IL PAESE DEI BALOCCHI

Truly, a musical revelation to me at so many levels. Like it's happened to so many other bands out there, it took IL PAESE DEI BALOCCHI only one single production during their short lyrical career to be reminded of. This 1972 album is certainly one of those overseen gems that remain constant over the decades and which enchantment lasts forever. For the purity of its wholeness, I can tell of majestic and virtuous minds crafting such a wonder. Inexplicably how, the record has it all: surprising evolution in its composition and progressiveness, captivating argumentation all along its musical arrangement and a certain blend within the passages and movements that in spite its closeness to the sound of well-known iconic bands, happen to have a sincere uniqueness. And finally regarding the mere context of the album even though it's not a concept one, all the songs are strangely linked together by a thin instrumental line that uncovers this sort of mystical perception.

The record ignites so anxiously violent through the storming sound of drums and keyboards that suddenly get cut off the scene by this set of ravishing strings leading on the first ear-impression to a deep, dark passage just to retake from the beginning and explode all over again. Simply indescribable. Out of first listen, I surrendered before my weakness for delicate keyboards and thus, Armando PAONE won a chapter from that inner battle that goes inside my head.

I'm still incapable to describe what I listened in here. Yes, it's got the Italian Symphonic wit and heart, but any possible comparisons were and are nothing to me until today that I'm typing this down in order for me to detail a full landscape of comprehension. What I do know, is that sometimes it's not necessary for a song to run for over twenty minutes to caught ones expectation that waits uneasy to burst into a flame of emotiveness. I got to felt that within brief seconds that hardly turned into a minute and I'm talking about "Canzone Della Verità" which for the common ear could be just a prelude for the upcoming track on the album but I believe it's indeed an overlooked excerpt of joy and passion necessary to put together the whole conception.

Completely, a mood swinger. It has the ability to make you cry your eyes out and the power to turn you into a fearful, helpless soul due its obscure, evocative sound. If there's anything I could point out as a musical shortcoming on the album, would be the last couple of songs, "Fantasia E Poesia" and "Amore Per Gioco" that honestly, don't suit the ambiance I just tried to detail for you all and that's why I'm giving it the almost perfect rating. Nevertheless, it's a great addition to your collection, that's for sure.