ETNA

As the psych-derived Flea On The Honey became Flea for their second excellent guitary album, the group changed again their name while keeping their line-up intact, and became the great jazz-rock Etna, whose sole album was released almost three years after Topi O Uomi and again on a different label, this time Catoca, who wrote their logo so big on the front & back cover artwork that one could think it would be the album's name.

The resulting jazz-rock is more in the line of the first Nova album than in the more Canterbury- ian/Nucleus-ian styles of Area or Perigeo to remain the Italian realm. But it's not to say that Etna doesn't get experimental or descriptive about their music as Across The Indian Ocean takes ac while to get on board, but the "dawn" part (intro) is very much early Vitous-era Weather Report, while the funkier middle section reminds of the Johnson-era WR. Overall the standard prog quartet tasks are better shared, even if the guitars still dominates the music, but not quite as authoritarian as when the group was still called Flea, as McL or Coryell would dominate their respective MO anf EH groups. Indeed Marangolo's electric piano is very present and he even pushes a bit of a clarinet in the second part of French picadors, once guitarist Pennisi went acoustic. The 9-mins Golden Idol is a highlight, constrasting with the smoother Lewdness or the closing Barbarian Serenade (both played on the acoustic piano), the latter sporting some Tarantella guitars.

Overall a pretty good (at times excellent) jazz-rock album that comes from the peninsula and it's a bit of shame that they never managed a second album as either Flea or Etna. Anyway, if their debut was a bit naïve and rough, Topi and this last shot are both much worth owning.