REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA

Forged from the somewhat successful 60s beat / folk band I Fholks, REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA was the result of four of the members carrying on together and joining the ranks of the then current prog craze sweeping Europe in the early 70s. I Fholks had the opportunity to open up for both Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix in 1968 Rome but for whatever reason only released one single and called it quits in 1971. Of the five members of I Fholks, drummer Ruggero Stefani went off to join L'Uovo di Colombo while the other four members: Henryk [Enrique] Topel Cabanes (vocals), Federico Troiani (keyboards), Pierfranco "Piero" Pavone (bass) and Pericle Sponzilli (guitar) formed REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA. Joined by newcomer drummer Roberto Senzasono and keyboardist Federico Troiani, the band released its debut in 1972, the year when the world of prog was arguably at its very peak and therefore the band's album went virtually unnoticed given that many bands were jumping on the prog bandwagon and vying to be heard with bands like PFM and Banco garnering the most attention.

Existing somewhere between the pastoral folk sounds of Le Orme and the more symphonic prog rock heft of bands like PFM and Banco, REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA (Royal Academy of Music) delivered a middle of the road approach that offered equal playing time between the softer and energetic aspects of the Italian prog scene. While not exactly the most original sounding band even at this stage which is considered the band's pinnacle moment, nonetheless REALE ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA delivered an outstanding set of six tracks that offered the entire prog enchilada by infusing the operatic vocal led symphonic prog style typical of 1970s Italy with a gloomy melancholy courtesy of sombre piano rolls and oft mopey lyrical deliveries. Like many Italian bands of the era, this was targeted towards the homeland and exclusively performed in the Italian language.

Starting off clumsily with the super pastoral "Favola," the album takes its sweet time in getting started but the second track, the 9-minute plus "Mattino" showcases the band's ability to navigate the complex soundscapes that wend and wind through various movements like the big boys of prog. The album alternates with simpler tracks that bookend the longer more progressive workouts. "Ognuno" reminds of The Beatles in many ways and evokes a 60s sunshine pop vibe with so me great honky tonk-like piano rolls. The near 9-minute "Padre" takes another peek into prog paradise with a dreamy mellotron-rich opening sequence and that classic prog build up that screams epic. While building up a hypnotic groove with keys, guitars and bass, the track adds a vocal line and offers a brooding mellotron accompany a rather lugubrious vocal delivery. After a slow transition the track adds a mysterious choral break and then lets the guitar off its leash. The track only rocks in space rock mode (think Pink Floyd) but is quite effective in its approach to deliver a darker than usual take on the Italian prog scene.

"Lavoro In Cittá" provides the album's heftiest guitar rock riffing and as one of the shorter tracks is more direct without the expansive exploration of the longer tracks but does completely metamorphose into a more pastoral slower paced rocker. The closing "Vertigine" provides the most fast-paced prog track on the album with a dominant feisty organ sound with a quickened pace throughout the track's seven minute run. The accompanying bass, drums and guitar are also more pronounced and set to rock mode than the majority of the album. Considered the best release this volatile band put out, most critics agree that the particular style laid out here is considered more mature and polished than the more dramatic PFM, Banco, Quella Vecchia Locanda or Il Balletto di Bronzo from the same year. While this band wouldn't stick around for too overly long after this brief moment of glory, the album has gained a bigger audience as the ensuing decades has reevaluated it as one of the great Italian prog albums of the era. While not the pinnacle IMHO, still nevertheless an excellent slice of it.