BUON VECCHIO CHARLIE

Mitico! Fabulous! What a precious gem we have here. however in a totally reverse sentiment, I think that it's in the edge of a nightmare to realize that BVC backed a pop singer (may God keep his name forgotten!) in what seems to be the fate of some admirable Italian progressive bands. Anyway, the winds from their poppish extra job did not affect this excellent album that goes by the band's name: "Buon Vecchio Charlie".

Apart from the enjoyable and fruitful instrumentation, a note must be done in relation to the vocals: they do not annoy! Otherwise the recording quality isn't au pair with the band's amazing effort. BVC attained a neat result blending tastefully symphonic & hard rock with jazz & romantic strong elements and traces of pop & folk, making them sound sometimes like early Le Orme or contemporary PFM; also noticeable are the external influences that include bands like Ekseption, Floyd, KC and Tull.

'Venite giù al fiume' opens grandiose, with the excerpts from Grieg's "In the hall of the Mountain King", a preparation for a jam of cheerful and agreeable tunes that dominate the entire track until near the end when Grieg comes back to close the book.

'Evivva la contea di lane' displays a half minute intro so beautiful that bristle even the feet's hairs and to add even more loveliness to the atmosphere, those gracious tunes are repeated along the track, only to keep hearts lifted.

'All'uomo che racccoglie i cartoni', an epic divided into 5 parts, is hard to describe since it's like a supermarket barrow where one may find everything; the constant changes and sudden variations may confuse the listener but once you reach the point, the act of hearing becomes a pleasant adventure.

'Rosa', the first bonus track, is the weakest point here but the second bonus track, 'Il guardiano della valle' is a gorgeous folk-rock song provided with nice and catchy melodies able to amuse the entire family.

Finding this release, do not hesitate and pick it up, since it's an excellent addition to any prog music collection. really!