Gino Vannelli - Canto

The quintessential Italian stallion, Gino Vannelli was Canada’s hairy-chested prince of disco and synth-rock during the 1970s. After a religious awakening in the ’80s, Vannelli over the next decade dabbled in Sinatra-style, jazz-tinged balladry on albums like Yonder Tree. Now the Canadian icon fancies himself Placido Domingo, venturing into pop-opera with orchestral grandiosity. Despite a still-commanding voice, Vannelli’s vapid English-Italian songs like “The Last Dance” and the title track wind up sounding either highly overwrought or simply pompous.