PRANZO OLTRANZISTA

"Adult themes for voice", the first Patton solo release was quite a display of his amazing vocal imagination and his taste for experimental sounds, but it was, in my opinion, one of the least accessible albums of all time. Many pointed the lack of conventional instruments as the cause of its minimal accessibility.

Well, this time around, with Pranzo Oltranzista, Patton wrote more "conventional" songs, including instruments such as cello, guitar, percussion and alto saxophone (performed by John Zorn, no less). This "banquet piece for five players" is actually a composition for "La Cucina Futurista", a futurist cookbook; each song corresponds to a recipe. Even with the inclusion of instruments, this album is far from easily accessible, and is filled with ambient sounds (apparently of someone cutting vegetables, eating, followed by the washing and shattering of his plate). The players often burst in spontaneous, frenetic playing of their respective instrument, resulting in cacophonic sounds, while Patton makes noises similar from those found in "Adult themes", but some entirely original, such as himself crunching some carrots! The result is an album that incorporates free jazz, psychedelic, atmospheric and noise in a fresh and inventive way.

This album is certainly progressive, as the music contained in this album progress in ways it hadn't really done before. While the idea of bursting into frenetic jams isn't new, the combination here is quite original. I personally enjoy it very much, and I'm a bit sad that Patton didn't try to follow on the ideas of this album. Even though, I wouldn't go as far as saying that this is an "excellent addition to any prog music collection". This is why I rate this album three stars, "good, but non-essential". It is the best Patton solo album and, by far, the most accessible. Definitely worth a listen if you get the chance, however, approach this one with an open mind.