ANTO/LOGICAMENTE

The earliest compilation from Italy's weirdest band collects a random half-dozen tracks off their first (and best) four albums, released between 1973 and 1976. According to the CD booklet (which I haven't seen: my copy is a library download) the selections were meant to follow the odder angles in an already obtuse musical geometry, in retrospect an easy task with this group of virtuoso misfits.

One thing is certain: the music isn't Rock Progressivo Italiano, despite the heading on their page in these Archives. This is pure, unadulterated Avant-Prog of a sort to strike a familiar chord in any Zappaholic, midway between the funny bone and the solar plexus: an incredibly busy and often bizarre mix of jazz/rock/what-the-fck fusion, featuring a lead vocalist whose demented mock-operatic warbling was a unique instrument all by itself.

Area at its creative peak was a challenging band, to say the least, and lots of fun when heard the right way: with both ears bent into pretzel-shaped knots. But the constraints of vinyl didn't allow room for anything more than a limited, lopsided view of their skills, in this case making the music sound even more obscure than it actually is. And with the exception of the 1974 B-side "Citazione da George L. Jackson" - a short atonal improvisation played over spoken text - there isn't any unfamiliar music here.

Consider it instead a sonic litmus test for adventurous newcomers: if you can safely navigate this quick, 40-minute sampler by all means tackle the full albums. There are only four of them from this time-frame, each one fairly short and all essential.

So: three stars, for beginners only. Otherwise the collection is aimed at completists who can't live without hearing the one (somewhat disposable) non-LP track.

Review Nº 208

'Anto/Logicamente' is the debut compilation of Area and was released in 1977. The selection of tracks is more focused on tracks that were more hidden and less known than by their best and most known tracks. However, the band took care of represent on it, chronologically, at least one track of their entire four studio albums released by them, until that moment. Curiously, the name of the compilation is a play of words based on 'antologia' (compilation), 'anto' (not) and 'logicamente' (with sense). So, by their own words, 'Anto/Logicamente' is a compilation made without a great sense.

As it's a compilation that spans their entire musical period from the beginning to that date, and because the group had some changes into their line up, the line up of it is more extensive as what was usual. So, the line up of this compilation is Demetrio Stratos (vocals, organ, harpsichord, steel drums and percussion), Giampaolo Tofani (guitar, synthesizer and flute), Patrizio Fariselli (piano, electric piano, clarinet and synthesizer), Areas Tavolazzi (bass and trombone), Patrick Djivas (bass and double bass), Eddie Dusnello (saxophone) and Giulio Capiozzo (drums and percussion).

'Anto/Logicamente' has seven tracks. The first track 'L'Abbattimento Dello Zeppelin' was released on 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's the most avant-garde track on that album. It's a song with many experimental noises made by different instruments, including the voice of Demetrio Stratos. This is a very bizarre track with many changes all over the song. It's an insane song with vocal echoes, some musical explosions, strange instrumental sounds, which abruptly ends without warning. The second track 'Arbeit Macht Frei' was released on 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It has strong political lyrics. Its title was taken from the well known Nazi motif on the entrance of the infamous death camp of Auschwitz, in Poland. It's a song close to the avant-garde jazz, very innovative, and that typify the band to a new and unconventional approach. The third track 'Zyg (Crescita Zero)' was released on 'Caution Radiation Area'. It begins with experimental music, which is the main characteristic of the rest of that album. After begins with some distorted industrial noises and some electronic experimentation, it shows a more rocking and psychedelic side of Area. Still, this is basically a free jazz/fusion track with magnificent moments and fantastic individual performances, which gives to that album a wonderful musical moment. The fourth track 'Citazione Da George L. Jackson' was never released on any studio album of Area. It was originally released as the B-side of their single 'L'Internazionale'. It's a short track with some improvisations played over a spoken text cited by Stratos. This is a very strange and weird track. The fifth track 'Nervi Scoperti' was released on 'Crac!'. It's an instrumental track with nice guitar and keyboard solos. It's a vibrant and tense piece where the drumming work is the star here. It begins with Fariselli assuming the leading role with his truly amazing piano work, preparing the ground to Tofani complement perfectly well Capiozzo work. The sixth track 'Area 5' was released on 'Crac!'. It's a very weird experimental track full of improvisations and with some solos and noises. It's the smallest track on that album, a truly contemporary classical piece. This is a very bizarre track that concludes originally that album. The seventh track 'Gerontocrazia' was released on 'Maledetti'. It starts with a cradle song in ancient Greek and during the song we can hear play txalaparta, a Basque musical percussion instrument, that I never heard before on the previous studio albums of Area. It demonstrates, once more, the interest of the group in the ethnic music. During the song, and besides several musical influences, I think we can clearly listen strongly the influence of Gentle Giant's music. I think this is the music of the band, until that moment on their career where that is more evident.

Conclusion: I'm thinking that 'Anto/Logicamente' was made, intentionally, with a selection of some of their most hidden and less known tracks and not of their most known. Relativelly to 'Arbeit Macht Frei', if in relation to the title track I've nothing to say with its choice because it's one of the best tracks on that album, in relation to 'L'Abbattimento Dello Zeppelin', it isn't, for sure, the best choice because it's the most avant-garde, experimental, weird and bizarre track of that album. All the other tracks of that album would be better, especially 'Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)', which is one of the best tracks ever made by them. Relatively to 'Caution Radiation Area', the choice of 'Zyg (Crescita Zero)' isn't a bad option but 'Cometa Rossa' would be a much better option because is a typical song of Area. Musically, it's a song very close to 'Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)' and both songs show perfectly well their unmistakable type of music and the unique vocal style of Demetrio Stratos. Relatively to 'Crac!', if 'Nervi Scoperti' isn't a bad option, 'Area 5' is, for me, the worst choice possible. Sincerely, I never liked very much of 'Area 5' because is a very weird and experimental track. 'L'Elefante Bianco', 'La Mela Di Odessa', 'Megalopoli' and 'Gioia I Rivoluzione' would be better options. Relatively to 'Maledetti' I have nothing to say with the choice of 'Gerontocrazia' because it's with 'Diforisma Urbano' one of the two best tracks on that album. So, this isn't a compilation that best shows the great music of Area.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

This collection from one of the most daring bands to ever come out from Italy is deceptive, but many missed the joke printed right on the cover: Anto/Logicamente. Since this is a 'greatest hits' type release, many not familiar with Italian would quickly read the title as some variant on 'Anthology'. In reality, it translates roughly to 'the opposite of logical'. Which is exactly what this collection is, a gathering of their most out there, avant-garde and non commercial music they ever produced. And if you are a fan of this band already, you know that is definitely a statement. In any event, their choices for their 'Greatest Hits' would ensure that the unsuspecting would run far far away. Logical? No?

Area's label, Cramps decided to put out a collection 1977 and asked the band for input. Whether their label was in on the joke or not (they were pretty hip for a label and avant aficionado owner Gianni Sassi was integral to the Area camp), Area picked 6 of their tunes that were not really representative of their work, some of the most off putting to fragile ears music they could gather. Even for fans of the band, this was definitely a collection for 'difficult listening hour'. The inclusion of a non lp track does make this something to hunt down for completionists.

Most definitely not the place to start for someone trying their first Area experience-Arbeit Macht Frei, Areazione, or Crac would be better choices-but a fun record for hard core fans, and something to whip out to freak out your friends.

Reference points for this particular record? Hard to pin down, but electric avant-jazz mixed with pure chaos and demented opera tremolos comes close. Still relatively easy to find original vinyl first pressings out there.

Three stars