PACIANA STORY

Little known half-Dalton rarity

"Paciana Story" may be called an "opera" on the front but really the music is folk-rock with light prog touches. It was a conceptual work based on the life of a Robin Hood type brigand from the Bergamo area named Pacin Paciana (1773-1806). Legend has it this man stole from the rich and gave to the poor (kinda the opposite concept of today's Capitalism) going so far as to leave food for them in mountain shelters. He apparently is still something of a folk hero in the Bergamo area to this day representing rebellion against authority. The "pop opera" was even transformed into a theatrical presentation with actors and musicians touring theatres for a few years. The album itself was recorded in the studio of Raminghi's Franco Mussita and privately pressed. It was an offshoot project from Dalton written by keyboardist Temi Reduzzi and featuring their guitarist Aronne Cereda. Reduzzi apparently left Dalton between their first and second albums along with their flautist while Cereda appears on both Dalton albums (Argitari and Paciana Story both came out in 1975). The Dalton history is pretty hard to follow.

Musically "Paciana Story" is simply wonderful albeit for a pretty limited audience. It is a mixture of traditional Italian folk music and melodies with light rock, pop, and some marginally prog treatments. It is tailor made for those with a love for Italian folk-rock. As often happens with these rarities the first time I played it I wondered what the hell I just spend $20 bucks on! But does this ever weave its way into your heart after a few plays! Like many of these projects it was more of a musicians collective than a rock band per se and the recording definitely has the "home-made" feel to it. Loose, warm, personal, and festive, much of it plays like party music that I hear frequently blasted by Mexican immigrants in our working class neighborhood. Lots of gregarious vocals accompanied by acoustic guitars, bass, flutes, piano, trumpet, sax, and percussion. The proggier touches come courtesy of the piano, occasional mellotron washes, and swirly brass effects-again there are what seem like speed variances as you listen, and I just can't be sure whether these are intentional for effect, or actual sound problems. Either way, they only enhance the charm factor for me personally. "Tema Conduttore" features a somewhat cheesy synth earworm part that is reprised at the end of the last song adding to the concept feel, you'll laugh at it but it will stay in your head for days afterwards. "Tema D'Amore" is another highlight with beautiful piano and mellotron, lovely male/female vocals, trumpet, and dreamy atmospherics. "Alla Moda" and "Licenziamento" both feature some '60s sounding trippy psych guitar leads. "Rapimento" is pure wide-eyed sing-along folk music. The closer "Salto Dal Ponte" is actually some pretty dramatic Ital-prog though not loud or harsh certainly. Musicianship throughout is not flashy but it is quite good nonetheless.

All in all this is a wonderful little album of music that is quite moving to me even if its interest may be limited to the Italian prog/folk fan community. Another huge thanks to AMS/BTF for issuing this rarity in fine gatefold mini-lp sleeve format. It features remastered sound, nice booklet, gorgeous cover painting, and inside a drawing of Pacin and photo of the mountains he adventured in.

Paciana story was a mid-70's Italian project, following an idea of Dalton's keyboardist Temistocle Reduzzi and journalist Luciano Capoferri to musically perform the story of Vincenzo ''Paci'' Paciana, a mythical figure of Bergamo during the 18th century, who was the Robin Hood of the area, stealing from rich and giving the poor, unti he died falling from a bridge in the Brembo river, chased by the police.The studio project featured five additional musicians/singers, among them Dalton's guitarist Aronne Cereda and the album ''Opera Pop'' was recorded in 1975 at the recording studio I Raminghi's bassist Franco Mussita.

This is very delicate and romantic Folk Rock with plenty of acoustic textures and a few proggy overtones, while Reduzzi always supports the music with his synths, electric and acoustic piano.Lots of male and female vocals present the thrilling bio of Paci Paciana in some very good vocal arrangements with warm singing.The music, while remaining fairly soft throughout, has an inner atmospheric content, mainly due to Reduzzi's symphonic keyboards and jazzy electric piano, while half of them contain the smooth electric guitar touch of Cereda or even some ethnic vibes through the sax and clarinet of Ferdinando Ghisleni.Of course the main driving forces remain the folky textures and the album has a strong singer/songwriter feel as a whole, but Reduzzi's obsession to constantly use his keys adds always a light proggy feeling.A couple of tracks are also close to DALTON's sound like the excellent closer ''Salto dal ponte'' or the keyboard-drenched ''Tema condutore''.

Paciana story toured the theaters for some years, featuring over a dozen of musicians and actors in a very good Folk/Pop/Prog opera, that definitely should have been a great experience if caught live.The nice CD reissue by BTF makes the album easily approachable and this comes warmly recommended to all fans of light Progressive Rock, Folk Rock or melodic Italian Prog.