This as close to the edge as RPI gets and certainly threw me for a loop with its wild manic insanity and ultra-diverse innovative structure. It begins with the outrageous soundbites of children playing and cars honking and soon leads into a gorgeous flute passage. Italian vocals come in very Magma like, chanting and exuberant, and then it locks into an amazing ambient section with flute chimes and effective hi hat work. VDGG and King Crimson are the bands that spring to mind while listening to this epic that devours side one.

'Oro Caldo' works its way into the system spiralling with weird time sigs and chaotic sax squeals. It fades in and out with new compositional inventions, dramatic percussion. Then there is Mellotron bliss, and a heavy guitar immediately enters as flute goes wildly out of control. The musicianship is stunning; Danilo Rustici on guitars, vox organ, electric piano, and those pleasant vocal harmonies; Lino Vairetti is on lead vocals, rhythm guitars, ARP 2600, and Mellotron; Elio D'Anna is outstanding on tenor and soprano sax, and flute; Massimo Guarino is the drummer and also great on vibraphones; and finally Lello Brandi is on bass. Together they form a sound of immeasurable quality and innovation. The original approach is found on this album in the peak of the rise of prog in the early 70s. It stands the test of time over thre decades as being one RPI treasure to dig up and savour. The way this epic ends is quite remarkable with VDGG sax blasts and explosive percussion. Then there are backwards vocal over sweet flute and chimes and then a demented circus rhythm with RIO nuances. It is rather a dissonant avant garde sound that is blindingly refreshing in its origination. The second track is a short little shock called 'Stanza Città' that may as well have been part of the opening epic. How weird to end the vinyl side with this, but it contrasts well with all the intricacies and labyrinthine structures previously.

There is another side too and it is swallowed up on vinyl by the impressive epic 'Animale Senza Respiro'. This begins with some wild rhtyhms and then a chilling mellotron soaked verse, with lots of vocals carrying it along on waves of atmospherics. The lead guitar breaks through mercilessly with speed licks and a steady beat beneath. The heavier riff to follow is like Robert Fripp and the time sigs shift constantly, with jaw dropping precision. The sax returns like an old friend and crunches out something like Jackson would play. This is a great section that certainly grabbed me by the cerebral cortex and shook my eardrums. It even breaks into a rather ethereal echoing space effect, and after all the hyper strangeness an acoustic vibration sweeps over and gentler vocals giving our ears a breather.

Soon there are sounds of psychedelic experimentation with rather disconcerting reverberated guitar sweeps, and cymbal splashes. A fuzz guitar and sax blend in with an odd rhythm. The sound is dynamic as more flute flows beautifully on the crest of a wave of vocal harmonies. The music feels like it is thinking of where to go next and one is never sure with Osanna. Crimsonesque mellotron soaks up the atmosphere building to a high register like spaced violin. It sounds like Nektar when the multiple harmonies come in, though all in Italian. There are shades of PFM and Banco at this point, but it is broken by the gorgeous saz tones of D'Anna. The vocals become intense, the cadence quickens, then another time sig with wah-wah guitar is heard. Saxes compete for a while improvising and then a fabulous guitar riff interjects. The time sig is crazy and the music moves into an atonal jazz-freeform style, and it somehow returns to another time sig and another verse. Some jazz improvisation over a rather fast drum solo ends the epic. This is a dazzling triumph by any standards.

At the end of this I am convinced the album is indeed a masterpiece as I had heard over the years. Osanna dares to be different and has the musical virtuoso to back up the insane ideas. The interchanging sigs, and the strong compositional structure of the 2 epics are sheer genius and they explore music itself in order to reinvent the listening experience. I love how the band refuse to hold back and the result is a progressive dream. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest albums of the 70s when prog was king. 

"Gira La Testa" is a ballad full of violin with an Irish flavor. I don't know what's this "San Gemolo Celebration" of the title but the lyrics don't have anything religious. It's a love song good for a celebration even if more in Ireland than in Italy. I'm surprised by the fact that Angelo's voice is not changed during all those years.

His vocals have the same tone of the beginnings and this is even more evident in the second track "Barbriallen" (aka the song of Barbara Allen) which is a traditional British (likely Scottish) ballad with origins in the XVII century, but is well known throughout Europe Italy included. I've also found on youtube a demo recorded by Simon and Garfunkel whose main difference is the tempo that's more country-oriented, but the song is almost the same. It's a very sad story of love ad death.

The it comes a very unusual thing. Branduardi is used to reinterpret and arrange medieval or traditional songs, but this is one of the few covers, I think the first after the Donovan's cover on the Yeats' album. "Il Lungo Addio"(The Long Goodbye) is nothing else than Elvis Costello's "The Scarlet Tide" arranged like a song from the Renaissance with "pizzicato" strings and piano plus a bit of classical guitar.

With "Una Vigile Stella" (A Wakeful Star) Branduardi is back to the dreamy fairytales of the first albums. Also this song has a strong British flavor. It makes me think to Pentangle and thinking better, it's quite similar to the Clannad's "So Early In The Spring". The arrangement is progressive enough anyway. A very good song of a kind which seemed disappeared from Angelo's chords many years before.

Now the surprise: a cover of Pogues' "Fairytales of New York", almost identical to the original and translated into a very raw language (Italian can be very very raw) that appears very inappropriate with Angelo and his music. Also I don't think anybody was needing another cover of this song which in Italian doesn't sound much well. This album is short enough without having to skip one track.

"La Ballata Del Tempo E Dello Spazio" (The Ballad Of Space And Time) is a sort of hymn to the spacetime and it's not written by Branduardi, another unusual thing. The song is written by his long time guitarist Maurizio Fabrizio with the lyrics written by Walter Tortoreto who's a teacher and musical critic specialized in music and poetry of the 13th Century. I don't know what to think of this song. The lyrics are surely more relevant than the baroque music.

It's a partial return to the origins, out of the Futuro Antico series, and probably the first true Branduardi's album after "L'Infinitamente Piccolo", at least for half of it. A bit more than 3 stars, not enough to rate it with four, specially for Sean McGowan's unhappy translation..