1978 - GLI DEI SE NE VANNO, GLI ARRABBIATI RESTANO!

The more avant and RIO Area get, the less I personally enjoy their music. It seems to me the band is more a caricature of their former selves, playing to their reputation of intentionally throwing convention upside-down, and at this point to the obvious--at least in my opinion--detriment of their music.

Perhaps it's the extended spoken-word stylings of Stratos in Acrostico, or perhaps it's the pseudo-doo-wop section of Vodka Cola. They are clearly mixing in numerous influences, from disco lines to even a little country, but it seems to me more like in a farcical or inside-joke sense than good music. These two songs are also why this album frustrates me so, because there is some genuinely good fusion happening...but you have to endure the rest, which for me is more often than not more than I'm willing to do.

Although Area are listed as Italian prog, I tend to like their earlier stuff, which is more fusion. The balance has now been shifted to more RIO, and perhaps fans of that genre will enjoy 1978.