PICCOLA RAPSODIA DELL'APE

Not since the twin punch of "Uoma di Pezza" and "Felona e Serona" in the early 1970s had these Italian giants exercised the same muscles for 2 successive albums, but apparently, after "Florian", they felt they still had another all acoustic album in them.

Now, "Piccolo Rapsodia Dell'Ape" is not by any means a clone of its predecessor even if the same instruments appear to have hidden out in the studio between sessions. It seems more rooted in the Italian tradition, though again spotlights a complex and brilliant chamber piece in the form of the title track. The first two songs, though, are more pop oriented, with "Raccogli Le Nuvole" being somewhat better thanks to the very chorus that seems overdone on the first few listens. I prefer the romantic "La Mia Sposa Bianca", which could have been on the wonderful "Storia o Leggenda" with a few amplifiers attached, and the equally soothing closing numbers, though nothing quite approaches the best on "Florian". Still, when you've got Aldo Tagliapietra in your corner, you have an unfair advantage, whatever the style or era.

Long before "unplugged" became a battle cry for all manner of mainstream artists, LE ORME showed how fresh original compositions could be the subject of not one but two acoustic recordings that, while not scaling their 1973 peak, are every bit as timeless.