IL TEMPO DI FAR LA FANTASIA

1970s-sounding Neo Prog produced in the 1990s from Italy imitating (lifting?) those Genesis sounds beautifully but nearly too closely. Think BABYLON's 1980 album Babylon and you'd have hit the nail on the head.

1. "Canto No. 1 (lettera ad un amico del 1400)" (22:12) so much (too much?) like the BABYLON sound palette and recording engineering reinterpretation (recapitulation?) of Peter Gabriel-era GENESIS (mostly Foxtrot). It's done extremely well--with great instrumental and compositional quality; it's just so frickin' close to the original! The only instruments that shine through as being different are the ancient pre-piano sounding keyboards (clavichord? psaltry? celeste? Celtic harp?) and fretless bass as well as a couple of the effects used on the guitars. The ethereal vocals (heavily reverbed to sound as if they're coming from inside the cavernous marble walls of a large cathedral-- like EMERALD DAWN does for Tree Stewart's voice). A lot of this song reminds me of the sound and style of Spanish band GALADRIEL's Muttered Promises from an Ageless Pond from 1988 as well as those of Canadian band HECENIA's 1989 album, Légendes. Despite its clone-like feel, this is an excellent and beautiful symphonic suite, beautifully--one might say "lovingly"--composed. (41/45): I) musicis instrumentis sonans humanos affectus II) Siarade serale III) La corsa contro il tempo IV) Pioggia di stelle V) La tua immagine VI) Il walzer dei ricordi (per anatre e vecchi balocchi) VII) Sciarada notturna (al lume di candela col temporale oltre la finistra) VIII) Prendi la foglia IX) Il duello X) In quel sole interiore, la nave a l'artificio 2. "Il prescetto" (6:28) Wow! So BABYLON--right out of the starting blocks! The quick and frequent changes in time signatures over the opening minute are a bit much. The theatric Italian singing that starts in the second minute sound like a German Kommandant barking orders. but then it goes slow and soft as the annoying 1980s computer synth horns fill the soundscape. And then I hear the sound of horses on cobblestones and think, "This is about some mediæval thing!" hich makes me even more curious and engaged. The ensuing high energy insrumental weave is so Phil Collins-era GENESIS that I get goosebumps. Then there is a jazzy vocal section with super-funk bass plucking alternating with majesterial mediæval motifs leading down into a pastoral finish. Wow! Great theatric song! If one can get past the sound (and "Dreamfish" familiarity) one would things this a 10/10 song! (9.5/10): I) Nella sala del trono II) Dopo la pioggia III) Con il viso controvento

3. "Cielo di carta" (2:44) complex 12-string strumming within cheap synth washes over which gentle voice sings lead. (4.5/5)

4. "La collana riffletente" (5:31) sounds very much like an early solo career Steve HACKETT or Mike OLDFIELD song (only, in the demo form--or live--due to the poor sound quality). Great, compositionally, and as a demonstration of collective performance skill, and the Robert Wyatt-like voice is enjoyable (as opposed to so many of the bombastic operatic types)--giving it a quality similar to the more delicate moments of early PFM--while the music prove to be very much something from the melodic/syrupy side of Tony Banks and Steve Hackett (with parts that seem as if they were lifted directly off of the BABYLON album). (8.75/10)

5. "Nel labirinto (il regreto del sole)" (8:23) this mostly-instrumental song feels like the soundtrack to a museum exhibit or YouTube picture montage depicting some period of history. The music is good, definitely proggy, but more in the jam/unfinished category. (15.5/20) : I) La casa di Asterione II) Un addio in silenzio

Total Time: 45:11

It is beautifully and quite competently done. I can't think of much true prog coming out of Italy in the 1980s or 1990s--unless you count the Italian-sounding work of Japanese bands Pazzo Fanfano di Musica, Mr. Sirius, or Asturias--so this album is impressive as well for this fact. Again, were the sound production on this better, we would hold this set of impressive and sincere compositions higher in our esteem.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's collection--this despite the muddy sound production. (Oh, what could/could have been!)