A VOLO RADENTE

These days it seems that just about all the vocal music I listen to is sung in a foreign language, but occasionally I hanker to know what these bands are singing about. So with that in mind I thought it might be an idea to have a bash at translating some Italian lyrics. Okay, probably not the best idea I ever had as the results offer some very broken texts, therefore it's not an experiment I'll be repeating in a hurry. Anyway I think I got the gist of most of the songs, enough to do me until one of the Italian speakers comes along with a review.

In broad terms ''A Volo Radente'' is a light progressive album of catchy melodies and hooks, interlaced with the odd dissonant instrumental to tickle your fancy. The music is firmly grounded in the '70s tradition although the digital keyboards sound distinctly Neo. This album strikes me as deeply introspective in nature, a dreamlike collection of tales with the common threads of darkness, shadows, mysticism and illusions running through many of the tracks.

The first song ''Racconti Perduti'' translates from Italian as the band's name, Lost Tales. It's highly typical of much of the material on the album, the main body of the song built on a catchy melody and broken up by a melancholic passage somewhere in the middle. The lyrics contrast darkness and dust, false gods and myths with indifference and apathy, cold cynicism and hypocrisy to suggest the common quality of each. The song finishes: ''Browse through the pages and you can change the sense of reality, reading the book of your lost tales''.

''Corno e Avorio'' (Horn and Ivory) mixes biblical themes with legends of ancient Greece and Rome. The gates of horn and ivory appeared in the ''Odyssey'' and ''Aeneid'', and are a literary image used in order to distinguish true dreams (of real events) from those that are false. True dreams (of fulfilment) come through the gates of horn; false dreams (of deception) come through the gates of ivory. After Eden, no longer in the shadow of God and subject to the random nature of existence, man wonders: ''tell me where we go, where this restless dream will take us, which gate will open, whether of horn or ivory''. This song opens with some harsh-toned guitar, and quickly develops into another catchy Neo-vibe with neat synthesizer and guitar solos.

The haunting intro and beautiful guitar solo, and the rhythm and tempo changes of ''A Volo Radente'' (Flying Low) should leave a lasting impression on fans of 70s-style music. It's a great track that features what I think are some wonderful lyrics: ''Beyond the silence, into the unreality of these identical and pointless days in a slight movement, a beating of wings and then forever on''.

Apart from some brief wordless vocals, ''Big ERTO in the Magic Valley'' is an instrumental and is perhaps a ''cautionary tale'' of man's folly. Erto is a village in the Vajont valley in the northeast of Italy, the scene of the Vajont dam disaster of 1963 which left almost 2,000 dead and brought destruction to the Piave valley. The valley was evacuated and remained empty for three years until survivors returned to reform the villages in the area. This track changes from funky, with wah wah guitar and forceful drumming, to eerie and threatening, with Fripp-style guitar and tribal toms. It also features a micro-homage to King Crimson as at one point the music comes to an abrupt halt, identical to the climax of ''The Court of...''.

The lovelorn ballad ''Tu Lascia Che Sia'' (You Let It Be) features piano and chiming guitar that help to create a sense of pining for lost love: ''empty phrases, worn out clichés... lock away the lies''. The song ends on a hopeful note as the protagonist promises to open his heart in the future, although the music still has that feeling of yearning. Perhaps it is already too late for him?

''Verso Il Buio'' (Towards The Darkness) is a jaunty little song that seems at odds with its dark subject matter: ''Here isolation has already become a disease, look for the way people have tired of lies, with eyes closed they don't realise it's now dark all around us''. This is probably the most mainstream composition on the album, maybe a little too commercial for some tastes.

The instrumental ''Corona Borealis'' is obviously inspired by the small constellation in the northern sky. Corona Borealis means ''northern crown'', the name taken from the wedding diadem that Dionysus gave to his consort Ariadne. According to legend, it was a crown of seven stars that was set in the heavens as the constellation after her death. This is the album's big-hitter that seems to reflect the cult of Dionysus. It starts off heavy on the Hammond and drums (the release of powerful impulses), which leads into a synthesizer flurry (the necessary catharsis). After that comes piercing guitar and organ (final relaxation and relief). Outstanding stuff.

''Altre Estati'' (Other Summers) is a tender ballad that vanishes into the mist like little bubbles of light: ''Rusty leaves strewn in an alley, like our thoughtful summers that slip away''.

''A Volo Radente'' is maybe a teensy bit bland for those who prefer a walk on the wild side of RPI, but is recommended to those who enjoy melodic progressive music with a twist of Neo.

