BLOCCO MENTALE

The album opens with the almost 5-minute "Capita." The opening riff of high-intensity sax and organ soon subsides into a beautiful acoustic guitar and vocal section. As a five-piece band, the band does an awesome job of incorporating every instrument, in their passages. The song is a roller coaster of pastoral sections and classic prog progressions. Toward the end, the song settles back into the acoustic passage from the start and closes. Starting in the same key, "Aria e Mele," is a sweltering saxophone and keys masterclass. Filippo Lazzari's organ, piano, and Moog arrangments sound perfect on this track. The jam progresses amazingly up until the 1:45 mark when vocals finally enter, though they are systematically cut off by cut-throat guitar and drums. My only critique is the seemingly repetitive nature of the song, and I feel they could've spiced it up a little. The album's opus, "Impressioni" opens with a haunting mellotron which is soon accompanied by acoustic guitar and flute. Sitting at a cool 8:27 minutes, the song is a show of pure musicianship and talented songwriting. After 3:00 the beautiful vocals enter and the song takes a turn for a major key. The song includes some amazing harmonies, but at around the 6:00 mark, it starts rockin'. The sax and organ chemistry between Lazzari and Finocchi is extraordinary during this period, and they navigate through complex time signatures and progressions seamlessly.

Side 2 opens with the unique and beautiful "Io E Me," one of the rare instances of a harmonica being used in prog. The song centers around blissful guitar and harmonica progressions with chill percussion and vocals. Mellotron and Piano take the acoustic ballad into the closing section with lush harmonies and organ. The track comes to an end with a joint harmonica and electric guitar solo that stops abruptly. The next song is "La Nuova Forza" a very Le Orme-esque track with heavy drums and organ. The beginning contains lots of organ that transitions into a flute and Moog riff which is one of the recurring themes on the album. The high intensity of the riff soon turns acoustic with dreamy vocals and guitar coupled with Lazzari's echoing organ. The progression soon settles on a decrescendoing theme which goes through many movements throughout the 7:38 minute song. It's honestly one of the hardest songs to analyze because of its length, lack of movements, and the fact that it's all over the place. The main theme returns nearly 5 minutes with a beautiful mellotron and gives way to the refrain for the rest of the track and fades out.

Suddenly, the aptly titled "Ritorno" (which translates directly to "Return") comes back with the riff from the beginning of "La Nuova Forza," but after about 30 seconds Emersonian piano enters for one of the passages on the album from Lazzari. The song enters the verse and leads into the powerful chorus with stunning vocals. At around the 3:40 mark of the 5:00 song the analog synths and high intensity enters after a jazzy guitar solo. After a minute of this progression, the song returns to the main riff from the album opener "Capita" to close out the track! The album closes with the 4:00 "Verde," as the seventh track. The song has an overall vibe that sums up the album beautifully with masterfully humble yet complex instrumentation. The trademark harmonies are very apparent in this song, and the chorus is stunning. Lazzari pulls out every trick in the book whether it be piano, Moog, or mellotron on this track to close out the album.

This album deserves much more recognition in the community and is criminally underrated as a whole. The flute and sax work from Dino Finocchi is on point as with the vocal effort by the band, but the real mastermind of this LP is the keyboardist Fillipo Lazzari who puts on a show. Sadly, he died in 1991 in a car accident on his way to a gig, without ever reaching mainstream success with any of his works (which is a crime in and of itself). I give this album a solid 4 stars, and I have nothing bad to say about it. The only reason it isn't a five-star is that I think that other RPI albums such as "Per un Amico" and Banco's original trilogy are on a different level and thus the rating would not match. Highly recommended to all fans of prog and music alike due to the inherent accessibility of this album.

The band was a quintet with Aldo Angeletti (who wrote the music) on vocals and bass, Michele Arena (drums and vocals), Gigi "Roso" Bianchi (guitar and vocals), Filippo Lazzari (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), and Dino Finocchi on (vocals, sax, flute). The band made use of the fact that all the members were vocalists and the music on POA has some excellent harmonic multi-vocal parts similar to bands like New Trolls. POA is characterized by lush melodic developments with the typical symphonic prog leanings of many Italian prog bands of the day with PFM inspired compositional constructs and a knack for more saxophone fueled jazzy outbursts than was typical of such bands. Mellotrons are aplenty as are great organ and flute interplay with a strong percussive backdrop and a heavy guitar presence making POA a true rocker unlike some of the contemporaries that kept things more bucolic and pastoral.

While veering into catchier than usual pop oriented grooves, BLOCCO MENTALE still had the chops to pull out the big boy prog punches with interesting dynamic shifts, tempo changes, time signature workouts and even contains some blues and a harmonica solo on "Io E Me," a combo effect that is practically absent from most prog bands due to the fact that the progressive rock movement emerged as a reaction of replacing the blues oriented roots with more classical and jazz elements. Having close proximity to Rome, the band also implement a large dose of Mediterranean traditional folk melodies which give POA an instantly addictive charm that is backed up by all the interesting progressive elements and stellar vocal gymnastics that are amplified by the entire band's participation.

