All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano is the last Area album with Demetrio Stratos, "Il Maestro Della Voce", because he unfortunately died of Leukemia in 1979. This album, despite of the date it was recorded and released, is a superb progressive rock album, with strong jazzy leanings. It is somewhat less experimental than its predecessors (though to those unfamiliar with Area work, it is sufficiently experimental to shock, like comments that I've heard that Area is like drunken Gentle Giant), but it has Demetrio Stratos, arguably the best vocalist ever, at his best, with fantastic singing and "playing" with his voice (and great keyboard playing too). The others are at best too, with insane bass and superb keyboards and drums.

The first song is Il Bandito del Deserto, that is a great starter to the album. Great bass, keyboards, brass and drumming. Stratos singing is powerful during the verses. The instrumental section contains great vocal "playing" by Stratos and superb bass lines by Tavolazzi.

Interno Con Figure e Luci is a more or less instrumental, with jazzy arrangements, great keyboard, bass and drumming, very jazzy with great variations and Stratos using his voice just to make sounds, over a vibraphone solo. The interplay of piano and bass in the middle is superb. The song has many moods, despite being short.

Return From Workuta is an eastern flavoured song with superb synthesizer and Stratos simulating perfectly a kind of horn with his voice. Then there is some great bass lines along with the synthesizers and many incredible sounds made by voice.

Guardati Dal Mese Vicino All'Aprile! is another jazzy experimental song with a more or less conventional beginning with catchy vocalizations and good playing, but after that there is an insane free-jazz section in the middle of the song, with great drumming, piano and bass.

Hommage À Violette Nozières is the most friendly song in the album, with great vocals by Stratos, very emotional, and good acoustic guitar riff. The song must be a homage to Violette Nozière, a controvertial French murder in the beginning of the 20th century.

Ici on Dance! is another jazzy song with great synthesizer melody and good rhythm section. There is a good instrumental interlude with a bass solo and then a synthesizer solo.

Then comes one of the best songs in my opinion, together with the last song. Acrostico In Memoria Di Laio is a superb jazzy song with great piano and bass intro. There is a superb synthesizer solo in the instrumental intro. Then there is a funky bass line and very strange vocals by Stratos, more or less spoken, interpreting many characters during the song. Then there is a fine instrumental section until the end of the song.

"FFF" (Festa, Farina e Forca) is a good instrumental with great drum solo in the beginning, good piano and bass part and then the song changes to a jazzy piano and impressive bass riff. There is some soloing on the piano, played very fast.

Vodka Cola is the last song, with some insane vocalizations by Stratos, great bass and synthesizers. There is a great synthesizer solo over a jazzy rhythm section. The solo is extended while the rhythm sections have many changes on it. After some trombone "lament", there is one of my favourite jazzy riffs, with some fast synthesizer lines. There are some crazy things that appear shortly and then a totally crazy trumpet solo.

This album is the best I've heard from them and is the last with the superb vocalist Demetrio Stratos, that coincidentally recorded his best album being his last. Unfortunatelly after this one there was no more the magic of this that is one of the best fusion bands ever. Recommended to everyone.

Posted Thursday, June 07, 2007, 14:54 EST
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