MARIO BARBAJA

Mario Barbaja has released five solid albums over the years, and all of them are pretty different vibes from each other. His debut album is no exception. Released in 1971, a year prior to his breakout sophomore album Megh, Argento does not sound like the growing RPI movement had influenced young Mario quite yet. There are hints, for sure, but this album sounds much more like other soft singer-songwriters of the day: Nick Drake, early Cat Stevens, Donovan, and Vashti Bunyan. This album is mellow and quiet and completely acoustic-guitar driven. It sometimes sounds like Mario is whispering and playing softly to friends in one room of the house so as not to wake up the parents in another room. Kidding, of course, but I did have that thought at one point.

The folk music dynamic is there as well as a mixture of components that make it sound more Italian than English, but it is still not hugely RPI-sounding beyond the Italian vocals. In addition, we have the romantic flavor of the songwriting, sometimes a more classical feel, sometimes a bit of light psych. There are some female co-vocals at times and a fair amount of expressive flute. Several songs employ sitar and hand drumming for an exotic Eastern component. The overwhelming net effect of Argento is as a piece of music to play late at night when one is looking to relax and chill out. It is truly a lovely work to own and likely very sentimental for Mario and his old friends, but for my taste, I much prefer his saucier later albums. I would not recommend this title unless you are a big fan of the four artists I mention above. If you are an RPI fan looking to check out Mario, go for Megh instead. If you like art rock, check out his New York Bazaar album. All five of his releases to date are solid though. There are no duds in the Barbaja collection.

Made in Hong Kong is the fourth and final Ariston album that Barbaja would make in the '70s. It's pretty much a continuation of the sophisticated art rock style he took up with New York Bazaar, and it moves even further away from the romantic-sounding light-RPI favorite that was his 1972 Megh release. It would be the last we'd hear from him for over 40 years as he moved on to build a career outside of recorded music. While I think this album is not quite as tasty as the previous gem, the fact is that I like both the third and fourth albums better than the first two more acclaimed releases. I feel like that opinion probably runs counter to most prog-rock fans, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I really have no idea if Barbaja was into Roxy Music, but, again, I can't help but feel this album is in the wheelhouse of Siren-era Roxy Music. The slicker production and Hugo Heredia saxophone and mischievous motifs and quirky but instantly memorable hooks---I do fancy the playfulness. "Silhouette" even reminds me of Bryan Ferry's voice.

Other examples in this universe, while not as close as the Roxy comparison, could be Elton John albums of the era, stuff like Blue Moves and A Single Man. Or even Peter Gabriel or Joe Jackson's early stuff. Remember "Is she really going out with him?" Great song. There are many good albums that had to navigate the difficult waters of leaving the comfort of the early '70s before they could quite see over the hill where the '80s were heading. But the best stuff was that which remained calm in its own skin. Be yourself. Don't worry about the trends. I think Barbaja handled that well. And while these are known as difficult years for prog bands, some of whom seemed to freeze like a deer into headlights as change rocked their world, Barbaja doesn't really seem frazzled by it. I don't think he felt any pressure to service the altar of the prog rock genre. But my point is that I believe he actually excels in this style of art rock which is why these last two Ariston albums sound confident rather than tentative or flailing. I think it also helps that he has great supporting players on board. Rather than predictable pop music rhythm sections and safe harbor writing, these two albums have some punch, attitude, and some big time variety.

Most importantly, it sure sounds like he's having fun on this album, on New York Bazaar, and on his recent and renewed Goodmood (Beat Elegy) release. I know I had fun with all three.

What a pleasant surprise it was to edit my Barbaja bio for this! Who would have thought that after 41 years since his last Ariston album, we would have the chance to hear Mario return to music? Barbaja made the last of his four original albums in 1978 before focusing on a career in architecture and premium lighting design. Suddenly, in 2019, he returns to recorded music with an album of all-new material entitled Goodmood (Beat Elegy).

