All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

Who are these guys? What are they doing in my living-room and singing to me? Why these tunes and melodies are taking me into a dream? Many questions, million answers… I don’t mind, I don’t care, I’m simply stunned or better musically stoned! Is there a better addiction than this? ALUSA FALLAX, never heard of them until a couple of years ago; “Intorno Alla Mia Criativa Educazione”, their lonely shot, is a winner; all tracks are fair to optimum and band member’s musicianship and their creative education respond for the blatant excellence, they also compensate the poor production and misleading cover - something to be fixed in later re-issues, even keeping the original motif.

No filler here, ladies and gentlemen, even the odd parts have their place into the concept. Yes, this is a conceptual album and the way songs are linked gives you that clear feeling since the first hearing. The work is symphonic but mixed with a juicy share of peninsular folk, bits of ethnic sounds from different parts, all powdered with jazz, erudite, space/psych and even experimental tints – there’s a flair of recent stuff as if “Intorno…” was recorded just in the past year. Vocals, not abusive, are in Italian and singer voice while not a jewel to be admired fits well inside the theme and the band/album proposition. Ah, and some pieces are really catchy!

‘Soliloquio’ opens fairly the album with its blend of Mediterranean & Caribbean chords soon replaced by noticeable synth and guitar sounds responsible for the progressive ambience that will permeate this work until the end. ‘Non fatemi caso’ is severe, sober and shady; piano and flute own the track but vocals are great too and the bass line is superb. The title-track that segues maintains the high-pitched atmosphere and again backed by emotional flute and piano chords. ‘Fuori di me, dentro di me’ brings the sorrowful dosing and where the native folk tunes appear more clearly, even if the singer over-acts in a manner more than casual.

‘Riflessioni al tramonto’ displays lighter colors with its apparent uplifting melody and where influences from TULL to PFM and ORME can be perceived. The short ‘Il peso della tradizione’ shows a certain sarcastic climate provided by keyboards and a vivid flute action just preparing the terrain for the exuberant ‘Carta carbone’, one of the album’s peaks – ethnic percussion adds a vital power to the song, completed by fine vocals and significant organ playing. ‘Perche ho venduto il mio sangue’ is an odd spoken-poem which makes sense only amid the concept proposed; sound effects are annoying but reasoning.

The last part of “Intorno…” starts with the unique ‘Per iniziare una vita’, another great moment here and where the dream-like environment catches the hearer entirely. The frantic ‘È oggi’ makes you descend from the ethereal pedestal to the earthy crudeness and this sentiment remains along the rocky & jazzy ‘È cosi poco quell conosco’. Closing tracks, ‘Ciò che nasce con me’ and ‘Splendida sensazione’, do the story summary, ranging the sound of their musical bouquet from gorgeous and bucolic to daring and passionate. The last harmonies from this work, a seasoning of mellotron and choir, are unforgettable.

All in all we face a magnum opus, although we have to admit the grievous part that ALUSA FALLAX did not issue a following struggle to eventually amuse the listeners. Anyway this sole project goes to the pinnacle: a masterpiece of progressive music.