IL VOLO / ESSERE O NON ESSERE?

As everyone here already says, IL VOLO is indeed one of the most wonderful Rock Progressivo Italiano bands, but sadly each of their works is too short to make our stomach full. King Record, famous label for European progressive collection in Japan, has released a compilation album with their two works. This album could notify me, without any knowledge about IL VOLO, that I should feel the album was their one work with two parts of a story on each LP side. The total time is about one hour, that we can hear at one gulp(!).

Exactly, each work is so terrific.

Their first work Il Volo has two faces, one is heavy and strict, and another gentle and rich. Especially, in my humble opinion, the most important stuff on this 'part' is bass sound by 'OLOV'. (Although we tend to think Alberto and Gabriele are the hot points...) Listen to the first track Come Una Zanzara and feel how aggressive, strict and unique they are. And the 'part' has some beautiful songs, Il Canto Della Preistoria, Sonno, and so on.

Second Essere O Non Essere? is not on the commercialism (and in those days quite a few fans can't understand its greatness), and has more Oriental and progressive flavour. Of course, I consider one of the important facts is exotic percussion by Gianni. Essere! This bulky mass can attack and blow us perfectly. Let me say this song should be their masterpiece.

It's quite regretful I suggest IL VOLO couldn't keep the activity and progressiveness and was broken out. But surely we all RPI fans should keep their fantastic play in mind...forever!