ARIA

Aria is justly considered as a hell of an album by many italian prog lovers. It is the debut work of this peculiar artist who started as a pure prog singer-songwriter and, just after three records, completely changed his musical behaviour becoming a disco-music hero! Yes, it's crazy and unusual. Almost a sacrilege...

Aria is also the splendid long epic that fills the whole first side and is an astonishing piece of art of over 19,40 minutes! Very hard to get into for its complex vocals intrigue and probably it cannot be everyone's cup of tea. He was also compared as the one who eat a mellotron. So strange appeared to the audience his adventurous experimental way of singing and buildind such a - mainly - acoustic opus. Mellotron (his voice apart), hammond and synth harp are here, but never loudly, never shadowing vocals and acoustic intruments. Alan Sorrenti is also compared to Tim Buckley for the extended vocal harmonies.

I use to listen to this album very often 'cause it part dark and sinister, part melodic, warm and melancholic. Still hard though but I tell you this: a pleasant experience enriched by the wonderful contribution of JEAN LUC PONTY on violin in the self titled epic. A memorable performance!

Lyrics are also excellent and poetic, in my humble opinion with dreamy and fantastic imaginery of love, lost and (almost) unreachable.

Second side feature four shorter tunes still of high standard of quality as for the soft and gentle "Vorrei Incontarti" (5,00 minutes). His most melancholic contribution to the world. Fantastic! A simpler tune, but intimate, polite and relaxing as few really are. The other tracks are worth istenings, but, hey, not for mainstream prog lovers...

I fear this album. It is great and terrible listening art the very same time. Anguishing!