STORIA O LEGGENDA

During the year of 1977, Le ORME offers another work to us, now titled Storia or Leggenda, maintaining the alignment, passed and in this order: Antonio PAGLIUCA (Hammond organ, polymoog, minimoog, pianoforte, armonium, fisarmonica), Aldo TAGLIAPIETRA (Bass Fender, voice, arpa Indiana), Michi Dei ROSSI (Pearl drums, marimba, glockenspiel, some percussion, acoustic and electric guitars) and Germano SERAFÍN (acoustic and electric guitars). In this album I believe that a stage of Le ORME begins very quiet, in the sense that it is an album with much more acoustic sound and that was perfected and culminated both in subsequent discs (Florian and Picolla), and it is a stage that probably does not interest much to fans of classic Le ORME and other that thinks that the Leormenian sound goes in frank decay, nevertheless, I believe that to being right, this disc is one of the best ones of Progressive the Italian of end of 70's, aside from LOCANDA DELLA FATE and some other that escapes to me of the memory, it could dare to me to say that it is of the best Progressive albums of that year, mainly, if we see that the general tendency of those years for this style, went being displaced by other types of rock, as the Punk or disco music , Le ORME in spite of to have modified its classic style, dares to progress and it offers a disc, meditative to us, autumnal, melancholic, but also rhythmical, and with a sound that never had touched in their previous works, more refined in some points, others mixing rates of other musical horizons like reggae, but doubtlessly they begin to explore that it classist vein, a sound, more become attached to the forms of cultured music, and that will be a constant through the album, noticing the preeminence of a earthly sound but, unlike its classic works as Uomo Di Pezza or Felona e Sorona; in fact either us they had given proven of which venue in previous album Verita Nacoste, that or was also reviewed, but here clears hard rock elements, to give opportunity to sound the more smooth and production of disc improves enough, it appreciates far better instruments and melodies and as the drum of Michi as always listened to since it must have been in the previous disc, the voice of Aldo TAGLIAPIETRA, like always magician and reaching wonderful notes, and also is welcome the sound of the keyboards of Tony PAGLIUCA, that is listened to again the front here, since in the previous one disc, was listened very low in the mix, in this album we enjoyed he creativity again.

Great part of this disc was recorded in Paris, France and note a little the Parisian influence, in some songs that already were reviewed heightened east point, and also is important that this album was a step forced for Le ORME, in order to explore that study in the acoustic instruments, that will give life to Florian.

In general the album is a calm progressive rock, without individual spectacular ties, very fine, with influence very marked, or executed, I feel that the more well-taken care of that the previous album, very harmonic, songs very done (e.g "Storia or leggenda", "Il quadró"), something with a more hard sound (e.g "Al mercato delle pulci") that turns out to be the piece more approximated to previous Le ORME, but from this new optics, more pastoral subjects, a sound more intimate, but without leaving the progressive influence and the conjunction of new musical horizons, for this great Italian band, also could be summarized like magical or dreaming, with songs even shorter than in Verita Nacoste, but doubtlessly more elaborated than in that album, the SERAFÍN guitar surprises to me so that it shows a quality that until then considered normal within a progressive grouping, delicious passages of acoustic guitar in most of the songs (e.g. "Il musicistá", "Storia or leggendá"), and a greater integration on the part of Germano towards the rest of the group, thing that was not appraised in Verita Nacoste.

Some songs as "Il Lavoró" or " il Quadró" without a doubt is of the best thing in this superior work and in all the fact in Verita Nacoste, nevertheless, I believe that the main cause that, at its moment it has not been considered a great disc is by the time in which it left, most of I publish looked for a simpler and commercial sound and the ascent of Punk and heavier rock groups, I do not help the exact understanding, of the disc, but I consider that it is a great acquisition for any person whom it loves to venture itself in the history of this group.

A note but before entering the songs, the cover is one of the best ones than they have been published in a disc of Progressive rock, very similar to the one of Felona and Sorona, inspired by a work of Walter MAC MAZZIERI and seemed a battle between the good and, the bad in the style of William BLAKE.

The album opens with "Tenerci to per Mano", a beginning with a little rate reggae, but contrasting with the mysterious/magical voice of TAGLIAPIETRA, the bass maintaining to the song and the guitar of SERAFÍN clarifying melody main with some really pleasant acoustic arpeggios and the keyboard of PAGLIUCA taking the weight of melodies, is not most progressive than they have made, but definitively not so pop. Since some have maintained.

