CELESTE [AKA: PRINCIPE DI UN GIORNO]

While parts of this album can be compared with passages from early King Crimson and PFM, Celeste focused on the mellow aspects of those influences almost exclusively. The mellotrons and saxes of KC, the flutes and vocals of PFM, are all blended into this unusual 1976 album. This is quietly colourful music, teeming with memorable melodies. Its significant problem is that they are not always well developed, and sometimes end with a fade out that seems to be mid-song, as if they were not fully composed, or they ran out of money in the studio.

The title cut sets the tone, with violin, mellotron, and flute ushering in gentle vocal sections. All lyrics are in Italian. This is music without much edge, for those that like that, but it is emotional and very well played and arranged. Next is my personal favourite , "Favole Antiche", which features several blasts of string and choral mellotron, organ, and woodwinds, with the last 3 minutes of voice, flute, and piano over acoustic guitars being among the more beautiful prog passages ever recorded. "La Grande Isola" builds to an elegant crescendo in a mellotron-synthesizer haze, even if it too fades out where a grand ending might have worked better. But "Eftus" and "Giochi Nella Notte" both suffer from developmental issues, while still having nice moments.

While at times in the past I might well have given 5 stars to this heavenly work, and I do enjoy it very much, I feel, "en principe", that 4 stars is more appropriate given its occasional lack of dynamism and the presence of several uneven tracks. Recommended if you enjoy mellow symphonic rock with a decidedly Italian flavour.