UOMO DI PEZZA

Le Orme has now reached its fully symphonic side after some hesitant debut. An average debut album, an awful compilation of their early material and some sights of better things to come during Collage.

But this Uomo Di Pezza is superior. By far.

It opens on a smooth and almost pastoral Una Dolcezza Nuova. This song sets the tone for this very good album. Subtle, harmonious and very emotional. Each being a characteristic of this genre that I like so much. Just listen to Aldo's profound voice. A superb performance throughout the album.

La Porta Chiusa is seriously entering the world of ELP. Bombastic keys, convincing bass play and performing drumming. A well-known recipe. Almost heavy at times (during the instrumental parts), it combines lighter and vocal moments. A good combination for a good track.

But my favourite song from the album is Breve Immagine. Indeed much, much too short. This song is magical. Very much PFM oriented, it holds a jewel of a melody and so sweet and brilliant mellotron. One of my highlight. A shivering track, for sure. I wish I would be fluent in Italian the words...Bellissimo

The same sort of marvel follows. Figure Di Cartone is a fantastic and dramatic song. Full of superb harmony, but most of the songs here are of this calibre. A delightful journey in this beautiful music delivered in the most Italian symphonic manner. Brilliant again.

The same tone prevail during the melodic Aspettando L' Alba. Vocals are splendid again and brings the listener to a world full of sweetness, poetry and beauty. A highlight.

If one excludes the short Gioco Di Bimba which is a childish and commercial little tune, Uomo Di Pezza is almost perfect.

I won't be as laudatory either about the closing number. Alienazione is more complex and dark (hence the title). Crimson wouldn't have denied the paternity of such piece. Not the symphonic Crimson. The tortured one. But all the work here is of course keyboard-oriented (and therefore has some ELP flavours as well; especially in the first half).

1972 was a very good vintage for the Itamian symph genre. Storia Di Un Minuto, Darwin and this one. Almost the best of these three legendary bands (PFM, Banco and Le Orme).

I'm lacking some more guitar sounds maybe, and some longer and elaborate songs.

Four stars for this work.