CARNASCIALIA

First of all, I feel obliged to point out that I have only heard this album on mp3. It seems to be otherwise completely unavailable, unless you can track down a copy of the LP.

To fill in those of you pondering over the details of this album, until such time as a decent biography is added, the group were formed by a few members of the disbanded Italian folk band Canzoniere del Lazio. They roped in the likes of Mauro Pagani of PFM and Demetrio Stratos of Area to record an eclectic album of six very different tracks fusing various styles of folk and world music with rocky and proggy touches. The project may well have seen a second album (and more still, who knows?) were it not for Stratos' tragic and untimely death that same year.

Now, onto the music:

Canzone Numero Uno - A spirited, highly folkish song with a distinctly celebratory atmosphere. If this doesn't make you grin widely and tap your feet then nothing will.

Fiocchi Di Neve E Bruscolini - A short Stratos showcase with spoken words and strange vocal noises, flowing into a quirky percussion and tin whistle piece. One of the more avant-garde pieces, but quite brilliant, to my ears at least.

Almeisan - A highly laid-back and atmospheric piece built around gentle piano, violin and saxophone, with the sound of pebbles being dragged by the tide as a constant flowing companion. Utterly beautiful.

Kaitain - The incomparable Stratos returns, this time delivering something more tuneful but still extremely other-worldly. This time his unique vocals are underpinned by a rhythm tapped out on some kind of stringed instrument. The track also features tuned percussion, strings and saxophone, and has a rather detached feel.

Cruzeiro do Sul - Another very alien sounding song that I really can't compare to anything else. I've simply never heard another song like it. The base of it is constant tinkling bells and a simple choral phrase looping again and again, mirrored by piano, with all sorts of other instrumental goings on ebbing and flowing beneath it. The vocals die out halfway through, and in comes Stratos again to do. something with his voice. I don't know what he does, but it sounds rather good. This all makes a lot more sense when you hear it, trust me.

Gamela - This track starts out with some tuned percussion coupled with some jolly basslines, improvised violin (Pagani finally getting a chance to really show what he's made of). Eventually an almost-mexican sounding melody comes in and brings the song, and indeed the album to a wonderful, upbeat conclusion.

Highlights: Very tempted to say all of them, but let us stick with. "Canzone Numero Uno", "Almeisan", "Cruzeiro do Sul"

I must admit I have been completely blown away by this album. I usually stay away from anything labeled as Folk, but I feel the Folk label is a little misleading here. I like the description given in the bio here as he describes them as Avant / Folk. There are definite Folk and Avant flavours to this record but it certainly wouldn't truly fit in one or the other in my opinion. This band rose from the ashes of an Italian Folk band called CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO so again there is that flavour for sure.This was released in 1979 and includes PFM's Mauro Pagani on violin and mandolin and also AREA's legendary vocalist Demetrio Stratos. He sings on two tracks but there other singers, in fact there are 14 people playing on this album altogether. I found out about this band about a month ago when reading through this RPI reference book I purchased which lists all the Italian prog bands and their albums including pictures of the album covers. What made me investigate this record was the fact that Demetrio Stratos was on it. What has impressed me so much with this album is how adventerous it is, as well as all the interesting ideas they have implimented. I mean if your a fan of Avant and RPI you will be playing this one a lot. On my final listen (before this review) as I drove into work today I had a lump in my throat on three different occassions from what I was hearing. Nothing like wiping away tears that have been caused by the music I am listening to.

"Canzone Numero Uno" opens with intricate guitar as the vocals join in. It turns fuller as the bass arrives .Beautiful and moving stuff. It's fuller again 2 1/2 minutes in as the violin and percussion arrive and the tempo picks up. A top three. "Fiocchi Di Neve E Bruscolini" is where Demetrio shines vocally. At one point I had a revelation because he's making these sounds like an instrument and it made me think of AREA right away and I thought "I didn't know that sound was done through Demetrio's vocals on those AREA albums". Incredible ! He's making all kinds of different sounds and expressions throughout this track. Music kicks in after a minute.This sounds so cool with the percussion and flute helping out. "Almeisan" opens with piano and atmosphere.It sounds like two pianos then we get violin around 2 1/2 minutes. Gorgeous. Sax too then vocals before 6 1/2 minutes.

