FORSE LE LUCCIOLE NON SI AMANO PIÙ

Am I missing something here? Or have I just become too "discerning" for my own good? As noted elsewhere, people seem to throw around superlatives and over-ratings willy-nilly these days. / As I've said before, the success (for me) of any prog-rock band after about 1973 (i.e., post-"seminal" bands: KC, PF, MB, JT, GG, VDGG, Genesis, Yes, ELP) is how well they "filter" their influences and come out with something at least reasonably "original," if not actually new, exciting or compelling. In this regard, LDF succeeds (for the most part). Although there are hints of JT, Genesis and Yes, the "best bits" occur when the band channels GG (their most prevalent influence). And while the first two compositions are definitely the "busiest," the stand-out, most original track here is Profumo di colla Bianca, a quasi-operatic composition full of nice prog bits and beautifully subtle time shifts. And although the band performs well, I could not get around the drummer, who "lays back" on the beat far too much, rather than driving the music forward. In addition, the album suffers from two near-fatal problems. First, as one other reviewer noted, they tend to get "repetitive" in their use of prog bits and ideas. Second, they are simply "not saying anything new." This is not to say that the album is not interesting (mostly) or listenable (it is). However, it does not add anything to the prog "lexicon," and is too "late in the game" (1977) to qualify as anything other than a good album. I give these guys an "E" for effort - especially for a debut album. But that does not excuse the overall repetition or lack of vitality.