TIC & TAC

Good Heavens, what's the world coming to?! An Italian band imitating American elevator music? Just horrible and an absolute waste of time - unless you enjoy getting stuck in an elevator where only the piped sound remains operational.

This is the first - and very last - Area album I've listened to as going on this experience, I'd be hard pressed to detect any possible improvement expected of this band. Brass-Rock, Jazz- Rock? Nope. More like quality musicianship gone to the pigs in an effort to conform to a style that some - like myself - would frown upon. Did I say horrible before? If so, I'd repeat it in capital letters - any day.

There is no doubt that the musicians could play, but here they are seemingly Hell-bent to create something that's not to reach even mediocre by any means. Horrible - ah, yes, I said that before...

If you imagine the least quality offerings of the band CHICAGO to go out with the flavour of a Mexican procession band, then this album comes very close to that. Instrumental all the way through, which is a relief as the solo album of their singer Demetrio Stratos left me speechless and only able to rate it - not very favourably.

Area is off my menu for good. Not because it's bad, but for providing a serious disappointment. The musicianship I'd rate 4 out of 5, the material - well, let's just not go there.

Arrivederci - or rather not.