TALSETE DI MARSANTINO

I find the history of this band more interesting than their music. Mind you if your into pretty and fancy music in the GENESIS style with lots of class, then you need to hear this band. From the band's name, to the cover art here, to the symphonic/neo prog style, this is first class all the way. And to have artists like Steve Hackett and Francesco Di Giacomo guesting on here is saying something. Steve plays electric guitar on a couple of tracks while Francesco sings on the final two tracks.

This is a twelve track release worth around 45 minutes. A five piece including flute and sax but lots of guitars with three of the guys playing electric, acoustic or both. Plenty of piano as well. We also get some guest kawal flute on the opening and closing numbers. It's crazy to me that they would release this album 3 years later under the name "ESM#40" to celebrate 40 years as a band and re-doing this record "Talsete Di Marsantino" but making it all acoustic, and so even less adventerous than it already was. It was already a pastoral and light symphonic recording. Lets make it even sweeter.

It was cool though to see this band has released an album in 2022, I wish them nothing but success. Their road has been a long one filled with road blocks and detours, especially those years in the seventies and early eighties. Late in 1983 they did a couple of live shows that were recorded and eventually released as an archival recording in 2006, their first release. And that's not counting the single they were able to record in 1978 after being in a battle of the bands-like contest. They would break up after those live performances late in 1983, and not return until about a decade later. It wasn't an easy ride in the early days so it's nice to see them established and making music when they so desire.

I'm missing the grit here, it's all so clean, so perfect. So not me. I want tomato sauce on my face, and spilled on my pants if you know what I mean.