The album continues with "Storia or Leggendá", one of the best songs of the disc, and so that no? Of discography of Le ORME, it contains the perfect fusion of old/the new style that is proposing, a guitar on the part of SERAFÍN, simply exquisite with a melancholic and nostalgic atmosphere, the TAGLIAPIETRA voice remembers the fact to me John WETTON by the song "Starless" in a KING CRIMSON vein, a very pastoral rate in the beginning, evoking dream places and the choir of the song as much that is done to me of but exquisite which it has been written, the really essential this jewel of Progressive music.

Another one of the excellent songs of this disc, is "Il musicistá" a good rate with fresh tonalities of keyboard on the part of Tony PAGLIUCA and the SERAFÍN guitar that remembers to me in you pass to the fact through Jimmy PAGE in LED ZEPPELÍN circa Presence and more exactly in the song "Over the Hills and far Away'" , without the distortion of course, the voice of TAGLIAPIETRA, here reliable without nothing special that to remarkable, good rate and of the songs more moved of the disc.

The continue with "Come a Giostrá", which is a song that reflects what it was happening in the group, to a change of direction, gives the impression me that they were in musical crossroads, and the new musical fashions threatening already in the horizon. Very remarkable front to others of this same album is not a song, with much poppier influence, mainly in the keyboard of PAGLIUCA, in addition the truth can be said that it seems outtake of Verita Nacoste, is quite mediocre, I consider that it would be like of filling.

Another one of the songs affluent done and basic of the album in comment, I consider that "Io Lavoró" is a very good work of PAGLIUCA in the department of the Keyboards, with resemblances of furious and vanguards experimentation of that Le ORME at the end of the song, but adapted to the time, and the shining voice of TAGLIAPIETRA sounding since it does, without a doubt a seal in Le ORME, the song has a very sticky rate, but it does not fall in poppier provocations, with very characteristic a vocal line and a very good letter. Without a doubt good work of Le ORME and the remarkable one in this work. Very emotional and evocative.

We followed with "a Angeló", a composition that once again, the musical crossroads in which was the group, very meditative and in parts reflect, until repetitive, from which they came doing through the disc, parts that better have been made for example in the song Storia or Leggenda. This nevertheless gives the impression to be in a house of which this on the verge of leaving, or of a change, leaving those times like simple memories, clear that the letter speaks of another thing, is not very good the song in general and except for the voice of TAGLIAPIETRA that the saves one of a truly shipwreck, nothing memorable. Here the Parisian influence is listened to of which it speaks lines before.

We continued with "Il Quadró", work that returns to that crossroads that talked before, the song does not have anything memorable, and for my tastes, very flat in general, but even so he is enjoyable, very pastoral, (the disc is indeed very pastoral), and nostalgic, another song that recreate the Parisian atmosphere, I do not let confess that the letter is very good (about the circles in the life high/low), and in the part that sings the Bonjour Mounsieur... a good work of PAGLIUCA in the keyboards, good effect is appraised wah wah of the SERAFÍN guitar, nevertheless I believe that it is of the low points of all the disc.

Without a doubt next to classic Le ORME, is "Al Mercato delle Pulcí" the appearance of SERAFÍN with an aggressive guitar in the rate, PAGLIUCA demonstrating so that he is one of the great ones in the department of the keys and MICHI doing so that he is one of the best drummers of the Progressive rock in general, and Aldo, that brilliant Aldo, with electrical his under who dominates by the majority of the many songs and melodies of Le ORME, this is a musical piece of high flights (I notice some influences of jazz fusion, but very little evident), and demonstrating that Le ORME even can touch in its classic period if they wanted, but in this occasion, due to already installed classicist influence, is listened to more refined, (and with it I more do not try to discredit to classic Le ORME sound also are very fine, I even create, but of different form I speak of the refinement in this musical piece) and less vanguards, the only thing that I did not like of this record is that it lasted so just a short time, this melodies tapeworm for much more, but excellent closing of disc and the best compositions of the group in general.

Finally another disc of this time of Le ORME that many consider very loose, I do not create that, my opinion is that it is a good disc (better than what that year with Love Beach ELP did and that demonstrated that the addition of Germano SERAFÍN in the guitar, it was not a bad decision after all. What if moan really, is that this work lasts so little.