CELESTE [AKA: PRINCIPE DI UN GIORNO]

Delicate, ephemeral weaves of guitars, bass, piano, woodwinds, and tuned percussion, all set against or accompanied by copius amounts of Mellotron and then coupled with the gentle male vocals of composer Ciro Perrino set within the music and sung the band's native tongue, Italian, make for some absolutely gorgeous music. Celeste came onto the scene with this, a concept album of gentle, pastoral music in which there is a minimum input of percussion instruments. As noted by other reviewers, the similarities to Québeçoise band HARMONIUM's album of the same year, Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison, are strong, but just as strong are the presences of countrymates PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI's early albums--especially in the intricate multi-instrument weaves--as well as the softer side of GENESIS's Trespass, and even King Crimson's first two albums (in the style of the use of the Mellotron). The key words here are "delicacy" and "pastoral." There is very little heaviness or barely any "rock" here. The band uses beautiful instrumental weaves to try to re-construct a beautiful day in the countryside. I love this album. I count it as one of the masterpiece gems of the late classical period of prog. Every song is its own gem among the king's riches, but the whole, listened to start-to-finish, is a wonderful excuse for nostalgic daydreaming. IMHO, one can never do enough daydreaming.

1. "Principe Di Giorno" (6:12) (9/10)

2. "Favole Antiche" (8:18) (20/20)

3. "Eftus" (4:17) (8.5/10)

4. "Giochi Nella Notte" (8:11) (13.5/15)

5. "La Grande Isola" (5:04) (9/10)

6. "La Danza Del Fato" (3:56) (9.5/10)

7. "L'imbroglio" (1:06) (4.25/5)

I love this album. I count it as one of the masterpiece gems of the late classical period of prog. Every song is its own gem among the king's riches, but the whole, listened to start-to-finish, is a wonderful excuse for nostalgic daydreaming. IMHO, one can never do enough daydreaming.

Five stars; A-; a masterpiece of pastoral progressive rock music.