The sole constant in Lucio Dalla's extraordinary career is that voice; a melancholy and sincere rasp, impassioned in the cantautore tradition and masking a dry sense of humour. It's an instrument that can ably handle the stylistic twists and turns of a long career in music. One minute quiet and intimate amid tender acoustic pop or whispery reggae, the next leading a mature, reflective rocker with a McCartney scream, or hoarsely soaring above the sentimental ballads that cemented his place as a leader and innovator during the formative years of Italian pop music.