Franco Battiato

America's self-regarding vision of itself is such that artists who are undisputed legends elsewhere are not seen to have made it if they have no stateside success. That doesn't mean that they can't have an influence worldwide, whether English-speaking or not, which is where longtime Italian superstar Franco Battiato comes into the picture. Avant-rocker Jim O'rourke has named him as one of his favorites, Simple Minds' Jim Kerr has collaborated with him, while an ever-expanding series of reissues brought his early work to the attention of prog-psych fanatics around the globe in the late '90s, even as he pursues his current recording interests in other spheres.



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