TUTTO PASSA/ CADE UNA STELLA (7")

Five years prior to their captivating RPI full length album, Alusa Fallax were a bunch of young guys trying to get the ball rolling. They managed two singles in that year, this being the second. The years between the singles and the album would be spent playing gigs and improving their craft, getting to know their audience and developing their own sound. Beyond the usual English and Italian influences they would cite "Jesus Christ Superstar" as a major lightbulb which led to their own 1974 rock opera. Obviously this early single is a far cry from their later full length album yet it does reveal their musical talent if not its eventual fruition.

"Tutto Passa" sounds like many other period Ital-pop songs with a blend of the traditional romantic ballad tinged with light psych 60s vibe, very light! Gently strummed acoustic guitars are accompanied by organ and piano, with warm but very well behaved Italian vocals crooning along. There is really no development in a progressive sense, just a nice melody that fades away after three and a half minutes. Likewise, the flip side "Cade Una Stella" is nearly identical to the A side yet even shorter at 3 minutes. Aside from some nice piano playing it is almost completely uneventful.

Two stars not because this is bad music but because is simply not required for anyone but hard core Italian pop collectors. Prog fans can skip the singles and proceed right to their wonderful 1974 RPI gem.