I quite like the works of this prolific Italian musican. The only project I couldn't get into was laZona but from Finnistere, Hostsonaten and my fave one La Maschera Di Cera, most of his output was quite remarkable.

The music which is available through Aries is much more accessible Morning Song and vocals are sung in English. Most of the songs are on the soft edge, and feature delicious female vocals. Simona Angieloni is really the highlight of this album: her crystal voice sounds as a jewel to my ears and combines perfectly with these sweet piano lines (Coming Back To Life). It is concluded with an extraordinary and dynamic guitar solo.

One of the epics starts as a Renaissance track: fine piano lines to back another emotional vocal part from Simona. But this song won't be a long and tranquil journey. It hardens substantially for a couple of minutes which breaks the overall mellow mood available so far. These parts almost sound as Crimson: heavy and dark. Great combination! This is a highlight.

The short has a definite Mostly Autumn structure: a quiet start which evolve nicely into a fantastic guitar solo as if Josh was around…

The second epic includes another vocal feat from Simona. Her voice is really beautiful and charming. The only minus point of this song, is that it sounds a bit too much of the same and it doesn't really kick off (only during short breaks). The whole is nice, well performed of course but I would have liked to get some more variety to be fully captivated. Do I need to say that Fabio Centarini is absolutely wonderful again?

This album features beautiful and melodic music, both vocals and guitar are phenomenal but song writing could have been more diverse. Seven out of ten.

This is another of these hidden gems released by a rather discreet and unknown band.

While the opener is mostly a heavy rock affair, it features a wonderful flute part which is just an enchantment for the listener (at least for me). It is combined again with these super heavy and scary sounds which are not alien to Biafra 80 (from Ange's debut album). It is an excellent start for this album.

As if the band wanted to be forgiven, they produced a sweet and gentle track to follow, which is fully in the vein of what you could find on Trespass. What is amazing, is that the last ten seconds almost sounds as the intro for Burn (yes, the Purple track, released in …1974).

Most of the songs are actually a combination of heavy riffs and the most delicate Italian symphonic prog. Quite a combination I would say. This album is astonishing: the musicians played impeccably, the song writing is excellent and combinations are great. One of the minus points are the vocals and the production (but don't forget that this record was released in '73).

To talk about highlights would almost consist of enumerating each song featured, with the exception of the Quarto Tempo probably: it starts with church organ, catches up with heavy beats for a few seconds and closes as a Hackett acoustic piece. All of this within three minutes!

The fifth movement has more folk roots (both musically and vocally) and it is not the best part from this album. But we'll get there again with Sesto Tempo: some more heavy rhythms combined with medieval aspects. Fortunately, these are not too dominant. The band is transporting the listener into their complex world of symphony, passion and hectic atmosphere. It is another convincing number.

The closing Settimo Tempo is yet again very good: a more complex track which features several theme changes as well as musical styles. It is a very enjoyable track to be honest and an excellent manner to finish this remarkable album.

I quite like this record and I can't think of no less than four stars to rate it. This Italian band plays a music which reminds me of both Crimson and Ange, but with added Italian flavour. Some great music which deserves to be discovered, really.

MY DREAMS... LE ORME DREAMS IN 1968!

10 songs from 1968 for this budget short compilation. Not present Prog songs... Not present Beat songs... And not present... Psychedelic songs! In truth in this phase of career Le Orme produces only Rock/ Proto Prog/ Post Beat/ Similar Psychedelic Rock! Another problem is the poor sound, also in comparison with other Italian releases of those years.

Certainly this compilation present 10 good song for 1968 but that today are all overrated. Sure this compilation is good for Le Orme die hard fans. But for a general Progster... Well... I do not think I should at all costs buy this compilation.

In the specific, the music basically is composed by Fabrizio De André skimful to write a sort of POP/ post Beat folky songs, extremely other than that he recorded but in the same style. Di Palo and de Scalzi's arrengements are extreme Proggy and are another winning element. Also the production is extreme good, at the same level (considering that is from 1968) to sone 90's and 00's albums and is by the same Fabrizio De André and Gianpiero reverberi. At the end, also the cover is great.

The evergreen songs are: 'Ho Veduto', 'Signore Io Sono Irish', 'Al Bar Dell'Angolo', 'Ti Ricordi Joe?' and 'Padre o'Brian'. These are evergreen for various motives. First because are good, then because shooting in another form and with other title, subsequently ('Padre O'Brian'), other because magical... But I do not think (like as I read) because De andré songs. The sounds are not proper Beat or POP but already Proggy, also if not have nothing to do with the sound of 'Searching For A Land'. In a certain sense 'UT' is a similar album. However 'UT' is fully Prog and electric. Is important as noted that 'Senza Orario, Senza Bandiera' can be considered an album where the arrangement, although not important, see the two leaders (Di Palo and De Scalzi) to work by proposing a right mix between their ways of understanding Rock and Prog music. Important is the fact that the songs are basically still Beat in the type of writing and arrengements with POP moments but that De André write these songs with Folk treatment. This fact is important because 'Senza Orario, Senza Bandiera' speak already a new verb: the Prog verb. And in this sense 'Senza Orario, Senza Bandiera' is, correctly, one of the first not English Prog albums in the story of music, in an original form.

This collaboration is, hence, extreme important, also because I am not sure that without this collaboration New Trolls have played and produced Prog music in the 70's. For this motive (and for that I write in this review) I think that 4 stars are really appropriate for 'Senza Orario, Senza Bandiera'.

