YS

Some albums just make your freak flag fly full staff. YS by the Rock Progressivo Italiano band IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO (the bronze ballet) makes mine fly more than an erection of a horny pony off of Prince's "Lovesexy" album. This album is in a world of its own which incorporates the best of the best as its stomping grounds and for that I am quite enamored since I can't seem to get enough of this eclectic concoction that is a progressive rock version of a wet dream. This album simply satisfies my musical needs on every level and has thus become one of those rare "desert isle" must-haves because of the simple fact it incorporates so much in a single album that it is a near panooptic view of everything prog in the most exciting year of 1972.

Lyrically speaking, non-Italian speakers will not understand that this is a concept album about a man who is the sole survivor left on planet Earth who makes a journey and mysteriously disappears. The mythical city YS is not Italian at all and is actually a Celtic creation that supposedly existed off the coast of Brittany in modern day France. The city represents a magnificent and outstandingly beautiful city in Europe and how it went to hell in a hand basket because of the way it was governed. Hmmm...

Although IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO started out as a hard rock band with their debut album "Sirio 222" they caught the prog bug and went for the jugular in their approach of no holding back on this 2nd album. They simply incorporated every musical trick in the musical universe and deftly honed every possible development to create one of the most satisfying progressive rock albums there is to be had . Upon first listen you may deem this to be the centerpiece of the musical demented and the sonically insane and for that conclusion I cannot rightfully disagree. The fact is that this is extremely complex music that requires a multitude of listens to be able to even come close to "getting" what is going on here. I pride myself on being on the extreme edge of musical "eclecticness" and I must wholeheartedly admit that this release has taken me countless listens to appreciate in its entirety to the level that I appreciate it as I currently do.

This album will test your patience. All I can say is don't let it dissuade you. There are melodies to had. There are progressive fits of wanktitude as well. There is basically everything musically under the sun that makes its way into this recording. Simply don't have any expectations except for the most unorthodox and semi-accessibly bizarre outputs of any musical entity and you just might be able to appreciate this high point in progressive music. It really does reward but not upon first listen. It demands your dedicated attention but in the end won't disappoint. Masterpiece!!!

If you're disappointed by the fact the band broke up after this simply listen to the very well performed pop rock bonus track "La Tua Casa Comoda" that adorns my remastered CD and you would realize how they would have to go down the same path as many progressive bands of the day and realize that releasing an album or two and disbanding may have been the best strategy for musical integrity. Let your freak fly high and embrace this most dizzifying and monstrous concoctions of progressive rock in its full fury. YS is mysterious. YS is energetic. YS is a freakin' full-fledged all encompassing progressive rock experience. I can think of few recordings as progressive as this one and as deserving as the fullest of 5 stars that shine as brightly as this in the vast darkened skies.