IL TEMPO DELLA SEMINA

What would have been Biglietto per L'Inferno's second album is anchored by two exceptionally strong pieces at the beginning and end, and what I would consider filler in the middle. Finally seeing release in 1992, Il Tempo Della Semina was recorded in 1974 and a causality of the Trident label's collapse; luckily a cassette copy survived and is the basis for this reissue. In some ways this album sounds better than the debut which is amazing considering the source material, although it can sound flat and lifeless at times. Biglietto still had some good ideas here resulting in twenty minutes of captivating material, and fifteen minutes of drudgery. I would rate Il Tempo Della Semina good, but non-essential for the casual prog fan. RPI collectors will want to seek it out for historical significance alone, as it has steadily been in print and is easy to come by.

The original 1992 Mellow CD is the only version I've heard, and will refer to that release; later issues apparently have a differing track sequence which may or may not alter the listening experience. The album begins with the explosive title track, which was also captured on the Live 1974 album with a slightly different arrangement. "Il Tempo Della Semina" picks up right where the first album left off, featuring plenty of articulate drumming, mounds of keyboard, heavy guitar, and of course the enigmatic voice of Claudio Canali. The singer sounds uncomfortably determined and cinematic, reminding me very much of Christian Decamps from Ange. Canali's mysterious vocals hide for much of the song, as the band takes front and center through various twists and turns. The sextuplet organ figure at the five minute mark is impossibly great and propels the group into overdrive, pausing only briefly to set up dynamic contrast. This trademark light-and-dark is what makes the debut so enjoyable, and that feeling continues throughout "Il Tempo Della Semina."

"Mente Sola - Mente" is a throwaway vaudeville piece that totally halts the album's momentum. "Vivi Lotta Pensa" recaptures quite a bit of that energy and the short song doesn't outstay its welcome. "L'arte Sublime di un Giusto Regnare" threatens to do just that, but luckily fades out before becoming overly laborious. "Solo Ma Vivo" is the best of these three shorter tracks, and gives the best indication of the direction in which Biglietto was heading - a more succinct, almost commercial one. At last the long "La Canzone Del Padre" completes the set, and strikes a balance between the band's earlier, heavier material and more lighthearted work. The song sounds like a cross between Banco and Jumbo to me, though it never really approaches either in terms of creativity or emotional value. The last minute of the song however is utterly brilliant and the payoff makes Il Tempo Della Semina more than worth the purchase price. Italian Prog fans will have a difficult decision to make in buying the album, because it's not a matter of "if," but a matter of "when."