L'ANGELO RINCHIUSO

4.5 stars - Honestly

I enjoyed Aldo's "'Nella pietra e nel vento'' in the sense that it was a strong album filled with several catchy stand-alone songs that learned more towards italian folk than anything else. Kind of similar to "Florian".

First of all, I think it's wonderful that he's 68 years old and seems to be far from "calling it a day". I hope he's releasing albums thru his 70's and beyond :-) We're coming to that with many of these reunion bands and such who are in their middle 60's now (ie, Barclay James Harvest who's "North" album is a worthy addition).

"L'Angelo Rinchiuso" is not just an album by a key progster who's "past his prime". This is one of the best albums he has done (IHMO) since Contrappunti.

if you're expecting this to be a "pop" album or a song-based album (like his "'Nella pietra e nel vento'' album) simply because this is released as an Aldo Tagliapietra album, I can assure you that this is more appropriately "1972-1974 Le Orme prog" rather than "a solo song-based album by former Le Orme member Aldo Tagliapietra".

On this album, he teams up with members of a newer italian prog band called "Former Life". Unlike "Nella pietra e nel vento" (italian folk), this album seems to be a return back to the days of Vintage Le Orme ala analog italian keyboards and 70's sounding guitar work/drumming.

I even hear riffs that are very similar to parts of "Felona E Sorona" (Passato E Futuro, etc..) with the bouncing bass lines and swirling pianos. I know I'm jumping all over the place but the closer has some excellent vintage sounding keys about.

There is not really one particular "stand out song" that says "classic song", rather the album consists pretty much of strong parts that flow together to make up the whole album. At the end of the album, I'm saying "There's no incredible track but they're all good/very good that make a full enjoyable listening experience".

I'm *so* hearing "the missing tracks" of "Felona E Sorona" it seems :-) I know "la maschera di cera" paid homage to "Felona E Sorona" last year by doing what appeared to be "the sequel to Felona E Sorona". Truthfully, this particular album serves better as a sequel to Felona E Sorona.

Putting it bluntly, if you like Felona E Sorona, Uomo Di Pezza and Contrappunti, you really should get this album and treat it as a continuation of those 3. Parts of this album are at the same level as the above three. Certainly (to my ears), it's better than anything I have heard by Le Orme since Contrappunti (I feel this is better than Verita Nascoste, Storia O Leggenda and *any* other Le Orme/solo Aldo album since Contrappunti). Although post "Piccola Rhapsodia Del Ape" Orme had some "good" albums, I always felt they were a step or two below the "vintage Orme era of the 70's". They tended to lack the warm/cozy vintage 70's sound and replaced them with the more modern/digital keyboards, etc...

On this particular album, it seemed obvious to me that Aldo was thinking "Going to make this sound 1970's again like Felona E Sorona with no digital keyboards or slick modern- sounding guitar work/drums". He definitely accomplished that goal as this album sounds like going into a time machine back to 1973.

Feels like this album could have been released between "Felone E Sorona" and "Contrappunti".

The last 2 songs really close this album out in a very nice "70's italian prog"-like fashion.

I know I should not care about this but I'm very impressed that Aldo had this album in his creative mind at the age of 68. I forgot to mention, his vocals are excellent in this.

In this day and age (especially since I live in America and they seem to worship Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus here), it's so darn refreshing to hear an album such as this. This album is yet another reason why I "look across the Atlantic" or "look towards South America" or "look towards Japan/Australia" for my music.

Vunderful!!!!!

I think Aldo has another album or two or three in him...

One of the most important musicians from italian progressive rock scene in last 50 years is for sure Aldo Tagliapietra, known specially from legendary band Le Orme. Besides his contribution as vocalist and bassist in Le Orme he also has a solo career, begun after his mother band split in 1982. His first solo album saw the light in 1984. After the reunion of Le Orme of course with him as main figure in 2009 , he releases after that two more solo albums, one in 2012 followed by the one is to me his best solo album so far L'Angelo Rinchiuso released in 2013, he also has another album released after this one named Invisibli realta in 2017.

Well, L'Angelo Rinchiuso is by far, at least for me, best solo album under his name and why not one of his better albums in his entire career. It has that special romantic italian atmosphere, vintage sound all over, symphonic prog is all about here and a solid one from start to finish.

His voice is warm and is fiting this particular type of prog very well and really great instrumental sections, all is done with taste and in the true spirit of the italian prog school. All pieces stand as great, maybe with a plus on Io Viaggio Nel Tempo or title track.

All in all a real treat for prog listners, I was really pleasent surprised, to me one of the better albums from italian prog scene in last decade, really, is that good and beautiful performed. As a plus, the famous Paul Whitehead is present with the cool art work who is hand in hand with the music. 4 stars easy.