OSANNA & DAVID JACKSON: PROG FAMILY

Their second disc after their return to recording, released 2009, this features the reeds work of David JACKSON, by then formerly of the great VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR. Interestingly enough, it was the first VdGG album without him, Trisector (released a year before this, in 2008), which was one of the last I've most recently listened to--I reviewed it just 3 days ago. Also featured here is eventual (10 years later) Jackson collaborator David CROSS (of KING CRIMSON fame) on violin.

The nicely titled Prog Family starts off with the solemn then fiery "Tema", which rolls smooth on into "Animale Sena Respiro", reborn a very modern-sounding Prog number. I was just listening to a track by CHICAGO ("Once Upon A Time"), and I can't help but think of them now since this is such an apparently big ensemble. Everything is nicely mixed and mastered, clear and purposeful from the onset. Fusion, classic and modern Prog (thanks to the newest and youngest additions to the band proper), and dramatic Italian idiom all present! I forgot until this point that this album covers a lot of ground from previous Osanna material. A compilation of rerecordings, really (the majority of the album). For me, for much of these tracks this is my first time hearing them.

If anything is hokey or they seem too 'comfortable' haha, I'm noting appropriately, but really everything is so well performed. No surprise here. Much of it is fresh. "Mirror Train" is one, for instance, where for every part I wasn't such a fan there were, say, 4 things that were so satisfying and beautiful they won me over. There were unfortunately a number of tracks in the middle and backend that lacked this charm. I'm realizing I'll have to hear much of these then in their original form in due time (who knows when I'll get to it?).

The first bit of Jackson getting his chance to shine is on "L'Uomo". But also met, particularly on the second verse, with beautiful string ensemble.

The first apparently newly released track here is "Fuje 'A Chistu Paese", which to my ears at times sounds like the fusion of Italian Prog and Zeuhl. Very rhythmic and at times jazzy, but also has a tribal sort of nature to it. In the middle section, most dies down and then revamps with this really awesome, lively synth lead, joined by guitar to the gallop of the drums. The next track first recorded on Prog Family is "My Mind Flies", a quieted and quick interlude of sorts. Then it was "Solo Uniti", which had a really great melody and the jangle of acoustic guitar(?) and great guitar-strings leads [Unfortunately this track and a few others had some digital breaks and skips... Strange.].

Other tracks of special note are "Vado Verso Una Meta", some excellently performed Heavy Prog (notably featuring violin lead), and "Theme One", one of my favorite compositions (for BBC Radio 1, written by George MARTIN) covered I would think famously by VdGG.