Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
22 used & new from £4.85

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Best of Paolo Conte
 
 

The Best of Paolo Conte

~ Paolo Conte
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
Price: £9.78 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 21? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
19 new from £4.85 3 used from £8.98

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this with 5 X 2 (Cinq Fois Deux) ~ Philippe Rombi

The Best of Paolo Conte + 5 X 2 (Cinq Fois Deux)
Price For Both: £19.76

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: The Best of Paolo Conte ~ Paolo Conte

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • 5 X 2 (Cinq Fois Deux) ~ Philippe Rombi

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

5 X 2 (Cinq Fois Deux)

5 X 2 (Cinq Fois Deux)

~ Philippe Rombi
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £9.98
The Best of Paolo Conte

The Best of Paolo Conte

~ Paolo Conte
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £7.18
No Reservations - OST

No Reservations - OST

~ Various Artists
Elegia

Elegia

~ Paolo Conte
3.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £9.98
French Kiss

French Kiss

~ Ost
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £2.98
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Audio CD (12 Jul 1999)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Coalition
  • ASIN: B000006R56
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 18,942 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Elisir
2. Sotto Le Stelle Del Jazz
3. Via Con Me
4. Boogie
5. Sparring Partner
6. Come Di
7. Azzurro
8. Gelato Al Limon
9. Happy Feet
10. Gli Impermeabili
11. Max
12. Gong-Oh
13. Colleghi Trascurati
14. Bartali
15. Alle Prese Con Una Verde Milonga
16. Dragon
17. Hemingway
18. Ho Ballato Di Tutto
19. Quadrille
20. Genova Per Noi

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
From the peaceful north Italian town of Asti, Conte pens all of his own material, smokily growling as he hops from asymmetrical narrative to jaunty rhyming couplets. This bumper 20-track retrospective embraces most of his special interests, sometimes involving specific topics, as with "Gelato Al Limon" and "Hemingway" (the latter boasting surely the most sensitive kazoo solo ever). Driven by Conte's marching piano, his constant bandstand companions play for the dancers, intent on recreating a kind of mocking town hall pomposity, all the better to capture a peculiar flavour of pert 1920s jollity. Conte can be described as a sophisticated primitivist, his words reading like minimalist poetry, suggesting intangible images with sparse strokes. He details bittersweet, fatalistic tales of wind-lashed, street-corner romance, usually infused with a love-hate longing for vanished youth. The mixture of 80s and 90s numbers reveals a marked consistency of style, from the apparent simplicity of "Max" to the odd dying-80s production of "Dragon", so irritatingly compulsive. "Under The Stars Of Jazz" hisses with sibilant scatting, Conte performing an impromptu trombone impersonation, then, he'll up the tempo for the half-ridiculous theatrical romp of "Quadrille". This is a set to savour, constantly unearthing hidden depths. --Martin Longley

CD Description
Consider him the Anti-Hanson. Paolo Conte's music is guaranteed not to appeal to anyone under the legal drinking age, and that's probably as it should be. This collection of tunesby the Italian singer/songwriter is full of the kind of passion and thoughtfulness that can only come from a long life fully lived. At the age of sixty, Conte, though he'd been known in Europe as a songwriter since the '60s and as a performer since the '70s, was virtually unknown in America, with most of his catalogue available only on import. One listen tothis domestic compilation should convert American ears.
Conte can be pigeon-holed any number of ways; the Italian Leonard Cohen, Asti's Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel ala Roma.While all these comparisons are apt, Conte's sound is uniquely his own. He combines traditional Italian styles with international influences (French, German, Argentinian) as well as American genres (blues, jazz, dixieland, boogie-woogie), weaving it all together to support his dark, emotive lyricism. Incidentally, the Surgeon General would like you to know that extended doses of Paolo Conte can lead to chain-smoking, whiskey drinking and nocturnal brooding in dimly-lit cafes.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
paolo conte
italian jazz
vocal jazz intl
us
italian studies listening comprehension
italian
essential italian pop music
contemporary italian pop music
contempo italian
best of contemporary italian pop music

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I've finally found the one CD I'd take to a desert island!, 14 Aug 2001
SWonderful! I've been swanning around listening to Paolo all morning after recieving the CD, and can honestly say this is the best. It may be rather cliche, but if you only buy one recording this year it has to be the Best of Paolo Conte. What can I say except all the notes are in exactly the right places!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Cool dude, 12 Dec 2004
By Andy Millward (Broxbourne, Herts, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)      
Signor Conte may be many things, but nobody could deny him a unique niche in musical history. Sure, many tracks here have parallels with other artists, but the grizzled chain-smoking Italian geezer is truly a revelation at times, displaying a crisp, assured and playful piano style while singing anywhere between a sunn-drenched moan and a late-night growl. You can see where the comparisons with Tom Waits came from, but I hear echoes of Jacques Brel and Georges Braessens too.

At his best, he flirts between a noirish cabaret chanteur and a hip jazzy swinger with aplomb. In fact, he shows genius at weaving in a kaleidoscope of twinkling nods within a wide musical palette, including styles now in revival (tangos and quadrilles, for example) - derivitive without ever sounding less than original and unique. Think of a cool dude with every hint of fashionability extracted. He is what he is and feels as comfortable as an old pair of jeans.

At worst, he veers towards the dreaded easy listening turf - no surprise then that Terry Wogan "discovered" the artist for British audiences. Conte's class and sheer exuberance should help him to establish a wider following than the unfortunate Radio 2 label he's been saddled with.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Absolute Best Collection of Paolo Conte -, 31 Oct 2000
By A Customer
This collection has them all, plus a great leaflet giving you some background on each songs. This album was first released in the United States in 1999, as a long-overdue introduction to Paolo Conte. I had the pleasure to see Paolo Conte live yesterday in Amsterdam and I can only highly recommend his music. The emotions, the power of his songs as well as the full jazz set make for fantastic listening.

If you only buy one album by Paolo Conte, this is the one.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Paolo Conte
All round musical entertainment. Great lyrics, superb musicianship, wonderful entertainment. Good, easy listening with a sense of humour thrown in for good measure. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Enchanted

5.0 out of 5 stars A real surprise
I bought this album completely blind, not knowing anything about it or Paolo Conte. I would never have believed how much I would end up liking this album. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Anonymous

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime!
There's not a single duff note on this CD- even though Conte's 50 a day and a bottle of Pernod voice sounds like there ought to be. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2006 by ST Nicholls

5.0 out of 5 stars s'wonnerful!
I first heard Paolo Conte in the French film 5x2 and thought 'Sparring Partner' was superb. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2005 by S. Lowry

5.0 out of 5 stars For all TOGs and TYGs......
I bought this album because Terry Wogan got me hooked playing Via Con Me on his breakfast show. So having bought it for that one song I have to say what a find! Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2004 by Gillian

5.0 out of 5 stars Its the best cd I have ever bought
Although I understand Italian my husband who does not thinks it is a very good cd, I am going to try it on my friends who like Jazz to see what they think. Read more
Published on 14 April 2000

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Best of Paolo Conte
83% buy the item featured on this page:
The Best of Paolo Conte 4.8 out of 5 stars (9)
£9.78
The Best of Paolo Conte
7% buy
The Best of Paolo Conte 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£7.18
Psiche
4% buy
Psiche
£9.48
French Kiss
3% buy
French Kiss 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£2.98

Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

More info on Wish Lists

 

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates