CLICHÉ

Certainly the most enigmatic SS Cd release, this album consist of two different albums recorded in 76, although one content's worth, called Pinocchio Bazaar (from track 17 until 25) did not see a release until the Fonitcentra Cd reissue in the mid-90's, which uses the Cliché artwork and just adds the extra tracks and PB name. To further complicate things, this release starts on two non-album tracks from the same year (but yet another session), but we'll find them on later albums.

Clearly the album Cliché is probably the main reason why SS was approached for the RIO chart. By now (76), the Milan group had abandoned all folk trademarks of their early releases and played pure avant-garde free-form rock mixed with a variety of classical music, ranging from the ultra-)accessible chamber music to modern contemporary composers, even if you'll find goofy circus numbers like L'Escluso. Their music was often more complex than their previous albums (and certainly even stranger), but by no means do we come close to UZ or HC or even EFLB, yet; but it's slight goofiness might still resemble the Samla musical reign, but I wouldn't say that SS" humour is close to the Swedish wackiness that we're sooo used to. It seems Cliché was written as a soundtrack for a movie, which explains why the group shuts up on most tracks. .

The Pinocchio Bazaar "album" (9 tracks ranging from 1:15 until 4:45) slapped on the back of Cliché hovers around the same musical realm than its companion album and production-wise, it's almost impossible to notice you're on a different session or album,s it does not hinder at all the disc's progress

Certainly good value for the money music-wise, the Cd reissue lacks enough information or even the lyrics, but beside that nit-picking, it an be considered as their apex after Apprendista and MM.

Finally the beginning of RIO. The Stormy six have still a lot of acoustics. A mandolin in general sounds folky but in tracks like the opener "1789" (the year of the French revolution) it sounds grotesque. The final fade-out is a pity, but the track is very interesting. Then the piano comes to "Carmine". This piece of piano and violin sounds like classic contemporary. Who could have imagined a change of this kind in the band's music? Not that I dislike the previous efforts, but this is totally different and came actually unexpected.

The story of this album is quite unusual. It's the reprint of two different albums one of them unreleased, but the mood of the two albums is so similar that it's not easy to vcatch if you don't look at the track list.

The first two tracks are two previously unreleased, extraneous to both the albums.

Starting from the third track until track 16 we have a suite inspired by the Shalkespeare's tragedy "Titus Andronicus". It's pure avant-garde, with the same violinist that once was playing country/bluegrass that's now making classic contemporary. The use of mandolin, contrabass and acoustic guitar makes it even more avant-garde. It's not too challenging anyway. Some parts like "Picnic" are easy enough even for those who are not familiar with this genre. Even neo-prog fans could enjoy it.

The remaining tracks are inspired to "Pinocchio" (The album title would have been "Pinocchio Bazaar"). This is more oriented to chamber music and has more melodic moments. I find it easier than the Shakespeare's thing even if on similar chords and mood.

An enjoyable album that can also be used as starting point for people who wants to approach the genre.