FORMULA 3

"Dies Irae" is around proto prog with heavy Hammond organ and guitars. Don't be fooled, it sounds its own as Mediterranean melodic brings fresh winds. The song parts are pure Italian gentle and beauty. References can go to Atomic Rooster "death walks behind you", ARZACHEL or the injustice unknown German MURPHY BLEND "first loss" (1970); and your usual Italian highly expressive prog.

This album comes with uplifting , energetic and beautiful mood. It has some psychedelic atmosphere used with wisdom as it's balanced with structured (written not experimenting) lines and melodic songs (by Mogol and Battisti). According to "The return of Italian Pop" book: "the group idea was to transfer long suites of avant-garde music into shorter selections without falling into the trap of low quality light music then existing".

By the way, the 1st Camel record is from 1972 and the first Kansas record is from 1974, so don't forget to look to the record date release before saying it's primitive. If you want blow away mature FORMULA 3 go to my favorite "SOGNANDO E RISOGNANDO" (1972) with its eternal classics "sognando e risognando" and "aeternum" this track was recorded in Rio de Janeiro for my highest proud according to the referred book ( and the album was released here too with different cover in early 70's)!

It all starts magnificently with the fine and emotional opener: ''Rapsodia di Radius''. It is a jewel of sweet moments combined with harder passages (it reminds the structure of ''The Musical Box''). This joy though is seriously jeopardized during the weak ''La Ciliegia.''. A weird rock song, at times bluesy, that is best avoided as far as I am concerned. Fortunately, it is the only of that kind featured.

One is projected back into the ''Trespass'' world with the beautiful ''Libertá.''. A wonderful and passionate expression of what symphonic prog is all about. The harmony is incredible, the music is poignant and the crescendo finale is just superb. Another highlight of this ridiculously short album.

The title track has a more rocking feel than the other tracks. Almost spoken lyrics are combined with piano only parts and quite rhythmic sections as well. A transitional number in awaiting of the sublime ''Cara Giovanna''. Another great track from this album. Again, the traditional ingredients of the genre are featured: emotion, delicacy, skills and passion. I have to say that the instrumental sections is particularly well crafted and should give the shivers to an ice cube.

The closing number of this half an hour of music is not very convincing I'm afraid. The chorus of ''Bambina Sbagliata'' is especially painful.

I have a mixed feeling about this work: some pieces are brilliant while other ones are average. At the end of the day, I will rate this album just as each of their previous ones: three stars.

The music played is darker, heavier. The easiest reference that I can find is obviously ELP: you can find a combination of classic piano, but bombastic organ passages as well which will remind you of this great band.

No regressive music here since they were contemporaries. But a deep similarity. There are little breathless moments, few opportunities to say: wow! In general, the album flows nicely: one mini suite after the other.

Little weaknesses either: this is a well balanced album which could please a broad range of fans: ELP ones, heavy prog ones as well as the genuine Italian amateur.

This is a pleasant but not an impressive album. Three stars.

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.

If you like heavy and pumping Hammond organ, the finale of ''Dies Irae'' will please you an awful lot. This is truly a great piece of music.

The other songs are a mix between a couple of short pieces with little interest, some more pop-oriented tracks (''Non è Francesca'') and some fine psychedelic mood, with a typical late sixties sound ('' Se Non è Amore Cos'è'').

This album is quite different of what the Italian genre is offering, but it is also one of the first of its kind (Italian prog I mean). It is of historical importance for the genre but most of the progheads might have some difficulties to enter into such work. If ever you are nostalgic of the early days of psychedelia, or heavy prog (''Sole Giallo Sole Nero'') this is an interesting album, though.

Three stars.

The half dozen short songs (none of them even approaching the six-minute mark) are closer to mild psychedelic pop than traditional Prog. But the best selections, including the evocative title track and the oddly self-titled "Rhapsodia di Radius" (named after its author, the band's guitarist) build to moments of room-filling quasi-symphonic grandeur, all the more impressive coming from a mere trio.

