BRANDUARDI '81

At the time of its release I was no longer interested in Angelo's music and this is one of the albums that I have missed in the 80s. Wanting to review all of his albums I had to wait until I have found a copy in a supermarket at a "nice price", just 5?.

Well, it's doesn't look so different from his previous stuff. Currently I don't remember, but it's possible that I was actually bored by the too similar songs over the years. "L'Amico" (The Friend) is effectively an easy song with forgettable lyrics, but "Girotondo"(ring- around-the-rosey) is very interesting instead. Listening to this album now, so outside of the context of its release, it's not so bad. Girotondo is a folky tune that contains the medieval flavor that's a distinctive tract of Angelo's music.

"La Cagna"(The bitch) starts with a pan flute that reminds more to the ancient Greece than to the Andes. It's just an intro disconnected from the rest of the song. When the pan flute stops it's replaced by classical guitar and voice. Good melody and total absence of rhythm. Think to old Clannad.

"I tre mercanti"(The Three merchants) features a sitar-like sound that's probably coming from an arp odissey synth. The mood of this song is similar to "Notturno", but much more melodic.

"Barche di Carta" (Paper boats) is halfway calypso and slow samba. It reminds me to Vinicious de Moraes. Very nice but very far from being prog.

"Musica" (Music) sounds South-African in the bass arrangement, but it's a typical Branduardi's song. It's like the base of "La Serie Dei Numeri" has been recycled to compose this song.

"La Collina Del Sonno" (Sleep Hill) is very different. Opened by bells and a repetitive keyboard sequence is unusual for this artist. A very dreamy song, something that I would put in a "best of".

"Il Disgelo" (The Thaw) is a guitar based song. Finger picking and contrabass for a typical Branduardi.

"Vola"(Fly!) may be a British traditional. Likely it's not, but it sounds as if it was. The violin/strings arrangement adds a touch of arabesque. Good track.

Not an essential album, but good enough to make me regret a bit of having missed this period of Angelo's career.