The "new" album finds Mario's voice and playing in great shape, his songwriting focused, a real feeling of relevance to the whole project. Gone are some of the artistic excesses of the 1970s in favor of a more straightforward singer-songwriter approach not unlike some of the latter-day works of artists like Arlo Guthrie, James Taylor, Neil Young, or Cat Stevens. The stripped-down production is so tastefully handled and very effective. Not sure how he did it, but there is a noticeable crispness to the sound of the acoustic guitars, a tactile 'pick to string' edge that makes it feel as if Mario is sitting across the coffee table from you. That along with the warm voice, mellowed somewhat by the years, create a finished product with a unique sound that stands out from other contemporary albums. When electric guitars are added in, they are even more effective in this environment due to the contrast with the acoustic sound. Most of the new songs are probably closest to folk-rock or acoustic bluesy-rock, but all of them are catchy as all hell. Barbaja knows how to craft a great hook and a chorus that will stick in your head long after you've finished listening.

As usual, not being an Italian speaker, I am missing the component of the lyrics which, in this case, I suspect are a big part of the experience with an older Mario musing about the road of life and looking to the future, of giving acknowledgement to some of his musical and cultural heroes. Given my own personal musical tastes, I definitely enjoyed my recent experience with New York Bazaar more than this one, as my review of that album probably made clear. Still, if you enjoyed Barbaja to any degree or if you enjoy the singer-songwriters I mentioned above, you're going to want to hear this welcome return to the world of music. I'm so pleased when artists of the '70s generation return with a work that sounds inspired rather than obligatory, and Mario pulled that off big time. This is truly a feather in the cap of the older material. Nicely done. Thank you for sharing those songs at your window, particularly "As Tears Go By." I hope you were able to sing around that campfire with your friends as you hoped. From an American fan....

Some have said that Mario Barbaja's first two albums were the only two that mattered out of his four 1970s releases, and that the next two were "lesser" somehow. I'm going to push back on that notion because New York Bazaar is an album that deserves much love. I'll grant this much. Megh is probably his most tastefully presented and refined album in some ways, and it's probably the one that RPI aficionados new to Barbaja should begin with. Megh strikes me as his most earnest work, like he spent time on those songs adorning them with the attention that abounds in a young artist. The result is a lovely classic-era album for sure. But with New York Bazaar, it sounds like Barbaja was in a different headspace entirely. This album is saucy and loose. Here it sounds like he's trying to have more fun musically, throw everything at the wall, and be adventurous while remaining generally in an art rock format, ie, not really "prog" as we tend to define stuff here.

Barbaja recalls that the album was rehearsed and recorded at night and that the atmosphere was a good time. Musically, I would start by saying he has left Megh in the rear view mirror with this album. While there is still a bit of that "Italian songs" flavor in the cracks and crevices, this album takes those forks in the road toward that mid-to-late '70s art rock direction. One might hear influences as diverse as Roxy Music, solo Lennon, Neil, Zappa, Elton, glam, campy '50s send-ups, and probably some Italian pop bands as well. Very strangely, this album reminded me a lot of Jerry Garcia's Cats Under the Stars, one of my favorite albums, but it hadn't been released yet. So perhaps it is Mario who influenced Jerry cosmically? While this album is a bit all-over-the-map---it's a shop of curios, after all---it ends up being cohesive in its own definition. Don't look for much in the way of symphonic progressive rock here, but there's great songs, honest singing, furious saxophone performances, cultural homage, and tons of playfulness beyond the humorous album intro/outros.

"Da Momo Kitsch" leads off with a trippy number that Syd Barrett would've approved of. "Super Supermarket" has the coolest detached-sounding female vocal opposite Mario while quirky, off-putting music twinks away, one of many earworms. "Lady Drive-in" attempts to meld '50s background to hard rock vocals to country fiddle. As crazy as that written description sounds, the song works! "Norma, No, No, No..." is a "Candle in the Wind" styled tribute, albeit jazzier, with the heartwarming recollection of what many young boys coming of age felt about Marilyn at the time. "Superflash" is such a strange little acoustic number with a repeating woodwind motif, violin, and odd keyboard sounds. There is "O.K." which uses dreamlike female vocals in a beautiful choral arrangement over piano, like a strange lullaby. "Scampoli" is the longest track (over six minutes) and very eclectic. Barbaja says this is the track that most fondly reminds him of the "happening" scene that was the making of this album. "Good Morning Hiroshima" is another standout piece with its haunting, distorted piano eulogy and wordless female vocals.

