AREA GOLD EDITION

At some point I will attempt to review each album individually, but I at least want to highlight that this is a fantastic Area compilation - it features their first four studio albums in total (Arbeit Macht Frei, Caution Radiation Area, Crac!, and Maledetti) as well as a few tracks from Are(A)zione and Event 76. The only downside is that the tracks are jumbled across three CDs, so if you want to play the albums as they were intended you will need to burn new CDs or edit tags if you wish to rip the CDs. This compilation is still a little hard to come by, but if you can get it the value is unbeatable - you'll not find a cheaper way to acquire these essential albums from one of the finest progressive rock bands not just from Italy, but of all time.

Review Nº 504

'Area Gold Edition' is a compilation album of Area, which was released in 2007. This a very special compilation that features all tracks released on the first four studio albums of Area, the albums from 1973 to 1976. So, it includes the six tracks of 'Arbeit Macht Frei' from 1973, the five tracks of 'Caution Radiation Area' from 1974, the seven tracks of 'Crac!' from 1975, the seven tracks of 'Maledetti' from 1976, plus four live tracks, three tracks from 'Are(A)zione' of 1975 and one track from 'Event '76' from 1979. But, strangely, the tracks weren't put in their usual chronological order.

So, 'Area Gold Edition' has twenty nine tracks. 'Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's built around the ethnic and traditional music, probably from Greece. 'L'elefante Bianco' is from 'Crac!'. It's almost an instrumental with ethnic sounds and variations all over the theme. 'Cometa Rossa' is from 'Caution Radiation Area'. It's built around the ethnic music that shows their type of music and the unique vocals of Stratos. 'Le Labbra Del Tempo' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's a complex track influenced by jazz with an interesting rock section that often changes its structure. '240 Chilometri Da Smirne' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's an avant-garde instrumental free jazz piece with a nice sax work. 'Labbattimento Dello Zeppelin' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's an avant-garde, weird and bizarre piece with experimental noises of several instruments, including the voice of Stratos. 'Gerontocrazia' is from 'Maledetti'. It has several influences that demonstrate the great interest of Area in the ethnical music. 'Scum' is from 'Maledetti'. It's a free jazz/fusion track with electronic effects where Fariselli takes the front with his piano. 'Giro, Giro Tondo' is from 'Maledetti'. It's an avant-garde jazz/fusion track with some emotional vocals dominated by piano. 'Nervi Scoperti' is from 'Crac!'. It's an instrumental, a vibrant and tense piece with some nice guitar and keyboard solos where drums are the star. 'Gioia E Rivoluzione' is from 'Crac!'. It's an acoustic and peaceful track with melodic lines that features acoustic guitars and powerful vocals of Stratos. 'La Mela Di Odessa' is from 'Crac!'. It's a complex jazz rock fusion track with symphonic tendencies and experimental sounds. 'Consapevolezza' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's a jazz/rock track with exotic atmospheres, hypnotic rhythm and suggestive vocals. 'Zyg (Crescita Zero)' is from 'Caution Radiation Area'. It's an experimental track with distorted industrial noises and electronic experimentation showing the psychedelic rock side of Area. 'Brujo' is from 'Caution Radiation Area'. It's a wild free jazz/fusion track with nice electric piano, bass, percussions, guitar works and some vocal experimentation of Stratos. 'Mirage? Mirage!' is from 'Caution Radiation Area'. It's a track with a mix of contemporary music and free avant-garde jazz/fusion music. 'Megalopoli' is from 'Crac!'. It's an instrumental intricate track full of energy and influenced by jazz rock fusion style. 'Caos (Parte Seconda)' is from 'Maledetti'. It's an avant-garde track, with some chaotic electronic sounds, noises and voices. 'Il Massacro Di Brandeburgo Numero Tre In Sol Maggiore' is from 'Maledetti'. It's a short fragment of a deconstructed version of the classical piece from Bach's 'Brandenburg Concert number 3 in G major'. 'Arbeit Macht Frei' is from 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It's an avant-garde jazz track, innovative, which typifies the band to an unconventional musical approach. 'Evaporazione' is from 'Maledetti'. It's an introduction to that album where Stratos tells us there is something important to communicate. 'Diforisma Urbano' is from 'Maledetti'. It's an instrumental track, a perfect, fantastic and surprisingly upbeat funk jazz/fusion track. 'Lobotomia' is from 'Caution Radiation Area'. It's an amalgam of distorted electronic sounds and noises that reminds me the contemporary music. 'Implosion' is from 'Crac!'. It's a free instrumental and experimental track where each member plays an instrument improvising in their one way. 'Area 5' is from 'Crac!'. It's a weird, experimental and bizarre track full of improvisation, with solos and noises. 'Event '76' is from 'Event '76'. Here, the band tries a concept of random improvisation. The result is an 'ordered chaos'. Freedom is the focus of the music. 'Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero) (live version)' is from 'Are(A)zione'. 'Are(A)zione' is from 'Are(A)zione'. It's a track with free improvisations of a harmonic invention made by the band. 'L'Internazionale' is from 'Are(A)zione'. It's a vanguard associative of a free experimental version of the communist hymn, 'The International'.

Conclusion: This is an interesting compilation of Area, not only because it has a great set of tracks, but also because the tracks weren't put in a chronological order, despite the first four albums are present here in total. So, we have here what are in general considered the four best studio albums of Area, although I continue to consider that '1978 - Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!' is another amazing album, not much lower than the other four. Besides that, here we have also three great live tracks from Area's best live album, 'Are(A)zione' and an original live version of their most experimental album, 'Event '76'. So, 'Area Gold Edition' is an excellent compilation and a great showcase of the Area.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)