ARIA

Can't tell whether this is a rarity or a major classic in the Italian prog history but at least I was was very pleased to hear it, without knowing anything about the artist in advance. There are relatively many reviews on this (so, it is a classic, I suppose?) - I'm just giving my own first impressions. The album consists of the near-20-minute epic title track and three tracks between 5 and 8 minutes. Quite soon I had one specific artist in my mind: PETER HAMMILL/ VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, especially on the wide range of singing (which has been compared to TIM BUCKLEY's most far-out works too) and on the overall attmosphere, which is a bit eerie and haunting. What a great harmony between the cover art and the music!

Unlike in VDGG there is no sax, but Jean-Luc Ponty's appearance as a violinist gives more or less the same flavour. You hear also hammond, accordion, trombone, trumpet and synth harp, but the vocals and acoustic guitar of the leading man remains in focus. The music has some kind of spontaneity and deep emotional impact just like Hammill in the early VDGG. Some parts are not so 'nice' listening but the interest is kept pretty well all through the epic, as well as on the three shorter tracks. One really needs to listen to this music many times before knowing it well. Hopefully I'm still to find many more levels and emotions in this album.