NEMO, MILANO, CLEMENTE - FRATTURA COMPARSA DISSOLVENZA

Claudio Milano is perhaps the most unconventional and boundary pushing artist that I know of. And this attitude is from top to bottom. From the studio albums he is on, to those legendary live performances that are as much about the visual as they are the audio. To even the packaging that the music comes, which has been so unique at times. One of his recording I own has a literal string tied in a bow around the cd package. This most recent cd comes in a glossy, mini-magazine that is about 8 1/2 inches high and almost 6 inches wide. Some ten pages or so of lyrics and info all in Italian, plus pictures. The cd is held in a clear plastic sleeve attached to the inside back cover.

Like Claudio who is honest to his visions, I feel like I too have been honest with my opinions. Especially when free physical music has been sent to me for review. Not swayed in the least by that, and Claudio knows this, but still keeps them coming. I decline free downloads, as my whole reason for being on this site is to have a place for my opinions of My record collection. I have zero interest in throwing up reviews for music I don't physically own. Of the fourteen cds I own that Claudio's on I have given 6 three star reviews, 6 four stars reviews(including this one), and 2 five star reviews.

I have really fallen for this album. And talk about unconventional! We have three very classy, world class singers and a keyboardist playing a live gig at a gas station in Prato, Italy. A city of around 200,000 people, and the second largest city after Florence in Tuscany. In a gas station?! Unconventional right? Claudio Milano sings on the longest and by far most adventerous track on here called "Dissolvenza" at almost 19 minutes. Milano as usual provides an incredible performance that is as varied as the song is long. He puts on a show, and this is the only song featuring our fourth member Teo Ravelli, who can play drums with the best of them and is also known as Borda. He is also an electronics guy, and it's this song that instrumentally does something for me with those electronics. I love the sound of them as they come and go throughout. This is the track that prog fas will appreciate.

The other three tracks are quite sparse instrumentally, usually piano only. This really is a vocal album which usually isn't my thing, but it is here. We also have Niccolo Clemente on vocals singing on track two called "Comparsa". My least favourite but I still like it. He adds his own piano and synths to his vocals, and is somewhere between the adventerous Milano track, and the mellow Nemo songs.

Lets talk about Alberto Nemo. My first spin of this recording left me completely taken with Nemo's vocal style and tone. He clearly is a spiritual man, from the way he dresses to the music he performs. His songs open and close this album which just seems so appropriate, tying it all together. He sings in wordless melodies like some of those traditional middle eastern singers, or even like some of the singers from India. I had an Indian co- worker who always had his music cranked, and I always complimented it. I'm for some reason really drawn to this style of singing. Slow moving with Alberto emphasizing every syllable, and holding the notes. So impressed.

A very solid 4 stars for this special release that I'm so proud to own. Thanks Claudio!