"Momo (the one on the cover of New York Bazaar) is a cynical and mischievous god, the son of Night and Sleep, the brother of Madness. The others kicked him out of Olympus, and he took refuge in Latin America where he became King Momo, the god of the carnival. For me he is the shopping god." -M.B.

This album is indeed a shop of curiosities as the subtitle suggests. For me, at the moment, this is my favorite Barbaja release. It exudes enthusiasm and creativity and a wonderful weirdness. It truly makes me smile with the magic that was so prevalent in so many Italian releases of this era, even the ones that were not well known. If you're an RPI fan who also likes eclectic art rock and doesn't mind shorter songs without long "proggy" soloing, you should meet King Momo.

Maybe "Argento..." doesn't had the musical weight of "Megh", the second and last album made by Barbaja, but it has some beautiful moments based on simple folk melodies leaded by acoustic guitar with a few sections in which we can also find flutes and othe strings instruments.

Some of the highlights are the opener Argento, La Canzone di Francesca (a beautiful and quiet ballad), Il Vento dell'Estate (maybe the best song of the album 'cos the lyrics and a soft and hypnotizing guitar melody), Il Mondo di Giulietta (a classic 70 RPI ballad!) and Nirvana, another soft but emotive acoustic song with some little prog moments...

Maybe not for every RPI fan, but without hesitation, a fine italian artist which has two of the most unknown Italian music gems of the 70...

Mario Barbaja from Milan is another rather obscure artist from the 70s Italian scene who made this little-known gem in 1972. "Megh" contained unique singer-songwriter material and pumped it full of proggy ingredients while employing a small army of superb Italian musicians of the day. The result is indeed an album with attitude, with a variety of styles and influences, and a solid, engaging dynamic. It featured some measures of rock, folk, melodic pop, jazzy moments, and even avant music, in a work perhaps not obviously and overtly progressive, but enough so to be of great interest to RPI fans.

The album begins (and ends) with the sounds of childhood toys and haunting music box, giving the album a bit of an artsy touch, though I'm not sure if there is a lyrical concept to the songs. The music begins with some acoustic bluesy guitar work with a bit of a psych feel to it, then into clearly Italian folk territory on "Sono Stato" with its bouncy sing-along chorus. "Una Promessa" is an improvement with some lovely piano melody. "Tan" begins to show more progressive promise with some strange avant sound effects. "Non Dire Mai" is lovely soft-prog with mellotron behind it and romantic vocals.

The two part "In Quella Citta" is the artistic RPI highpoint and centerpiece. The first part features warm acoustic rock with male and female vocals. The 2nd part is fantastic: an ambient, distant, longing piano begins, quickly changing to avant chaos. Flute and disjointed, trippy vocals join in. This changes back to the peaceful piano which is then joined by crying guitar leads and a thick, solid bass line. The song builds with alternating saxophone, violin, hand percussion, and assorted vocal weirdness. By the end of the song we are almost in Opus Avantra territory, but with a harder edge to the rhythm section. Then the prog edge gives way back to Italian melodic pop not so different from Battisti or Cat Stevens in "Sereno Qui."

In the end the album reminds me a bit of the recently reviewed Mario Panseri, along with artists like Claudio Fucci, even Giannini. It has a good mix of soft and rocking, mostly soft, with plenty of melody and measured doses of period weirdness. It is not here to compete with giants like Orme or Osanna in the hall of legends, but rather reside with the many lesser-known, less groundbreaking, but equally charming niches that prove what a well rounded experience RPI offers her fans. There are many, many interesting artists from the period who offered more modest variations to the grand sounds of the Bancos and Ballettos. They are not the place to start your RPI journey, but once you've heard the more obvious stuff, they still offer plenty of musical enjoyment.