SUITE PER UNA DONNA ASSOLUTAMENTE RELATIVA

I've been revisiting this little Italian record the past couple of weeks, and have subsequently changed my mind about it. At first the music struck me as bland run of the mill symphonic rock leaving me completely indifferent, and then here the other day when I was throwing a fit - acting all insane because of all those little irritating bugs that seem to thrive in hot humid weather - creeping and crawling all over my skin, I put this very album on while maniacally waving my arms around out in the garden. I was too frustrated to put anything on that I had a deep meaningful relationship with - not wanting to destroy any of that, and decided to go for the overlooked RPI album with the ridiculous cover art.

Swoop! Out in the grasses a warm heartfelt vibe came tumbling with the first luscious sways of keys and piano, and I immediately thought to myself, that I perhaps had been a bit fast to judge the album. Out there among the humming and buzzing creatures this music really came to life, and for once my neighbours didn't seem to mind the tunes.

Romantic is probably a fair word to describe the feel of this thing, but when heard in such a setting - you really get the gist of what the word actually means. It's the same effect PFM managed to convey with their first two albums - that delicate Italian sense of melody that is as important to their culture as a fine red wine from the steep hills of Barolo. There is a deeper understanding going on with these bands of what really constitutes 'feel' and emotion within music, - and the genius and, at the time, new thing was that they did it with synthesisers. Electronic robotic instruments that were miles away from the wooden heart of a cello, and yet on some of these releases - this one included, you get to hear that unique emotional vibe running through the synthesisers. I struggle to mention any other nationalities that come close in accomplishing the same feat, because where the Germans went for the outer rim of the solar system, these bands actually found a way to echo their natural music heritage in a current modern manner.

I Dik Dik started out in the 60s as a beat band enamoured by the sweeping sounds of the British invasion. When the turn of the decade finally changed the winds and brought with them a newly found curiosity about all things musically, whether that was folk or classical, I Dik Dik naturally jumped the freight train and this album ended up as the fruit of their labour. While not the most progressive of albums from the Italian RPI scene, 'Donna' as it's affectionately called still hits a fair few highs in the course of its running time. Personally I just love the recurring main theme that has a way of sneaking in the back door - either in all out rocking symphonic gestures with drums ablazing and grand pompous orchestration from synths and guitars, or it gently and gracefully pops up in the form of a frail lingering piano melody that literally sends shivers down my spine. The ending deep breaths of this album has a few of these and they are sheer sonic manna from the heavens.

This is also a a very vocal album, and it's here things get a bit generic for my tastes. Usually I adore bands that bring their 60s vibe with them into the 70s - especially when we're talking vocals, but on here they just don't do anything for me. Heartwarming and dripping with emotion they overstep the invisible border between coffee sugar and candy floss country. That is however the only negative in my opinion, and if you're sitting out there looking for bands that work within the same melodic framework as PFM, Le Orme, Samadhi and Latte e Miele, 'Donna' should be right up your alley like a big beautiful Alfa in a fiery apple red.

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