LA PULCE D'ACQUA

After the huge commercial success of his 3rd album who gave him notoriety to the mainstream public making a good album would have been difficult for every artist. Angelo Branduardi apparently didn't feel any pressure and likely invested part of the previous earnings in the production of his "La Pulce D'Acqua".

I remember we fans were having a lot of expectations about this album and it received also a lot of advertising including posters on the road, something that was not very usual actually.

The vinyl came out with nice watercolor paintings included in the package, one for each song. The cover sleeve is an example of them. This is another symptom of the increased popularity and the investment made by the major.

The album is opened by one of the still most famous songs of Branduardi: "Ballo in Fa Diesis Minore (Dance in F#-)" it's a song which takes inspiration from a medieval leid, the same which has inspired a Blackmore's Night song that's almost identical, and the lyrics are about the personification of Death, a typical medieval thing. This dance is a sort of exhorcism against Death "A turn of dance, another one and you're no longer Master of Time....".

"Il ciliegio (The cherry tree)" is a fairytale about a pregnant girl who asks a gardener to give her some fruits for her son then the tree moves a branch to her. It's the song I like more on this album.

"Nascita Di Un Lago (Birth of a Lake)" is opened by trumpets and classical guitar. It's another fairytale that has its roots in the Greek mythology. Musically speaking is a classical Branduardi's ballad.

"Il Poeta di Corte (The Court's Poet)" is a sort of nursery rhyme, uptime and funny with the efffort of Lai's launeddas. It has the flavor of a medieval ballad. Another song which had a great success actually.

"Il Marinaio (The Sailor)" Is the usual theme of the woman waiting for her husband or lover to return from the sea. A love song that even with mandolin and violins doesn't sound traditional Italian. It's more close to Pentangle or the already mentioned Blackmore's Night.

The title track opens the B side. "La pulce d'acqua (the Water Flea)" is another madrigal- like ballad made with the use of medieval and folk instruments Together with Il Poeta di Corte reminds to a celebration in a castle.

"La Sposa Rubata (The Raped Wife)" Is a dark tale which takes inspiration from a legend directly coming from the myth of Orpheus. From a musical point of view is probably the strongest composition of the album. An excellent song based on classical guitar.

"La Lepre Nella Luna (The Hare in the Moon)" is another acoustic symbolic fairytale about a hare, a fox and a monkey.

To close the album Angelo placed another song about Death as the opener: "La Bella Dama Senza Pieta' (The Beautiful Lady With No Mercy)" has an hippy flavor thanks to the sitar. The most progressive thing of this album that's probably the most progressive album released by Branduardi on which the folk influence (British and Celtic folk, more than Italian) is less evident than usual.