"Liberta' per Quest' Uomo" is another imaginary movie soundtrack (with political overtones?), again featuring lots of ominous acoustic guitars and grand choral effects, complete with melodramatic kettle drum fills. But "La Ciliegia non e' di Plastica" (any English translation of such a colorful title would only ruin it) is a prime slice of slightly skewed Neapolitan pop, probably intended as comic relief.

That leaves only the final two songs: a sentimental ballad smothered in faux-orchestral effects ("Cara Giovanna"), and the album closer "Bambina Sbagliata", close enough in style to be the same tune, slightly rearranged. Neither would sound out of place blaring from a cheap transistor radio in downtown Salerno, and like the entire album show hardly any influence from emerging musical trends outside the country. This is Italian music for Italian listeners, and needs a forgiving pair of ears to hear it in any other context.

A personal postscript: before discovering the South Korean CD re-issue (on the Si-Wan label), the last time I heard the album was in a used record shop on Grant Street in San Francisco's North Beach district, a few addresses away from one of the best Italian bakeries in the city. The music of Formula 3 and the smell of fresh focaccia bread: now that's a perfect combination.

02. Sogno The original keyboard riff is a hit, the battery at the beginning of Tony whole 'confusion', the guitar comes with a very heavy pitch, but without exaggerating. Vocalizations somewhat 'strange' appear among the macabre riffs giving an impression of 'mass-to-any-thing'. The keyboardist Gabriele has to unfold in many to see the role of all the keyboards that decided to put in the sound, never succeed.

03. Con la Stall I Buoi Here the voice first appears in a ballad full of sound and voice effects on (which by the way is very beautiful) as if in a cave. Then the guitar riff starts a killer for the whole band into the wheel. This song has a chorus and interesting, as all three vocal folds by the end of each verse. A battery of ground very nice just damned the opportunity to pack in a band and rock theme entitled to vigorous guitar break and everything. 04. Risognando Risognando just the first part of the disk (E Sogno Risognando) which strangely is not all parties in a single track would be as usual. Here I think the guitar at various times as a cuíca (laughter). L'Ultima Foglia

05. L'Albero Battery in command, keyboards vertigo and 'full', the Hammond makes miracles. This time who commands the entire range of the guitar is Alberto, doing all the melodies, while the keyboard is the perfect bed, just waiting for the time you come into action on a solo worthy of respect. The track is full of climates and face all the time.

06. Non Mi Ritrovo The beginning of battery is not so nice, I do not know whether intentional but here the ground seems to be wrong at any moment (laughs). What's next, yes, climate variations and has Jasons well, filled with layers of keys and a guitar fuzz and interesting. Here is what will a jazz-fusion and interesting.

07. Finale The end of the second part (L'Ultima Foglia) has guitars, leaving the mixture very interesting, the various' orquestrações' the band make a great contrast.

08. Storia Di Un Uomo E Di Una Donna The single track 'loose' has so low of truth (which I have no idea of who the plays), has voice and interesting, rather serious, with beautiful background vocalizations and a melody pretty well. It is the most 'normal' despite the vocal background. Aeternum

09. Tema The last part of the album (Aeternum) is starting a space rock from the underworld, sensational, this time the guys broke everything and in a way unparalleled, instrumental and very well established compound. But it is only an introduction to Part pirada voice, with voice and guitar doubled in focus. But the most interesting are the same voice, those who remind me of the PFM Storia Di Un Minuto.

10. Caccia Strange part of drums, the song had changed its rotation, which makes it very interesting.

11. Interludio This is sensational original piano, a classical piece worthy of the great, reminded me Jürgen Fritz (Triunvirato), Keith Emerson (E, L & P) and Jhon Tout (Renaissance), and that only radical in the choice of the passages. When the band enters the battery is embedded in a very strange, indeed, throughout the disc, some synthesizers appear here, the guitar as if they were single, two walks by boxes of sound the same way as did Brian May (Queen) only that a more modest. And a cool riff. The final part of the song is completely delusional and space. Unless the piano final.

