IL NOME DEL VENTO

2. "Il nome del vento" (6:01) 
begins with a classical strings piece before it is joined by drums and oboe in a very familiar VDGG sound. Another one of the album's repeated themes is established before a vocal section begins. Very straightforward pop music except for the occasional brief codas/interludes using classical instruments. The choral background vocals sound much like AYREON's female dominated vocals from "Isis and Osiris." The song has a very nicely balanced blend of rock, pop, and classical. I especially like the operatic soprano (Sophya Baccini) floating above the other vocals and instruments in the background of the last two minutes. (8.5/10)

3. "Verso il naufragio" (6:35) 
is an instrumental that begins with some ominously held low synth chord over which a sax makes a brief intro, yields to Mellotron, then comes back as the lead melody maker until 1:25 when piano and mellotron take over in a much more classical jazz theme. 2:15 sees the sax and electric guitar take over dual recitation of another main theme. 3:00 sees the entrance of some truly prog rock musical sounds and structures: miniMoog solo followed by thumping guitar/bass chords. 4:30 sees the full band/orchestra return to the second main theme before giving way to a more subdued organ, sax, and jazzy cymbol section--very reminiscent of HENRY MANCINI's "Pink Panther Theme." (8.5/10)

4. "L'Acquario delle Stelle" (6:15)
 begins with a child-like/lullaby-like sequence of electric piano arpeggios over which some mediaeval flute/woodwinds play some very mediæval-sounding themes. Very pretty--and even moreso when the strings and Mellotron join in at the 1:30 mark. 2:30 sees solo piano and male voice using a very familiar melody riff (from "Il nome del vento"). 3:35 adds orchestration and some very nice TODD RUNDGREN-like electric guitar soloing in the background. 4:10 Hammond organ, piano and full prog band takeover in a very pleasing section for its harmonic and chord structures. Vocal rejoins till 5:45 when spoken voice lets us slide into a soft outro section with strings, Mellotron and nature sounds. (9/10)

5. "Luci lontane" (4:14)
 chirping birds and spacious piano chords begin this song before plaintive voice and jazzy soprano sax sing over strings orchestra. As emotional as Mimmo di Martino's voice becomes, he actually loses some of his strength and pitch control. 2:20 sees a transition into a very straightforward jazz-with-orchestration section over which the soprano sax solos. This then shifts at the 2:55 mark as some electric guitar power chords join in to accompany a more urgent sounding, if brief, vocal section. The power sounds very quickly disappear to leave the listener with a kind of slowed down mélange of the first and second sections. (7.75/10)

6. "Profeta senza profezie" (4:20) jazz piano and soprano sax start out a very jazz-oriented song. Sax continues soloing until the 0:48 mark when Stefano 'Lupo' Galifi (MUSEO ROSENBACH) comes in to sing in a range an octave higher than the previous vocalists.
1:40 sees a tempo and mood shift--more upbeat--while retaining this jazz-feel. Nice acoustic guitar beginning at the 2:10 mark. The jazz chorus is a bit too but is followed by a very familiar tenor sax solo over mellotron and the rest of the acoustic band (It sounds like the end solo to PINK FLOYD's (Welcome to the Machine"). (8/10)

7. "Ogni storia" (5:02)
 sees a return to a electric piano child lullaby theme--with crying bambino--which, when taken over by fretless bass and then synthesized keys and sax, sounds a lot like "Inch Worm." A more Canterbury/VDGG-sounding song develops until the vocal(s) begin, when it turns into a much more standard pop-rock song. (I like the "Great Gig in the Sky" female vocal screams of Sophya Baccini beneath the electric guitar solo around the 3:15 mark). The finale ROBIN TROWER guitar solo playing over the rolling bass and blues drumming is a fun touch. (8.5/10)

8. "Note di tempesta" (4:29) 
begins with a nearly "Psycho" AFTER CRYING strings theme before turning into a very straightforward R&B/lounge jazz song--it sounds very much like a song by ANDREW TILLISON/THE TANGENT. Very nice alternating and harmonically layered themes played between sax and guitar and flute & keyboard. EMERSON's "Lucky Man" synth takes over soloing at the 1:40 mark--nice segue. Then a ZAPPA-like guitar solo unfolds before the music thins and sax and bass take turns soloing until the band returns to a collective recapitulation of some of the main themes from 3:38 till song's end (which actually ends with group laughter). A very interesting song with some very nice structuring/layering. (9/10)

9. "Dopo il Vento" (9:40) begins with a wooden flute (shakahachi?) sounding as if we're on a tropical Pacific island. At 1:30 the full band kicks in to play an old jazz-rock classic RPI theme before giving way to a slow synth solo while the background jazz-s along while joined by a strings orchestration. Full blown 'soft' jazz with alto sax soloing begins at the 2:41 mark. At 3:15 a brief repetition of the band's main theme precedes a very nice electric guitar solo over the orchestra-supported soft azz theme. An soft, melodic organ-supported flute section begins at the 4:10 mark and which then precedes the 5:15 beginning of a very pretty vocal and flute section--which is then joined/backed by some wonderfully lush orchestration around the 5:53 mark. Dreamy! Return to the jazzy mode at 6:50--now soloed over by a very IAN ANDERSON-like flute. 7:25 piano solo. We're in the beach-side jazz lounge! A softer JETHRO TULL sound. 8:05 sees the sudden entrance of synthesizer to duel with flute and strings. Electric guitar joins in beautifully at 9:00. Song breaks down very beautifully. Music doesn't get much more beautiful than this! (19.5/20) 


10. "Cuore sacro" (6:49) begins with IAN ANDERSON's flute playing another familiar theme
which is then taken over by massive church organ and full rock band. (Is this a rock opera? ANDREW LLOYD WEBER, perhaps?) All clears at 1:40 for a lovely lounge piano solo--repeating themes familiar from the last song in a kind of classical way. At 2:30 a pause precedes the subdued male voice joining the piano for a brief section before the band kicks into a pretty straightforward upbeat rock groove over which guitar, flute, Hammond, and other woodwinds take turns declaring themselves--all with worthy and beautifully woven/orchestrated melody lines. A crash of a gong at the 5:23 mark ends the momentary harmonic chaos, to allow return of voice, with piano, bass and flute accompaniment. Awesome song! (13.75/15)

11. "L'Aurora Boreale" (6:56) (bonus track) is a soft jazz instrumental which regurgitates in a very pleasant way many of the recurring themes from the album. Nice tenor sax/vocal scatting, acoustic guitar solo, congas, background synth strings, electric piano solo. The drums are mixed more forward while the flutes are presented as if in a distant echo chamber, for some reason--all to great effect. Nice song. Kind of ties everything together in a fresh sounding way. (13.5/15)

Obviously, this album is all highlights the further you get into it. Granted, an affinity for the kind of soft-jazz/lounge side of progressive rock is helpful for getting into this album--as well as a tolerance for the lead singer's voice when he tries to reach--both dynamically and in pitch heights. Singing the more subdued, soft melody lines he is wonderful, amazing. Skill and maturity are quite obvious in these songs--especially in terms of composition. They really know how to deliver wonderful themes in layers and harmonically without being overwhelming, chaotic, or discordant. Very beautiful music.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lovers music collection.

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