DELUSIONE OTTICA

Treading the fine line between symphonic prog and mad fusion, Jet Lag's one and only album is a tremendous outing. Screaming flutes spar with angry guitars, while frantic drums mingle with crazy keyboards. Vocals appear on less than half the tracks, and are typically Italian sounding, though the lack of any detectable accent in "King Of Fools" helps widen the appeal of the album. Elsewhere the lyrics are Italian, bringing to mind a multitude of greats from the '70s.

'Delusione Ottica' is clearly in the mold of the country's '70s gods, but it doesn't try too hard to sound "ancient" while at the same time doesn't have the over-produced slickness of much modern prog. The recording is clear and sharp and warm. It's a perfect companion listen if you're busting out things like Utopia's very first album, any Kenso material, the wildest King Crimson stuff ('Red', I guess), the Finch albums, and some of the most energetic P.F.M. and Banco material. When someone asks for Italian prog recommendations, it's tempting to name any number of albums from the golden '70s era, but 'Delusione Ottica' is just as representative of this country's masterful understanding of prog. A real shame they didn't last longer, because the chemistry is tremendous, as are all the individual performances.