IO SONO MURPLE

I heard a whisper of MURPLE more than 30 years ago and this name echoed for decades inside my mind that in the end it turned into something like my personal urban legend. It's not surprising that when I noticed the band again in more recent times a strange feeling spot on me: oh, my god, they really existed; it wasn't my imagination that played with me. anyway, band and "Io Sono Murple", their sole release up to now (good news: they regrouped and are recording again) passed to the ground of the unconscious or the legendary.

This album, telling musically the adventures of a little penguin, was recorded in a highly progressive manner. It's all there: the concept, shown through a long suite which comprises the entirety of the album; the epic tracks, two songs in fact, each taking the full side of the old vinyl LP; the instrumentation, the harmonies, the atmosphere.

Tunes go from vibrant to poignant, all soaked in an aromatic eau-de-cologne of symphonic ingenuity - the several musical parts seem common but the set is sophisticated and unique. All in all, MURPLE does a study or essay of how to compose, arrange and play a cast of beautiful chords; although we might catch a weak point that damages slightly this opus: vocals; maybe unnecessary. Instrumental parts with the notorious duels between guitars and keys completed by powerful bass lines and sound drumming are the strongest parts here. Amid nice segments, the most obviously amusing is the final quarter with the three last songs that leaves a clear impression in the hearer's memories.

Several influences may be perceived along the album, but MURPLE seem to trail a route of their own, full of the required ingredients that make "Io Sono Murple" an excellent addition to any prog music collection. Recommended.