Due to the glut of excellent Italian prog in the year 1973, BLOCCO MENTALE had more than a mental block and received little attention which ultimately led to their disbanding in 1975 when members were called for military duties however they would reform in the late 70s under the moniker Limousine which took a more commercial oriented route and even won them some music contests that would propel some singles to be recorded. POA is one of many amazing testaments to the high quality of Italian prog in the early 70s. While not as brilliant as the most revered bands of the era, BLOCCO MENTALE nevertheless delivered an excellent conceptually themed album with strong catchy hooks and beautiful classically inspired progressive workouts and makes an excellent album to explore once the usual suspects of PFM, Banco, Le Orme, Museo Rosenbach and the other better known bands have been thoroughly integrated into your musical world.

"Capita" sounds kind of weird at first, you have this angular guitar riff matched with staccato sax stabs and no real sense of melody. But as the song develops, vocals and keyboards are added, bass joins the drums and the sixteenth-note riff is turned on its head and played in a major key. Then as everything coalesces about three minutes in, something very special happens: Acoustic piano and voice establish an uplifting, almost regal chord progression that draws you in and kind of makes you forget the somewhat mediocre start. This sense of joyous melody and strong songwriting will continue throughout, and is really the album's strong point. These guys aren't the greatest musicians or singers in the world, but what they lack in technical skill is made up for tenfold in composition and ensemble performance. Definitely a case of the sum being greater than its parts.

I'm a sucker for Mellotron. ΠOA has a ton of it. "Impressioni" starts with a wash of Mellotron and a very somber flute melody paired with minor-key acoustic guitar. This beautiful song starts off somewhat depressing, but changes to major key half way through like rays of sun peeking through the clouds. "Happy Prog" may seem like an oxymoron, but Blocco Mentale play Happy Prog. "Io e me" is like a campfire singalong with some friends - it just makes you feel good. My favorite feel-good moment is "La Nuova Forza," which sounds like a movie soundtrack to winning the big game or getting the girl or some other big movie moment.

There are three different versions of this album - The Vinyl Magic and Mellow CDs, both released in 1993; and the BTF/VM remaster from 2011. Both original CD issues appear to be direct from vinyl, the Vinyl Magic sounding better between the two. The Mellow features two bonus tracks and reproduces the die-cut cover of the original gatefold sleeve. Buy this album now, and thank me later.

Blocco Mentale's brand of Rock Progressivo Italiano is pretty typical for this scene and hence; this album is a very good introduction to this scene for newbies. It most certainly was that for me, but I forgot to review the album back then. Something I am now correcting.

Poa contains forty minutes of lush Rock Progressivo Italiano with a lot of references to both folk music, italian pop, rock and jazz. Obvious references are PFM, Banco and Le Orme. The music is more based on good melodies than heavy rhythms. There are even some ballads here.

The vocals are excellent and so is the use of tangents, bass, drums, harmonica, guitars and some woodwinds. The songs too are great and the forty minutes floats by in the company of these great musicians. This music takes me away to a terrace somewhere in Tuscany where I am sitting under a tree, drinking wine and eating some Italian food. That's how good the sound and mood is on this album. And that is what makes a great Rock Progressivo Italiano album in my view. Hence the four stars.

4 stars

While no slouches, the instrumentalists are not driven by virtuosity or over-playing, rather the emphasis is on ensemble playing and prominent vocals backed up by excellent backing vocalists (the track "Impressione" is a great example). The tempos are what makes this release most typically "prog" - careening between rumbling and slightly agressive rhythms, then balanced by quite a few quieter, slightly pastoral movements. A very good addition for someone looking for the mellower side of the Italian scene during the 1970s.

Also if my previous sentence is a great truth, vice versa is another truth that this band rose by Titania Studios in 1973, recorded a good album (printed in 2000 copies) and, as it came... It was gone.

If this is the story of the band, the story of 'Poa''s music is this: 'Poa' is a good album with Prog songs and POP arrangements, not for this POP. In fact these songs are extreme technical. For me the writing style is too obvious: complicated writing, heavy arrangements, intricate lyrics (entering in the song) and simple production (in the typical Italian style).

For me 'Poa' struggling to take flight (must wait 'La Nuova Forza' [eng: 'The New Power']) but this is not a true problem because in truth also the previous songs are good.

The style is a strange combination of true typical RPI (almost without originality) in the vision of more Heavy RPI bands with POP. This is the winning element, more that the ecological message of lyrics.

But because 'Poa' is a good album? First because 'Poa' is a simple album and second... Well... Secondarily because written and played in a good manner with good songs. For me 'Poa' is not a gem but a honest RPI album.

The opener "Capita" (It happens) starts with the sax in the forefront counter pointed by the other instruments, then an acoustic guitar comes in melting into the dark... It could happen that the scream of a flower penetrates into your mind and wake up your heart so that you can discover new colours while thousands breaths into the wind carry away your flower and you can feel a new strength and the wish to run without a goal... "Hopes and illusions are lightly floating / Confused into the colour of that wine... You're shaking and to pluck up courage / You give free play to cry / It seems that a voice is talking to you / All you have to do is listen to...".

