PER... UN MONDO DI CRISTALLO

This is a hell of an album, a classic. I know of a certain proghead who would surely confirm it. "Per ... un Mondo di Cristallo" is the only record ever released by this band under the name of Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno (RRR for short). As usual in RPI, it's a wonderful debut album. Not clearly a symphonic prog effort in the pure sense, since the evident jazzy vein, as in the instrumental track "Nel Mio Quartiere" (In My District, 3,58 mns) and the omnipresent folky and pastoral touches, faithfully to the purest italian tradition. This interesting mix of genres is what many other italian bands of the seventies have created, each one in its peculiar way. Just think to Delirium, for instance who went mixing jazz, folk and Crimson's early symphonic experience. Just think to Procession who were more lucky than RRR and managed to record a pair of convincing records. Just think to Osanna and their unique musical madness from Neaples. To name but a few.

As some of you already know, "Per ... un Mondo di Cristallo" is a concept album based on the return to earth of a solitary astronaut. After the landing of his spacecraft he realizes that human kind has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared while he was away in the outer space. What an anguishing situation. Anguish is what this beautiful music is based on and you can hear it clearly all through the record and, in particular in "Il Mondo Cade su di Me" (World Falls on Me, 6,48 mns) and the short bu extraordinary "L'Ombra" (Shadow, 3,38 mns).

What makes RRR so unique and spectacular isn't the pompous production. It's the dramatic pattern, the theatrical and impressive development of the eight composition, the anguishing alternation of classic piano, organ, flute, sax, contrabass, guitars and orchestra! It's a musical journey into solitude of man, into his deepest daily desperation. For these reasons there are not comfortable moments. Each track smells of End and is perfectly executed as it was the most perfect closer. Obviously this may not be agreed by someone, but evidently the creativity's level is very high and impressive. This is what we call the proof that RPI is a more suitable acronym than ISP.

4,5 stars for sure.