IL TEMPO DELLA GIOIA

Sadly, Italy's Quella Vecchia Locanda released just two, full-length studio albums during their criminally-short career, their excellent self-titled debut and this impressive, 1974 released follow-up. Both albums feature fantastic artwork and a stylish, highly-inventive sound that has seen them regularly mentioned as some of the most influential Italian progressive rock albums of the era, a label that shouldn't be sniffed at. With the first album, the band dived headlong into a vibrant, fast-paced style that mixed elements of Van Der Graaf Generator and Genesis with their own curious inflection. For album number two the approach was much more gentle, with less emphasis on the breakneck violins and hyperactive structure that so characterized their debut and a more layered and carefully-crafted design that brings to mind their fellow countrymen PFM. Musically-speaking at least, 'Il Tempo Della Gioia' is a more ambitious piece, with an expansive sound that flows carefully from warm, harmonic sections to brisk, galloping classically-influenced rock sections with real aplomb, showcasing this youthful group's instrumental verve. It's a highly-polished album filled with a million ideas but the one thing it truly lacks is the dynamic spark and catchy melodies that adorned their debut, demonstrating wonderfully the value of youthful exuberance. However, to criticize 'Il Tempo Della Gioia' harshly would be short-sighted; it is still a crucial addition into the Italian prog genre and any fan of the scene should find much to admire. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010