SENZA ORARIO, SENZA BANDIERA

The debut from the influential Italian prog band New Trolls released way back in 1968, Senzo Orario, Senza Bandiera (kind of hard to translate-"without a schedule, without a flag" is vaguely close) stands as perhaps the first Italian pop release in what became known later as RPI. A collaboration between national folk icon Fabrizio De Andre (unknown in America but thought of by generations as the Bob Dylan of Italy) and Gianperi Reverberi listed prominently in the inner gatefold, this album is a very sophisticated rock opera best understood if you are fluent in Italian. However, if you are not, there is still plenty to enjoy here.

All songs flow from one to the next as we journey through the eyes of the poet narrator (De Andre) to create a single seamless work as he crosses the world with eyes and ears open to everyone he encounters-mostly the poor and downtrodden, but each with their own story. Opener Ho Veduto (I saw) is one of the stronger songs-bolstered by solid horns-and is a vague take on horn driven US rock of the early era like Electric Flag and Chicago. Third song Signore Io Sono Irish (still in their live setlist from time to time to this day) is a sad lament for a man who lacks his own bicycle. Moody Blues vibes flow from the end of Signore Io Sono Irish into Suzy Forrester, a song that would have sat comfortably on any early album by the Arthur Lee led Love. Al Bar Dell'Angolo has a cool distinctive horn riff and counterpoint vocals-catchy. Side one is over too soon.

Side two opens with the jaunty Duemila, a song where the band shows hints of what is to come musically. Already Di Palo is a force to be reckoned with vocally, and he and De Scalzi show strong compositional skills. The song breaks down before building to a fantasy orchestral ending. As before this is the bridge to our next stop on the poet's journey, Tu Ricordi Joe? (please refer to the great translations by Andrea in the first review of this album). Padre O'Brien and Tom Flaherty are plaintive and orchestrated, with some flickers of the NT sound to come. We finally arrive at the end, Andro Ancora, a revisiting of the opening song Ho Veduto. The listener gets reminded of the themes uniting the album, and also reminded that this was the best song on the album. And with that, we are done in a scant 27 minutes, a short even for the era album.

Overall, this isn't a collection of songs like the self titled follow up, but a single cohesive work, a tour through the world and an observation on really varied examples of the human condition. Great use of horns throughout. Easily identifiable as a 60's product, this is valuable as a single work, the first rock opera in Italy, and barring Days of Future Passed, one of the first concept albums in all of rock. DeAndre would show up later in 1980 in collaboration with PFM, so some may not be aware of his dabbling in Italian proto prog back in 1968.

Three stars for RPI fans, and for its importance in Italian rock history in being more of a complete work of art than just a pop album. For prog fans, unless you are into really early roots of prog, you might be disappointed.

2.75 stars