COLLEZIONE

Interesting compilation of Dik Dik without songs from "Suite per una donna..." but not for this fact "Collezione" is not a good compilation.

Dik Dik start in 60's as Beat band and in this decade Dik Dik was between the best band for Italin Beat. With the help of Lucio Battisti Dik Dik managed to get a record deal, the same convincing Lucio to recording his own songs. The story of Dik Dik is a good example of a band that was a Beat band but that in 70's has evolved into POP and Prog band. In this fact "Suite per una donna..." is a good Prog example as "Volando". In 1973 Nunzio "Cucciolo" Favia (drums) and Carlo "Hunka Munka" Siliotto joined Dik Dik but the music becomes a good POP Rock, with the help of a great young Italian composer (Zara, Minellono). The music is similat to Italian Romantic POP but in this case with more Rock approach, because more close to Procol Harum, 10cc or ELO. The end of Dik Dik was wrote in 1983 but Dik Dik are still active in Italian revival circuit.

This compilation present good songs, less Prog (except "Cavalli Alati" and "Senza Luce", Italian version of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum).Although this is a compilation, some songs are described. "L'Isola di Wight" is the Italian version of "Wight Is Wight" by Michel Delpech and it is a tribute about "Isle of Wight" festival. This song is an interesting POP song with great atmosphere. "Il primo giorno di primavera" is another POP song with great atmospheres, interesting for vocal parts. "Senza Luce" is the Italian version of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". it was interesting to know how to play the effect of "Leslie", not imported in Italy in those years: just shake a sheet in front of the speaker and the effect was obtained. The song is at the same level of Procol Harum's original version. "Il vento" is a great Mogol/ Battisti's penned song. Great Rock song with great hard atmospheres and POP treatment. "Se io fossi un falegname" is the Italian version of "If I were a Carpenter" by Tim Hardin. "Sognando La California" is the Italian version of "California Dreaming" of Mamas and Papas. Both these songs are good POP songs, with good vocal lines. "Un giorno cent'anni" is a good symphonic slow POP song, a good power ballad. "Cavalli Alati" is the last song that I describe. "Cavalli Alati" is all that we should expect in a POP Prog song. In fact "Cavalli Alati" is an incredible symphonic Prog song with various signature changes, majesty, feeling and magic with string orchestra that helped the majesty of music in the parts more Rock. Also in this song the vocal parts are good.

In definitive "Collezione" is a good compilation for who not have nothing of Dik Dik, a good start with Dik Dik, also without songs from "Suite per una donna...". The songs are all good and worth a good read. In short, this compilation does not disappoint you.

In Italy we have the terrible propensity to consider certain bands in a certain genre just because they have been more successful in that genre. Therefore I Dik Dik ends up being considered only one of the best (and most successful) Italian Beat bands, referring to their production of the 60's. The problem is that one of their symbolic songs is the cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum which re-titled (with Italian lyrics) "Senza Luce", published in 1967. Subsequently I Dik Dik have recorded several songs in the same style (for example "Il primo giorno di primavera" of 1969) that cannot fail to go unnoticed by a lover of Progressive Rock, even if on the more POP and melodic side. After 1972's "Suite per una donna assolutamente relativa", a poorly successful Progressive concept album, the band tried to return to early music and some line-up changes (Roberto "Humka Munka" Carlotto and Nunzio "Cucciolo" Favia joined in 1974) their music definitely changed. towards Progressive and the recovery of foreign songs (translating them into Italian) but creating a bit of chaos in the choices and style, so much so that they were not understood (in fact they were only successful with singles). However I believe that "Amico" (Progressive POP) and "Cavalli alati" (Symphonic Progressive), both included in this compilation, are to be considered masterpieces of the Italian Progressive.

"Collezione" is a really interesting compilation to understand what Progressive is for I Dik Dik. For them it was playing a Procol Harum or The Moody Blues POP Progressive style. In this sense they succeeded quite well. And they were among the bands that paved the way for the Italian Progressive. Too bad they did not reap what they sowed (even for wrong choices). However for me they remain a very important and very fundamental band in the Italian scene. Although they will always be considered a Beat band.