YS

And the time for me to review this masterpiece has come. It took me almost a couple of years to finally put my feelings into words regarding this record and mostly because I wanted to share with you the experience of beholding Gianni LEONE perform live on stage. Just amazing. He's undoubtedly one of the best front men that irradiates this kind of energy, passion and power through his gifted voice and refined skills on keyboards. A true character indeed and a very unique human being.

Listening to almost of the "YS" tracks live (except for "Epilogo" and "La Tua Casa Comoda" included as a bonus track on the 1994 remaster), was quite indescribable since the band sounded off exactly the same as on the original album. But the performance carried away by Gianni on stage as he impersonated Dorian GREY behind the crimson red of a lipstick walking around on high-heels with a wig and shades on, simply gave the chords of "YS" a whole new meaning.

The dark instrumentation of the album is completely devouring. The rareness can be breathed from beginning to end along the unstoppable key striking of the Mellotron, organ and piano. Although most of lyrics in Italian are clear to me, grammar doesn't allow me to put together more than two or three sentences continuously but even so, I can feel the anguish, the emotion and the eeriness.

Devoted as I am of concept albums, "YS" fulfills perfectly all of my demands and expectations every time I make the record spin inside my mind. The album follows up this vertiginous depicted line on a very straightforward lane that turns the constant flowing of the music into a circular, almost minimalist moment, just like the record never stops whirling on the player.

Also, I find Gianchi STRINGA's display on drums wonderful. Indeed there are skillful moves that could barely be compared to the work of some other gifted drummers. The sound is well-educated, precise and very, very astonishing. And what to say about the strings team in here; they're elapsed suitably to LEONE's voice on every single episode and movement.

Not only a determinant part to entirely appreciate Italian Symphonic Prog but also a jewel lost in time. Even when the band never produced yet another work of art like this again, IL BALLETO DI BRONZO will always be remembered for "YS" and for the bright and genius it's got. I cannot think of this album without the highest rate over the Archives and in the world of music altogether. Not recommended to listeners who suffer of heart and stomach conditions, that's for sure.