HYBLA ACT 1

"You can't teach the old Maestro a new tune": that's what happens when Beppe Crovella (Arti & Mestieri) decides to draw up his moog/wurlitzer/mellotron army in sustain of one of the bands of his ElectRomantic label.

I always hear nothing but great tunes playing a Randone CD, but "Hybla - Atto 1" is surely the best thing ever made by this group. Nicola Randone's "romanticism" (Nicola has a surprisingly fine sense of melody; he could have been born in the Mozart-era... or in that of Orme's, PFM's, and classic-time Banco's) mixes here up with ancient Sicilian atmospheres, and we see how prog rock gives the hand to celtic-mediterranean music: an unusual (if you didn't know PFM!) but pleasing combination. Track 9 is an example of it.

The whole story behind HYBLA - that is, the necessity to tell the tale of old town Ragusa - is too complicated to be explained here. You better read the CD booklet notes.

The mixing on this long, long CD is pretty faultless. It starts off deep and mellow, grows up into the rages of History and wars and features a few "stronger" gems such as the stunning "Guardia alle mura" and Genesis "Magog"-style "Il terremoto" (a theme which you can hear also on track 14, anyhow). I get the shivers down my spine everytime the violin or bariton's voice let place to the "modern" instruments and the orchestrals build up into a gorgeous progressive anthem - as in track 18 "La fine dei Chiaramonte", which contains the whole substance of this unique and enganging album.

"Giovinastro & Lucsia" is another sublime track with a passionate, saddening chorus. And in the successive pieces I hear variations from "Selling England By the Pound" - and maybe from "Trespass"? -. Beautiful.

But it's not all moog and mellotron on HYBLA. There are a few of nice guitar bits as well. Marco Crispi lead axe still reminds me both of metal prog Grey Owl and of some Pink Floyd arias (listen to track 12!)...

My definitive word on this album: >>Sumptuos and summery feel<< !