SOTTO IL SEGNO DELLA LAMPREDA

The 1970s RPI movement had the occasional jester band that would hide behind pseudonyms or have no pictures or names. Other groups had tongue-in-cheek band histories that would prompt more questions than they answered, and sometimes myth and legend creeped in to fill in the blanks. Just a couple that come to mind would be Ballettirosadimacchia, Jacula/Antonius Rex, and Horus, but I know there are more. The latest would be Milan's Il Buco Del Baco. I'm not going into their fantastical yarn-spinning myself, but you are welcome to read Andrea's biography of them on their ProgArchives artist page if you want to start digging into their mysterious past. I will comment only on their recent recording Sotto il Segno della Lampreda, which may be homage to the great bands of the '70s RPI scene presented with all sincerity and heart.

I'm not going to pretend these guys have Banco/PFM/Area levels of chops because they don't, but you don't need to be king of the hill to make a compelling album. And I loved this deep bench RPI album with its contrast of the reserved with the splendored. First off, as it should be if you're trying to do homage to RPI, we have a short 32-minute album. Perfect running time. Less is more. This philosophy carries into the songwriting as well. The album has a sparseness to it that I find so appealing. It is not the wall-to-wall density and bombast so common on many prog titles. Instead the players let each other have space while what they are playing is relatively slow to the point of sounding a bit understated, ditto the vocals. It ends up finding its own quirkiness in sound style and reminds me of past albums like Bibbo's Diapason, MO.DO, Persimfans, or Apoteosi. The relatively lonely keyboard lines used to move things forward have a wonderfully uneasy sense of melody, feeling almost like the distant sound of a carnival ride across the fairgrounds. While it's supposed to be a happy sound, it ends up feeling a bit strange and off-putting. That's how this album makes me feel, and it is unique to find something quite like this.

Some may call this album a mirage or write it off as more of an oddity than a "real" prog rock title, but I find it to be a marvelous re-creation of some of the more obscure titles that were around in the mid-'70s. I think they achieved beautifully what they were trying to accomplish. There is a lot of to-the-fore bass lines, vintage keyboard sounds, flute, and perhaps less guitar than many rock titles. At times the vibe will shift from symphonic into psych trippiness, even occasionally getting close to avant-garde or light electronic before pulling back. And then suddenly, quickly as it started, it is over. The older I get, the more I appreciate an effort like this: brimming with creativity, surreal, and yet instead of trying to recreate the wheel or bash you over the head with volume, speed, or dazzle, they simply slow things down and paint with thoughtful, endearing brushstrokes while conjuring contemplation of our collective mystery of existence---or, in this case, pursuing affairs of the heart under the deep blue sea. I can see this album getting some low ratings for the same reasons I rate it highly. They have an approach that is not going to work for everyone, but that is more than okay. The people for whom the approach does connect---the dreamy set---are in for a treat.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to Finnforest
• Report this review (#3190081)
• Buy IL BUCO DEL BACO music online with PA partners
• Show all IL BUCO DEL BACO MP3/Stream
• Go to IL BUCO DEL BACO page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Sotto il segno della lampreda page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for IL BUCO DEL BACO related discussions