"Kaitain" is a top three for me. Intricate sounds with atmosphere to start. Actually these intricate sounds continue to the end. Vocal melodies from Demetrio before 2 minutes. The sax joins in and it trades of with Demetrio. Man this sounds incredible. "Cruzeiro Do Sul" opens with wind chime-like sounds as the vocal melodies create a rhythm.This is both interesting and really good. Violin and other sounds join in until the sound becomes thick and dense as it all blends into one. So good ! The wind chime-like sounds are back to end it. "Gamela" has this electronic beat as other sounds join in. It settles with a beat before 2 minutes.Violin and bass join in too. It picks up and gets fuller 4 1/2 minutes in with vocals. Great sound here as the female vocal melodies and sax help out.

This is music for someone who's looking for something a little different. It's challenging and adventerous yet romantic and passionate. I call it RPI. Now I can't wait to get the sister album to this one.

A one-off of world folk music from a group of Milan-area musicians--a project that might have produced more were it not for the untimely and tragic death of Demetrio Stratos later the same year. Line-up / Musicians: - Pasquale Minieri (CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO, MAURO PAGANI) / acoustic & electric basses, vocals, co-producer - Giorgio Vivaldi (CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO, MAURO PAGANI) / percussion, flute, co-producer With: - Demetrio Stratos (AREA) / vocals - Clara Murtas / vocals - Nunzia Tambara / vocals - Piero Brega (CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO) / vocals - Danilo Rea (FABRIZIO DE ANDRÉ, PERIGEO) / piano - Luciano Francisci (ANGELO BRANDUARDI) / accordion - Tommaso Vittorini / saxophone - Maurizio Giammarco (BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO, PERIGEO, GOBLIN) / saxophone - Pablo Romero / panpipes - Carlo Siliotto (CANZONIERE DEL LAZIO) / violin - Mauro Pagani (PFM) / violin, mandolin - Marcello Vento (ALBERO MOTORE) / drums

1. "Canzone Numero Uno (c'è Chi Batte I Denti, Chi Prende Il Ritmo E Ci Balla Sopra)" (5:57) gently picked acoustic guitar opens this giving the song a MAXOPHONE-like sound. Voice and wandering/solo fretless bass enter, doing little to detract from that initial impression. As the song moves along more and more layers are heaped on with multiple voices, winds, percussion instruments, accordion, and violins all claiming territory in the mix. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)

2. "Fiocchi Di Neve E Bruscolini" (3:03) fun with Demetrio Stratos. (8.75/10)

3. "Almeisan" (9:39) as if a bucolic Eric Satie piano piece were embellished with all kinds of Italian nuances. Interesting, relaxing, and nice. (17.5/20)

4. "Kaitain (22 Ottobre 1962)" (6:56) a polyrhythmic weave of several rudimentary African instruments with panpipe, Demetrio Stratos' odd vocalizations, and jazzy saxophone. Interesting if not winning/relaxing. Has a bit of Weather Report feel to it. (12.75/15)

5. "Cruzeiro Do Sul" (5:41) shaker bells are joined by multiple female vocals each doing their own vocalise rendered onto one panning track. Centralized piano and, later, slow-panning violins and bass join in to fill the soundscape in way that is reminiscent of an orchestra doing their warmups and tunings. I don't know who's playing the sustained synthesizer chords beneath the nasally / muted rudimentary saxophone in the final 90 seconds, but I love it! (8.75/10)

6. "Gamela" (6:59) as indicated by the title, an experimental foray into the band members' perception of the Gamelan phenomenon. The bouncy, percussive bass play gives it a more African or Caribbean feel (again conjuring up reminisces of the adventurous music of Weather Report). The violin, mandolin, and fuzzy electric guitar work (and/or is it a nose flute?) in the fourth minute is very cool. Female and male scat and call-and-response style vocals enter in the fifth minute making it feel much more like Juju music. (13.25/15)

Total time 38:15

An interesting if not always engaging or completely enjoyable collection of musical experiments, I think this album only showed the potential the collective was only beginning to tap--that future expeditions would have shown much more complete musical compositions.

An interesting listen/addition for any prog lover's music education but hardly anything that I would call essential--or even highly recommended.