SIRIO 2222

Listening to Sirio 2222, released in 1970, it's hard to believe that this is the same band responsible just two years later for the classic Ys album. Ys is an album of adventurous symphonic prog; not an easy ride by any means but those who've stuck with it have in many cases discovered an album that has become a firm favourite in the RPI genre. Unfortunately the same can't be said of Sirio 2222.

Firstly back in 1970 Il Balletto Di Bronzo lacked a keyboard player, an integral part to Ys and secondly the music lacks the complexity and finesse of that fine opus. The sound on Sirio 2222 clearly still has one foot in the sixties, sounding somewhat dated now; it's an album of pedestrian blues rock with psychedelic touches. There's also the sound of the beat groups, so popular in the sixties. A bit of colour is added now and then such as the use of a string section and harpsichord as on Meditazione but mostly it's a bit on the dull side.

There's a couple of attempts to stretch out like on the psychedelic blues of Incantesimo with a longish jam section and even more so on the nine minute Missione Sirio 2222. Here after a guitar, including an acoustic, and vocal intro the track moves into a repetitive psychedelic part before finally taking off but the results are uninspiring and lack interest.

Anyone looking for some classic RPI here will certainly be disappointed and therefore Sirio 2222 is only recommended to completionists, unless you happen to have a liking for the kind of late sixties sounds described above, or have an interest to hear the early development of this important band.