Warm, positive, and melodic

Lost Tales is a quartet from Venice who began together in the late 1980s. Their lone album to date, 1999's A Volo Radente, was released on Mellow Records. Lost Tales is one of those bands bridging latter-day symphonic and neo-prog, with laid back Italian vocals and lush instrumentation. I imagine that they are probably influenced by later 70s Genesis and similar symphonic bands, along with the historic neo-prog bands. They remind me a bit of the German band Rousseau and their lovely debut "Flower in Asphalt."

Steeped in melody and well crafted songwriting passages, the band mixes the grand symphonic vision with the more dynamic synths and the slower pacing which often occurs in neo-prog bands. Friendly Italian vocals are the main connection to RPI for me personally, otherwise the band sounds like many other 90s melodic prog bands. The sound is absolutely lush and tinged by some bucolic fantasy, conjuring images of natural beauty and idyllic lifestyles. Strummed acoustic guitars and soft-cloud keyboards lay a wonderful backdrop to nice, juicy lead guitar work, often reminding me of Nick Barrett. On other tracks it breaks through with uptempo jamming and more fiery keys and guitars, but for a good chunk of the album, beauty is the word that most describes the music. The piano (always my fave) and the interesting guitar work on "Tu Lascia Che Sia" are marvelous and sweet. The 7-plus minute instrumental "Corona Borealis" is probably the album's highlight, full of so many pleasing sounds and smooth transitions: majestic keys, tranquil keys, power chords, Hammond, atmospheric build-up and climactic guitar solo. Very, very nice! As Chris pointed out the album is not highly original or sassy enough to truly enthrall those of us who like the rough and rowdy RPI stuff, but it is well done and it is sumptuous listening.

A solid album that is highly recommended to anyone who loves the melodic and pastoral side of prog-rock. If you like this stuff, be sure to hunt down that old Rousseau album too!

LOST TALES are from Italy and they released this lone album back in 1999 through Mellow Records.Vocals are in Italian and the music is quite good with keyboards and guitar usually leading the way.These guys know how to create a melody that's for sure. I got a kick out of the picture in the liner notes with them all wearing jean jackets. I can only imagine their excitement and the ideas running through their heads with the release of this their first album, but jean jackets ? It just looks like they went out and bought four new jackets just for the picture, that's all. Hey I used to wear one faithfully in High School (late seventies) and probably have one somewhere in the house. Anyway, how the hell did I get side tracked like this ?

"Racconti Perduti" kicks in before a minute with synths out front.Vocals follow as it settles some. Synths and drums standout when the vocals stop.Vocals are back and when they stop this time it's acoustic guitar and a beat leading as the song continues to play out. I like it ! "Corno E Avorio" is the only track over 8 minutes.The guitar leads early as bass, synths then drums follow.Vocals before a minute. Synths lead after 3 1/2 minutes when the vocals stop.Vocals return around 5 minutes then we get a guitar solo that goes on and on from before 6 minutes to the end. Nice. "A Volo Radente" opens with atmosphere and picked guitar.Vocals join in just before a minute. A beat with piano also helps out. Guitar leads before 4 minutes as the tempo picks up.Vocals are back 5 minutes in as it settles back.

"Big Erto In The Magic Valley" is a catchy instrumental until vocal melodies arrive before 2 minutes. It then turns experimental. Some cool sounding guitar 4 minutes in then the vocal melodies are back. "Tu Lasga Che Sia" features these atmospheric synths to start then reserved vocals and strummed guitar join in. It turns fuller before 1 1/2 minutes. "Verso Il Buio" opens with vibes? that i'm not a fan of. Vocals and a releaxed sound a minute in. It picks up before 3 minutes but not for long. "Corona Borealis" has some prominant organ featured in it. It settles a minute in with synths, drums and laid back guitar.The organ is back with a heavier sound after 2 1/2 minutes as it continues to change. "Altre Estati" is mellow as reserved vocals join in.

I like this album and especially that they chose to sing in Italian. Although I can't read anything in the liner notes. Oh well there's always jean jackets to amuse me.

Lost Tales is for sure one of the lesser known acts from italian prog school with a short career even, they are not disbanded they released only one album in 1999 A volo radente at mellow records. Born in Venice in 1989 Lost Tales, offers a romatic symphonic prog in typical italian style, very reminescent of classic bands of the '70s from Italy. The music as I said is elegant, romantic with nice instrumental passages and warm voice. There are aswell two instrumental pieces where it showing the potential this band have or still has, very nice. All pieces stands as great, maybe with a plus on Big Erto In The Magic Valley or Racconti Perdut, the rest are also more then ok. maybe in some places little to mellow for my taste, but still good. 3 stars for sure, 3.5 in places.