DEDICATO A GIOVANNA G.

With a name like Hunka Munka, a 1972 release date, and a toilet bowl on the cover, you'd probably expect some drugged out psych-beat stuff here. But it's actually a very nicely done combination of over-the-top melodic and operatic art songs with rock and pop. Sort of like orchestral proto-prog. The thing that probably bugs some people is the sappy and orchestral melodicism, and the crooning vocals, but that's really part of the whole Italian pop tradition. There's not a lot of complexity here, but it's a really nice album overall, with some truly outstanding melodies, though again they can get so saccharine that that might be a bad thing for you. I was really surprised how much I liked this one given the reviews and ratings it gets.

After listening to this one again for the first time in a few months, I had to up my rating from 3.5 to 4. This is really one of the better Italian albums I've heard recently. It's a shame it doesn't seem to get the praise I think it deserves.