Next track is "Aria e mele" (Air and Apples) where you can find clear influences of Nice and Gentle Giant and bucolic lyrics... "I've come into a village / I can listen to a choir / That is telling me / This is the most happy world...".

"Impressioni" (Impressions) is a long beautiful acoustic ballad featuring good harmony vocals and a nice melody... "In a while new sensations rise / The whole body shakes / Then I realize that a flower is born... I discovered it into that pool / It was born after a long while / My smiling image that was smiling inside me".

"Io e me" (Me and I) begins in a "bluesy" way, with acoustic guitar and harmonica. The harmony vocals here could remind of New Trolls... "What you can find under the blanket of leaves / That autumn spreads on the worn out paths? / Steps, only steps... My fear of the dark melts back / By now, even if I lose my way into the wood / I'm not alone / If the eyes are friendly fireflies / I can see in the dark...".

On "La nuova forza" (The new strength) the start reminds me of Le Orme, then the rhythm becomes frenzy until acoustic guitar, flute and soaring dreamy vocals come in depicting a frenzy rising morning where an ageless slow and tired wanderer tells stories and gives hope painting fantasies...

"Ritorno" (Return) try to describe in music and words the come back in a foggy city where the only green spot that you can see is the traffic light while on the last track "Verde" (Green) the wish of people longing for "green panoramas" soars light and melodic... "Big city, we'll buy a lawn for you / On your walk sides there will be the most beautiful grass".

On the whole this work is perhaps a little bit "naive" and derivative but it's quite good and it could be an excellent addition for your Italian prog collection.

Blocco Mentale is, in English, blocked mentality (mental block?). Namely, this word means to be mentally broken out. Although we can't understand Italian and the meaning of this word, we can realize this album work is really mentally broken world with once listening. Here and there violent horn section will come and go hoppin' an jumpin', strict rhythm section will squeeze our neck, and vocal...the most important section I think...plain and passionless but lazy and rough vocal will dirtily step and trample upon our brain. Without the typical Italian progressive rock style, this another wonderland (I wanna name this as Bloccomotive Mentaland :P) should be absolutely Italian spilitual land, of course, not tranquilizer but stimulant. Very interestingly and importantly, I consider the album should construct one era.

Let's break our mentality violently together and say good bye to the present world.

"Capita" has a fun intro with sax and drums that give way to a pastoral soundscape with fragile vocals. Lots of flute by the way with some great keyboard work to follow. Passionate vocals 3 minutes in as this gets quite uplifting. Back to that pastoral setting a minute later. "Aria E Mele" features some beautiful piano melodies. Vocals before 2 minutes and some raw sounding guitar. The dissonant sax after 3 1/2 minutes is a nice touch. Two excellent songs to lead off. "Impressioni" opens with a mellotron storm. Nice. Flute follows as mellotron returns. Piano after 1 1/2 minutes as the sound starts to build. Vocals before 3 minutes as it calms right back down. Strummed acoustic guitar then mellotron 4 minutes in. A full sound returns again. Great section 6 minutes in of guitar, drums and sax. The sax and organ are outstanding 7 1/2 minutes in.

"Io E Me" is interesting to start with as we get percussion, harmonica, tambourine and strummed guitar. Vocals and a calm 1 1/2 minutes in.It gets fuller with mellotron a minute later. The song becomes a catchy, vocal led tune. "La Nuova Forza" is my favourite track. It is bombastic to begin with then the keys take over. An Eastern sounding soundscape before 2 minutes. Vocals follow. This is actually very psychedelic right here. Excellent vocals after 3 minutes. The mellotron 6 minutes in is amazing. Guitar follows. "Ritorno" is very uptempo to open with pulsating synths. Flute joins in. Piano and calm take over quickly. Vocals 2 minutes in. The tempo picks up again 3 1/2 minutes in. Sax late. "Verde" opens with synths, drums and piano. Nice sound. Flute and vocals arrive as it calms down. The vocals become anthem- like with mellotron to follow.

There is a lot here that I like. A very enjoyable listen.

Most obvious influences come from early-KING CRIMSON and PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI,if you add also some superb sax parts.I do not really know where to start from,as this album is one of the most balanced releases in progressive rock ever.The vocal work is handled by most of the band members ans it's absolutely amazing,featuring great multi-vocal harmonies based on expression and emotion than technique.BLOCCO MENTALE use a mass of rock and non-rock instruments in a awesome way,including (except guitars/bass/drums) a variety of keys (mellotron and piano are the most dominant),a heavy amount flutes and saxes and some harmonica also.The emotional vocal arrangements are greatly balanced with numerous interplays between saxes/bass/drums and keyboards/piano/flutes to create imaginative pictures for the listener.The combination of delicacy (smooth flutes parts,acoustic passages,emotional vocal lines) and complexity (interplays,sudden breaks,changing tempos and moods) is absolutely unique and stunning and ''Poa'' is listed this way among my top progressive rock discoveries ever and,maybe,my favorite prog release from 1973!A must have for any serious listener!