1996. After some more experimental albums and meditative songs, the album marked the return of Battiato to a rock sound and to a massive commercial success, mainly pushed by the success of the song "La cura".{{cite book|last=Enrico Deregibus|title=Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana|date=8 October 2010|publisher=Giunti Editore|isbn=978-8809756250|chapter=Franco Battiato}}

Production

For this album Battiato changed his songwriting technique, composing most of the music on the guitar and not on the piano.{{cite book |last1=Zuffanti |first1=Fabio |title=Franco Battiato: Tutti i dischi e tutte le canzoni, dal 1965 al 2019 |date=30 June 2020 |publisher=LIT Edizioni |isbn=978-88-6231-868-6 |language=it |chapter=L'imboscata}}

The album was recorded between June and August 1996 at Plus XXX Studio in Paris and Digital Studio in Capri.{{cite book |last1=La Posta |first1=Annino |title=Franco Battiato: soprattutto il silenzio |date=2010 |publisher=Giunti |isbn=978-88-09-74253-6 |chapter=1996-2000:Shock in My Town}} Among the musicians who collaborated to the album, were David Rhodes, Gavin Harrison, Antonella Ruggiero, Giovanni Lindo Ferretti, and Nicola Walker Smith (the wife and collaborator of composer Geoff Smith).

Antoine-Jean Gros' Battle of the Pyramids was chosen as cover art. The album was dedicated to the Sicilian novelist Gesualdo Bufalino, who had died in June.

Release and reception

Anticipated by the lead single "Strani giorni", the album was released on 24 October 1996. It was the first album of Battiato with Mercury Records, after 17 years with EMI. The album was also released in a limited edition, which included a booklet with writings of Sgalambro and Battiato, plus Battiato's paintings illustrating each song.{{cite book |last1=Spessato |first1=Carla |title=Franco Battiato: Come un incantesimo |date=20 October 2021 |publisher=Giunti |isbn=978-88-09-95527-1 |chapter=Passa la gioventù, non te ne puoi fare un vanto}} In 1997, it was released a Spanish-language version of the album, La Emboscada. The same year, it was released the VHS L'Imboscata Tour 1997, with the songs of the album performed by Battiato in a concert at Forum di Assago on 4 April 1997.

The album marked a return to commercial success for Battiato, and in a few weeks it sold twice as much as the previous album.

Track listing

  1. "Di passaggio" - 3:35 (lyrics: Franco Battiato, Manlio Sgalambro)
  2. "Strani giorni" - 3:57
  3. "La cura" - 4:01 (lyrics: Franco Battiato, Manlio Sgalambro)
  4. "... ein Tag aus dem Leben des kleinen Johannes" - 3:47
  5. "Amata solitudine" - 4:04
  6. "Splendide previsioni" - 3:52
  7. "Ecco com'è che va il mondo" - 4:21
  8. "Segunda feira" - 3:59
  9. "Memorie di Giulia" - 3:16
  10. "Serial killer" - 4:06
  • Music by Franco Battiato. Lyrics by Manlio Sgalambro except when noted.

Charts

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Weekly chart performance for L'imboscata

! scope="col"| Chart (1997)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"|Italian Albums (FIMI){{cite web |title=Classifica settimanale WK 44 (dal 25.10.1996 al 31.10.1996) |url=https://www.fimi.it/top-of-the-music/classifiche.kl#/charts/1/1996/44 |website=Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana |access-date=3 March 2024 |language=it-IT}}

|2

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for L'imboscata

! scope="col"| Chart (1996)

! scope="col"| Position

scope="row"|Italian Albums (Hit Parade){{Cite web|url=https://www.hitparadeitalia.it/hp_yenda/lpe1996.htm|title=Gli album più venduti del 1996|work=Hita Parade Italia|access-date=29 February 2024}}

|9

References

External links

  • {{Discogs master}}

{{Franco Battiato}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Imboscata, L'}}

Category:1996 albums

Category:Franco Battiato albums

Category:1990s Italian-language albums