IL VIAGGIO DI COLOMBO

There's a pretty cool story behind this Italian band as they've been around since 1974 but they just weren't able to release an album until this one in 2008.They did release a couple of singles in 1977 which are included here as bonus tracks.The surprising thing when you listen to these two singles is that they pretty much sound the same as the album recorded 30 years later. Once again a thankyou to Finnforest who's review moved me to purchase this record. I'm in love with the sound of this band I really am.The vocals are romantic and in Italian and the whole album has that vintage vibe that just draws me in.

"Ouverture" opens with piano and synths, just a beautiful sound here. Drums before 1 1/2 minutes and bass follows. "Sognando La Meta" again features piano and synths early as drums join in.Guitar too. Great sound here. Chunky bass follows. Some gorgeous guitar here as well. Piano and synths are back before 2 minutes and spacey organ follows. Nice. Vocals before 3 minutes.This is so good.Emotional stuff. It picks back up late. "Colombo" has a good heavy sound to it with vocals and a variety of keyboards. A guitar solo after 3 minutes.The guitar is back and more aggressive a minute later. "I tre Marinai" opens with the sound of a creaking ship and waves as someone on deck whistles. Acoustic guitar joins in then reserved vocals before 2 1/2 minutes. Bass too. It kicks in a minute later with drums and guitar. Back to the mellow section again as contrasts continue. It ends with the creaking ship, waves and whistling.

"Ieri, Oggi, Ancora Niente" opens with accapella vocals which i'm not a fan of but the drums and keyboards take over before a minute. Great sound before 2 1/2 minutes as the guitar and bass join in. It settles back with vocals 4 minutes in until before 5 1/2 minutes when it kicks back in. "Il Silenzio Rumoroso Del Mare" is jazzy with piano, drums and bass to start. The guitar comes in over top and vocals follow. A calm after 3 minutes then it kicks back in after 5 minutes with lots of synths this time. "Preghiera Al Vento" is a short tune with vocals, floating organ, piano and acoustic guitar. It reminds me of early FLOYD. "Tre Giorni (L'Ammutinamento)" hits the ground running with drums, guitar, piano and organ. Vocals around a minute as it settles. It kicks back in with synths this time after 1 1/2 minutes as contrasts continue. "Tierra ! Tierra !" is a mid paced tune until it settles back to a cool soundscape of chunky bass, synths and drums. Guitar too actually. Vocals are back. "Crecando L'Approdo" is a beautiful song with acoustic guitar, floating organ and more. "Conclusione (Il Ritorno)" is the short final track with piano, drums and vocals standing out.

As I mentioned earlier the two bonus tracks fit in here beautifully and only add to this excellent recording. A solid 4 stars.