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IL VIAGGIOMurpleRock Progressivo Italiano3.96 | 16 ratings |
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
![]() Special Collaborator Rock Progressivo Italiano Team |
![]() Rumbling dusty country acoustic guitar strains announce the title-track opener - not the sounds one would normally expect to hear on an RPI album! Don't worry, Italian prog devotees, before long a skittering relentless beat and the more typical shimmering organ and fizzy synths enter `Il Viaggio', but you're in for another surprise - a fascinating combination of both a male and female vocal singing in unison! Original Seventies member/keyboard/piano player Pier Carlo Zanco is joined by newcomer lady Claudia D'Ottavi, and the pair have such contrasting yet equally fascinating voices that unexpectedly come together perfectly. Overall it's quite an accessible piece, a pleasing tune made more interesting by some tasteful instrumental elements. However, it's `Alejandra' that moves a little closer to the sounds of Murple's little 1974 jewel `Io Sono Murple'. A pleasing mellow instrumental, Duilio Sorrenti's punchy drums snap over droning organ, Mario Garbarino's murmuring bass slinks behind Mauro Arno's bluesy guitar wailing and the whirring Moog in the victorious finale lifts the piece high into clouds of symphonic heaven. A sprinkling of fancy piano to introduce `Nani e Clown' suggests a more romantic mood, but the almost eight minute piece darts through everything from galloping P.F.M-like prances with regal majesty, rambunctious drum outbursts and sweetly chiming guitars with dreamy bubbling Moogs. A drowsy vocal from Pier Carlo is eventually joined by Claudia's spirited proclamations. Next instrumental `Angelika' presents a beautiful mix of sadness and love, with mysterious and gently melancholic verses rescued by a warmer, almost fanfare-like repeated chorus and some lustful electric guitar soloing in the finale. `Per Una Volta' is a straight-forward but tastefully stirring male/female vocal piece with warm acoustic guitar and sparkling piano, plus a lively instrumental run in the closing minute (shame about that fade-out though!). Instrumental `La Battagglia' is a medieval call- to-arms soundtrack full of regal pomp, driven by thick chunky bass, snarling guitars and imposing organ with wavering synth trills that effortlessly move between heroic and whimsical. Then, despite some darker lyrics (check out fellow reviewer Andrea's translation!), album closer `Sirene' is a pleasing and breezily melodic folk tune, acoustic guitar mixing with pan-pipes and sweetly murmuring bass, with brief moments of classical prettiness throughout as well. Perhaps a strange piece to close the album on, but a charming song all the same. While plenty of the usual RPI sounds emerge throughout, this is not some lazy clone of past sounds, nor a band simply repeating the kind of music they used to deliver. Murple sound full of creativity and originality here, embracing new styles with enough of the symphonic synth-driven flavours of their older work, but reaching in refreshing new directions with great confidence and, perhaps for the first time, really giving themselves a truly distinctive identity. It means `Il Viaggio' is a beautiful little album that many Italian progressive listeners will likely end up falling in love with very easily! Four stars.
Aussie-Byrd-Brother |
4/5 |
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