THE ESSENTIAL BOX SET COLLECTION

"The Essential Box Set Collection" is a very special compilation album from Area which was released in 2010. This is an interesting package that includes their debut studio album "Arbeit Macht Frei", from 1973, their second studio album "Caution Radiation Area" from 1974, their third studio album "Crac!" from 1975, their fourth studio album "Maledetti" from 1976, their debut live album "Are(A)zione" from 1975 and their second live album "Event '76" from 1979.

As I've already reviewed these six albums previously on Progarchives, in a more extensive way, I'm not going to do it again. So, if you are interested to know, in more detail, what I wrote about them before, I invite you to read all those reviews. However, in here, I'm going to write something about them in a more short way. So, of course, I'm not going to analyze them track by track, as I made before, but I'm only going to make a global appreciation of all those albums.

"Arbeit Macht Frei": "Arbeit Macht Frei" is a pure jazz rock/fusion album with great intensity. This will probably appeal more to fusion lovers and avant-prog fans than to the average RPI fans. It's more adventurous and challenging. It's emotional and unforgettable. It's an adventurous and intricate album that will repel some and compel others. This is one of the most important Italian prog albums of the 70's, one of the best releases of that sub-genre. "Arbeit Macht Frei" put Area at the level of their compatriots, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Le Orme.

"Caution Radiation Area": "Caution Radiation Area" is very different from "Arbeit Macht Frei". "Arbeit Macht Frei" represents Area's early sound, eith folk melodies, Canterbury Scene sound, acid psychedelic stile and avant-garde experimental jazz, all together filtered and mixed through a special Italian sensibility and taste. "Caution Radiation Area" is more experimental with electronic effects. It's the album where the experimental music was more introduced. It's darker and intends to provoke and disturb the usual listener. It's more "radioactive" and needs a caution approach.

"Crac!": "Crac!" has a great mix between jazz and RPI. It has a perfect fusion between the instrumental parts and Demetrio vocals in RPI. It has some of the best and most popular songs of the band, "L'Elefante Bianco", "La Mela Di Odessa" and "Gioia I Rivoluzione", keeping the long instrumental parts, one of the greatest features of Area. "Crac!" is one of the most influential albums in the Italian prog scene. It's a classic album in its genre and is highly recommended for those who love to check something different and fresh. This album should be part of every serious prog collection.

"Are(A)zione": "Are(a)zione" is an excellent live album. It's probably their best live album. The live versions are closer to the original versions. It's a short album with only five tracks. Still, it has two lengthy amazing tracks "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)" from "Arbeit Macht Frei" and also the title track "Are(A)zione", which is an original track. So, "Are(A)zione" is perhaps the perfect choice for anyone to start with Area, and in some way it tells their story better than the band's studio albums, or even better than their compilations. This is an excellent addition to any prog collection.

"Maledetti": "Maledetti" is much more experimental than their previous third studio album "Crac!". Its music is chaotic with several influences like traditional Greek music, Arabian music, avant-garde music, free jazz, jazz rock/fusion, funk, Mediterranean music and classical music. Despite "Maledetti" isn't as good as "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Crac!", is better than "Caution Radiation Area". It's more balanced and it's less dark, more modern, and especially, it has two of their greatest masterpieces "Diforisma Urbano" and "Gerontocrazia". This is one of the finest and creative works from Area.

"Event '76": The radical concept of music of Area isolated the band from the developments in the music scene. It's hard to found any imitators or followers of them. It remains the courageous and difficult attempt of a radical reinterpretation of music, art and interaction. Area was far ahead of their time on the prog music, which never went down on such a thin ice. If there is one of their works that shows so clearly that radical concept, is "Event '76". It's anything but a reference for the usual proghead. But, who deal with the free forms of jazz and the contemporary music maybe is able to like it.

Conclusion: "The Essential Box Set Collection" is an excellent compilation album of Area. It includes almost all the studio albums from the band with the presence of Demetrio Stratos. The only exception is the absence of their fifth studio album "1978 ? Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!" released in 1978. And that it was really pity, indeed. If "1978 ? Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!" was included, we would have here the complete essential studio works from Area. But, it includes also two live albums. "Are(A)zione", is probably Area's best live album and "Event '76" is, surely, Area's most avant-garde album. So, here we have a great showcase of Area's music, which shows the different facets of Area, their most experimental and their most RPI too. So, this is an excellent package for those who don't have yet all these works. It's always a great introduction to the very own world of Area. It's highly recommended.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)