New Trolls '70 by NEW TROLLS

this collection of singles is not bad. In my opinion is at more low level respect to 'Senza Orario, Senza Bandiera' because present 12 Psychedelic Rock songs very interesting but that does not seem to have survived at the weight of years. Let me explain better: perhaps these 12 songs (still fresh today) are very technical and rightly famous (some are real evergreen) but listening well can only listen to 12 songs, technically high level and fine, but that now seem out of place. How to judge these songs? Frankly, I should judge song for song. Let us better understand the whole.

1. 'Una Miniera': Sure a great New Trolls evergreen. In this album this dramatic song is the better song. Correctly is a New Trolls (and Italian music) evergreen. This song is also few Prog, if the Prog is not only a type of music.

2. 'Cosa Pensiamo Dell'Amore': Well... Typical Beat Psychedelic Rock song. Interesting only for micro soli of band members (but incredibly worst the drums solo). Aged extremely bad!

3. 'Lei Mi Diceva': Typical Hard Rock standard of the end of 60's. Interesting.

4. 'Quella Musica': Romantic Beat song. Incredibly bad! (P.s.: not interesting the insertion of the Beatles' 'Hey Jude' new arrengement),

5. 'Corro Da Te'. See 'Lei Mi Diceva' notes but with more aggressive guitar. In definitive this is a great Killer Track.

6. 'Sensazioni': It is only a Psychedelic Rock song aged not good.

7. 'Una Nuvola Bianca': Another typical Hard Rock/ Psychedelic standard of 2nd half of 60's. Killer parts meets melodic refrains extreme romantic. Aged extreme good!

8. 'Annalisa': Psychedelic ballad with pure Psychedelic Hard Rock intro. Aged in good manner 'Annalisa' is a typical Psychedelic ballad with pure Rock rhythm and great fuzz guitar.

9. 'Un'Ora': An Amurri/ Canfora song. Typical of this duo of authors 'Un'Ora' is totally Beat. More good for a soloist with a voice like Mina... But good and also... Strange this... Extreme New Trolls!

10. 'Io Che Ho Te': Another Beat song. Perfect song for Di Palo's voice. Aged extreme good 'Io Che Ho Te' is, in my opinion, one of the best New Trolls' song, also because the dramatic writing is supported extreme good from the orchestra!

11. 'Visioni': Only a pure Psychedelic song. Famous but aged extreme bad. Good the Brit POP refrain, in every case.

12. 'Davanti Agli Occhi Miei': Another example of Hard Rock standard of 2nd half of 60's but extremely melodic (with strong Brit POP influences in vocal lines and sound). With 'Una Miniera', 'Annalisa' and 'Lei Mi Diceva' another great New Trolls evergreen.

My preferred songs are: 'Una Miniera', 'Lei Mi Diceva', 'Corro Da Te', 'Una Nuvola Bianca', 'Annalisa', 'Un'Ora', 'Io Che Ho te' and 'Davanti Agli Occhi Miei'.

Despite what I said 'New Trolls ('70)' is not an album that can be read today in a positive way. While known that my favorite songs is a search for to build an Italian Rock way, in other songs I find a recycling of ideas is also not very successful. and this fact penalized this collection of singles.

So I do not judge this album in a bad manner. But today is this album good? Certainly yes. But probably only for hystorical merit.

UT by NEW TROLLS

'Ut' is another great album from New Trolls. Probably the more adventurous New Trolls' album in Rock field. 'Ut' is a typical Italian Prog album, not symphonic but Heavy Rock. Strange that De Scalzi not composed even a song but 'Ut' sound in my head like a De Scalzi album!

I admit that the songs are very good also today proper because extremely Rock, also if the songs are 100% Prog. In my new vision of Prog, created in years of study and listen, I can say that 'Ut' is not an immortal album. But proper for this fact very beautiful. The cover is a typical 70's album cover. But the cover is aged extreme bad!

And now song for song:

1. 'STUDIO': Is a Cramer studio for piano and organ. Really Jazzy in this new elaboration. Extreme interesting also for the insertion of Moog synthesizer.

2. 'XXIIa STRADA': Heavy Be-Bop, typical of talian Prog. Short.

3. 'I CAVALIERI DEL LAGO DELL?ONTARIO': Electric Rock with Prog treatment. Maybe the only immortal song of this album.

4. 'STORIA DI UNA FOGLIA': Typical Prog, 'Storia Di Una Foglia' present an acoustic accompanying, some micro rhythmic guitar soli and a moderately romantic falsetto's vocal parts. Probably the more melodic song in 'Ut'.

5. 'NATO ADESSO': Long Rock song with tons of melody and arrengements. The melodic guitar soli and the vocal parts (although in falsetto) anticipate the version of New Trolls with the name of New Trolls Atomic System, also if with the sound of Ibis!

6. 'C'è TROPPA GUERRA': A typical Havy Rock with great guitars. The vocal parts in first verse are moderately Psychedelic, having used a filter. In conclusion of these notes I note that 'C'è Troppa Guerra' is exttremely personal and in a certain sense a great Proto Power Metal song! Melodic and acoustic is the start of final part that have a good reprise of Heavy refrain and a killer guitar solo.

7. 'PAOLO E FRANCESCA': POP song, virually the opposite respect to 'C'è Troppa Guerra'. In truth this romantic song is aged bad.

8. 'CHI MI PUò CAPIRE': Interesting baroque Post Beat in POP field song, typical of the first New Trolls phase, is held up by arrangement and Moog.

In my opinion 'Ut' is the more convincing New Trolls' album except for the three 'Concerto Grosso'. But is this 'Ut' a masterpiece? Probably no. But if you love the 70's RPI probably your answer would yes. And I am in this category of persons!