...DI TERRA

Warning: No vocals on this album. Is it a problem? NO! This album has some of the most beautiful music I have heard in ages! It also has an orchestral accompaniement which makes it kinf of... classical, but in a good way. 1. Nel cielo... after the intro we first hear the "main theme" of the album with the cellos providing the background and the trumpets humming the theme. Then the theme is repeated, gradually adding more and more instruments including timpanis and horns; until a trumpet section interrumpts this beautiful cycle, by shouting a melody à la Planets by Holst to calm everything down. This is beatiful music treated with the post romantic classical style reminiscent of Holst and Ravel. After hearing this album maybe 4 or 5 times I kept humming the main theme all the time, when I go to sleep; when I wake up, all day long etc... 5/5 2. Terramadre. This starts with a frenzied piano sequence and drum beat that reminds me of Keith Emerson . The theme is jazzy and is played by a trumpet. After a quiet interlude played by the piano and the trumpet, the frenzy starts again but this time with additional piano soloing with the trumpet. 5/5 3. Non senza dolore. A calmer number, with cellos providing the background in 7/4 and the saxophone playing the main theme. This is interrumpted by an "oriental" section with ethnic drums and chinese instruments, adding an exotic taste to the whole experience and this section leads straight into the following number.... 5/5 4. Io Vivo. This is definitely inspired by Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring . It starts with a chaotic cello/timpani/trumpet fight then proceeds into a calmer sequence with the piano providing a nervous background and some rock instruments playing shyly at a distance, then the rock instruments and the orchestra play together or intermittently agressive then calmer sections until a distant piano sequence warns of the return of the main "fight", which is layered under a ...guitar solo! followed by the orchestra. Beautiful arrangements and a perfect marriage of rock instruments and orchestra. 5/5 5. Ne piu di un albero... starts with brilliant piano work à la Emerson circa first ELP album, then.... the main album theme of the first number is played by a shy synth, as if asking for a permission to the nervous piano, then some more daring instruments come into the picture, all trying to tease the piano sequence, by playing different themes, then going back to the main album theme. It is a beatiful variation on the main theme of the first song, tackeled in a different way. Then the whole thing is interrupted by a rock pattern providing a rhythm for a jazzy flute. This becomes more like Zappa's orchestral themes from "Orchestral favourites".5/5 6. Nei suoni e nei silenzi. Some beatiful synth solos layered over a heart-beat provided by drums, with the orchestra providing accompaniement. 5/5 7. Di Terra. Last song. Starts with a frenzied celli playing the background for other instruments. This reminds me of King Crimson's "Lark's Tongues Part 1" for some reason. Then the rock drums enter and we are treated to a full blown theme played à la Waka/Jawaka by Zappa. And then...... Everything is stopped by the cello re-playing the background of the main album theme, and yes, here it comes again, the main theme, played by an electric guitar!. Yes, it's another variation on the main theme but this time played with confidence, then all instruments die to give way to lonely piano putting the final (beautiful" touches on this superb album. And by doing so it plays also the main theme, but this time as if to say... goodnight. Then it's over 5/5 Sorry it was so long but I think this album is a masterpiece of very cleverly crafted music, beautiful melodies, a sharp sense of drama, contrast in moods, change in time signatures, and perfect marriage between orchestra and rock band that no other band had succeeded in doing before. It has rock, it has classical, it has Zappa, Emerson, Holst, Ravel, Stravinsky. PERFECT PROG ALBUM. If I can give it 6 stars I wouldn't hesitate.