INTORNO ALLA MIA CATTIVA EDUCAZIONE

'Intorno Alla Mia Cattiva Educazione' is one of those excellent yet overlooked one-shot Italian albums, fortunately recued from the vaults of oblivion thanks to the CD technology. The style of Alusa Fallax is "typically Italian", so to speak: emotional, richly melodic, full of classical nuances and folky acoustic touches. By incorporating a bunch of rocky sections and jazzy passages (...and even some Latin rumba!), the band achieves a repertoire whose complexity may remind the listener of some of the Italian top bands (PFM, BMS, Delirium), as well as early Genesis. Since this is a concept album, it is no surprise that all tracks are linked in a continuing sequence: the segues are fluid enpugh to make the final result compact and cohesive. The flute and keyboard parts are the most abundant ingredients in the mix, though it's fair to say that the electric guitar solos and sax multilayered orchestrations are quite impressive, too: some of the latter remind me of VdGG Jackson's excursions. The rhythm section is precise and versatile. Drummer Duty Cirla's vocal range remind me of Leonardo Sasso's (Locanda delle Fate), though his style is not as romantic, but actually more similar to the bluesy tempered anger of Alvaro Fella (Jumbo). The thread of tracks 1 to 7 (Side 1) is my favourite parte of the album, since I feel that the repertoire becomes a bit repetitive from track 8 onwards (Side 2). Usually, the instrumental passages are used for the development of demanding time signatures, while the sung sections are set on a calmer tempo, as if designed to enhance the ceremonious note conveyed in the lyrics. th eexception is 'carta Carbone', whose sung section is set on a rumba tempo, with the instrumenta lcoda reiterating the same chord progressions on a playful Baroque note. Apparently, the tracks in Side 2 are more somber, with only a few moments of real intensity among the predominant melancholic ambiences. The closing track is majestic in a typically symphonic fashion. All in all, given the inventiveness exhibited in the compositions and the musicians' ability to function as an ensemble, my overall diagnose is positive. This is a great album designed to be enjoyed as a unified whole.