Canti Comunisti Italiani

“Songs of the Italian Communists” – now there’s a title crying out for the pop charts. There was a little sequence of revolutionary songs released on 7″ singles by the Italian label ‘i dischi del sole’ in the early sixties, of which this is one. Quite nicely packaged in a fold-out sleeve (would have been nicer still if mine hadn’t immediately fallen apart). The ensemble sound like the nearest they’ve ever been to a revolutionary communist is having met a left wing lecturer at a cocktail party.

There are six tracks on the disc, and here are two to be getting on with. For those familiar with the work of UK comedian Alexei Sayle, their version of Offidani’s La guardia rossa will conjour memories of his “revolutionary biscuits of Italy” routine … On the other side, Siamo l’Emilia rossa sounds more like a jolly boating picnic song than a revolutionary anthem, but presumably the words make all the difference – if only I understood Italian …