FORMULA 3

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Album produced by Lucio Battisti. All songs by Battisti-Mogol. OK, that's good psychedelic rock (reminiscences of Doors and Jimi Hendrix appear every now and then, especially in the long opener "Nessuno nessuno") but it is far away from the "Italian prog" of other groups of the same period. In my opinion if you like this kind music is better listen to the solo works of Lucio Battisti than to this stuff. I don't think this is a bad album, but definitely it is a useless one: Cicco, Lorenzi and Radius are good musicians but the songwriting is not their strength and so in this album they act just as interpreters and lack originality... An album very far from essential indeed!

This is Formula Tre's second effort: they try to go out from the pure psychedelic old form of "Dies Irae" and, within the supervision of the fabulous couple Battisti-Mogol, manages to build up their most famous work (not the best one, obviously). This was not intended to be an excursion into the vast horizons of the borning star of progressive rock, but has all its fierce heat, its passion. Probably people who are not into the music of Lucio Battisti cannot really understand this pecualiar way to italian "art" rock. It's all matter of appearence, by the way... I noticed so much people think this is just a pop album, due to the highlights in it. Non-italian people would probably lose the great part of the pleasure of this music, 'cause part of its secret in hidden in the lyrics written by Mogol.

Do not expect this is another trio a la ELP, please. Music's structure is simple (but not banal at all). I mean that here you can listen only to three players on, respectively drums, guitar and keyboards (organ hammond, I presume). Sometimes it's necessary to reduce music to its essential form. This is what Formula Tre do with the self titled release.

The most proggy (as well as long) is perhaps the strong opener "Nessuno Nessuno" (No One, No One, 11,01 mns) prefiguring their majestic 1972 album "Sognando e Risognando". Warm and melodic vocals mixed with a strong rythm 'n' session (special mention for the drums' player Toni Cicco). Keyboards and choruses close the song's structure with delicacy, promising for new great tunes. It's rather difficult to find comparisons in the music of this band due to its uniqueness in all the italian classic prog scene. I'd say, for those who know him, that Formula Tre (in this album as in the next one) sound like the hard side of Lucio Battisti. In a similar vein also the second tune "Tu Sei Bianca, Sei Rosa, Mi Perderò" (You're White, Pink, I will Lose Myself, 4,12).

Then starts the long serie of songs which became rapidly a CLASSIC in all the italian popular music scene: still nowadays Formula Tre are well remembered for these tracks, all issued as singles: the poetic "Vendo Casa" (I Sell Home, 2,47 mns) and their biggest commercial success as a single "Eppur Mi Son Scordato di Te" (But I've Forgotten You, 3,35). I always like the electric guitar's riff here... a little comparison could be found, in part of its instrumental part, with Santanas' Abraxas-era.

"Un Papavero" is builded up a words' game (Poppy or True Dad: papavero or papà vero...this is only for the italian people, sorry...).

Another big seller is "Il Vento" (The Wind, 4,44 mns), one of the most favourite of mine from the band, and the strongest of the whole record.

"Mi Chiamo Antonio Tal dei Tali e Lavoro ai Mercati Generali" (My Name's Antonio, Mr So- and-So, and I work at the General Market, 5,50 mns) is a funny track, mainly for the sharp lyrics and double meanings...

On a prog scale, this album undoubtedly comes after "Sognando e Risognando" and "La Grande Casa". A good one, though, for the year 1971. If you like Sognando e Risognando and La Grande Casa, this one has to be yours!

Most of the principles that were recognizable in their debut are featured here as well: psychedelia, heaviness, but with some subtlety and emotion that is directly linked with the genre. But let's be honest: it was really difficult in those days to get acquainted with these Italian recordings.

As I have said about some German bands from the same era (and which I quite like BTW), is that this type of music should have sounded quite outdated in '71. At the end of the day, the great psyche days were '66 through '69. Later on, this type of music could have been taken as old fashioned.

Nonetheless, the long opener ''Nessuno Nessuno'' offers some fine and solid musical moment. If ever, like myself, you are orphan of these days: you might be interested. Especially while you have discovered the powerful and emotional ''Un Papavero'' which is my fave from this album.

As I have said in a previous review, this band plays quite a different music as one might expect from the genre: most of the time hard with some great vocal moments (like ''Venda Casa''). But when I have to listen to ''Eppur Mi Son Scordato Di Te'', I have to say that I have a difficult time.

I guess that the faithful Italian prog fan might get lost while listening to their first recordings, but this is still a valuable effort. Not a masterpiece of course but a good album: three stars.