12. Finale To close the disc with a theme just short body. This disc is mostly instrumental, and actually has 3 separate pieces in all tracks, the 3 are 1-E Sogno Risognando, 2-L'Ultima Foglia, 3-Aeternun, and of course also has Storia Di Un Uomo Di Una E Donna.

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Certainly these 16 songs plays good... If you like this type of projects. But in the economy of RPI this 'La Casa Dell'Imperatore Più Cantano Lucio Battisti' is a negligible CD . Even in the economy of Formula 3 discography 'La Casa Dell'Imperatore Più Cantano Lucio Battisti' is a negligible CD. It adds nothing of new... But I can not even say that it is a bad CD. And then, how to judge this 'La Casa Dell'Imperatore Più Cantano Lucio Battisti'? I do not have a clue. Being sincere... And wanting to be without hair on the tongue... Well, I must say that it is a CD that listening pleasure. But how many CDs we hear willingly? Of course this is the new way of Formula 3 music. We can not do anything!

This compilation present 10 songs of Formula 3. The song #10 is a cover of J. South song that in Italian have this title ?Avevo Una Banbola'. This song, never appeared in CD at that time is from 1969 debut single. Is a pure Psychedelic Beat Rock, but interesting. But the power of Formula 3 is not represented even by 'Eppur Mi Son Scordato Di Te', powerful Rock, and nothing more. So the song #2: 'La Folle Corsa' is extreme indicative. 'La Folle Corsa' is another Heavy Rock, also if it is a pure Psychedelic Heavy Prog. The strange thing is the approach to this song because it can be read correctly in both categorizations that I described. In other words 'La Folle Corsa' is epic, heavy and magniloquent. But with great chorus. That are all the ingredients of this type of Formula 3 songs. But, controversial thing, 'La Folle Corsa' is also catchy! 'Dies Irae' is another great song. This band elaboration of a Public Domain song have a Black Sabbath approach. And I said everything! Analysing better 'Dies Irae' we discover that it is very close to Deep Purple. 'Il Vento' is extreme similar to 'Dies Irae' for approach but have the voices. The vocal parts are extreme POP (but furious) but the music is furious, with Proto Punk approach, Psychedelic guitar- organ rhythmic duel. And the production is extreme essential, like the arrengements. Is also great the sitar by Radius, that transorm this Proto eavy Metal also in a Psychedelic song. Interesting mid tempo is ?Io Ritorno Solo', with a great vocal parts and gtreat electric piano. This song is a typical songsongwriter Italian song. But in this version, with also a great Radius guitar and dark power, is great the approach of the emotions: the dark power transform this love song in a pure Heavy song! Certainly 'Bambina Sbagliata' have too POP approach. Remain a great song but without the powerful writing of Lucio Battisti (and the essential production of Battisti) 'Bambina Sbagliata' not have the magic of 'Io Ritorno Solo', 'Dies Irae' or 'La Folle Corsa'. But have a great bass solo. 'Cara Giovanna' is a simple Romantic Ballad, typical of post Battisti period. and I must say that the lyrics in some points are forced, because not too well placed in music. But the catchy guitar solo is great. At this point of this compilation return the powerful Rock/ Heavy Prog of Battisti period of 'Nessuno Nessuno', my favorite song in this compilation. Moderately Psychedelic (for organ partiture) 'Nessuno Nessuno' is one of the more powerful song of Italian Prog and maybe of Italian music. Technical and emotional to excess have a too essential production. 'Nesuno Nessuno' have a good insertion of a pure Psychedelic part that is useless in the first part but that in prosecution becomes extraordinary, even if ends in fade out. Interesting is also 'La Ciliegia Non è Di Plastica', with not good lyrics by Mogol and a music that in some parts (refrain...) is aged extreme bad. And this also because is a typical post Battisti period song.

In my opinion this compilation is the definitive Heavy Prog album of Formula 3. See this CD like a compilation is, in my opinion, wrong. Because for me this compilation preset the summa of pre 1972 Italian Prog. That for sure is great and innovative like the early English Prog. And in definitive I rcommended this compilation even those who hate compilations. Because when a compilation is equal to a studio album there is little to do.