FLORIAN

1979: the punk rush had convinced almost everyone that progressive rock sucked, New Wave was already in (let's admit it: with also very good results - would you say that Joy Division, Gary Numan or the Bauhaus were bad?) and Disco Music had already become everybody's nightmare. What could a band like Le Orme do? They simply dropped their electric/electronical instruments and embarked in this acoustic adventure, turning into a small classical combo, but still admitting they were a "pop" band. The results were surely naive (you cannot count how many times the violin gets out of tune), but charming and full of grace and intelligence. "Florian" (the intrumental first track) leads you through the "calli" and small bridges of Venice, with that melancholic and yet light hue that can be regarded as Le Orme's trade mark. Strong classical influences (Vivaldi, for instance) enrich also the following track, "Giaffa", with very interesting lirycs about Israel. The ethnic side of the band is well displayed in "Il Mago" (with an amazing introduction) and the final instrumental "El Gran Senser" (featuring a prepared piano and oriental percussions). "Pietro il pescatore" is mysterious and well balanced, but my favourite tunes are "Calypso" and "Fine di un viaggio". The first one is not a Caribbean dance, but a moving, very intense ballad about an immigrant who wants to go back to his homeland (compared to Ulysses's exile in the island of the nymph Calypso). Charming tunes and minimalism convey very strong feelings which can almost lead you to silent tears. Finally, "Fine di un viaggio" is the story of a drug addicted who turns to his pusher (the "tambourine man") to tell him he will stop. The music is very well arranged, with a beautiful "coda" in the form of a march. A really beautiful album and another masterpiece by Le Orme.