STORIA O LEGGENDA

Graced with a cover that promises greatness along the lines of 'Uomo Di Pezza' (similar artwork), 'Storia O Leggenda' is, alas, a rather linear version of the more epic and dynamic Le Orme we'd come to know in their prime. Still, the keyboard sounds sparkle with a great beauty that makes the album a pleasure to listen to. It's just too bad the compositions aren't as inspiring as some of the band's earlier classics.

By the year of this release, 1977, recording technology had improved almost exponentially from the early '70s. The beautiful, well-rounded sound picture on this album comprises one of two highlight characteristics of 'Storia O Leggenda'. The keyboards, as mentioned, are gorgeous: crisp, lush, dense, up-front.purely alive with vibrancy. Add the clear punch of the bass and A. Tagliapietra's enchanting voice, and there's plenty of ear-candy happening, even if most of the songs lack memorability. Nothing asserts the kind of character you want to hear on a Le Orme album, though I have to mention the sedate strains of "Un Angelo" as standing out from most of the other tracks. That's not to say it's the best...it's not. It just asserts itself more than some of the others. There's a polite and quiet flow to these songs, not traits associated with Le Orme's best material. Everything is enjoyable enough, nothing bizarre, nothing too challenging, but certainly played by a band that possesses rare chemistry and a unique insight. At the very end you get the album's second impressive characteristic: kinetic instrumental "Al Mercato Delle Pulci". After seven songs of fairly even-keeled arrangements and patient performances, this song spikes out like an unexpected explosion. It bounces between Eastern melodic figures (shades of King Crimson's 'Discipline' album here) and barely-controlled fusion-esque freakouts. Oh yeah, Le Orme could still spazz out, they just chose to play those cards less frequently. It certainly is a joyous moment of genius prog on an otherwise average album.average for Le Orme still being leagues above many other prog acts by comparison.