STORIA DI UN MINUTO

It is perfectly clear now that Italian progressive rock has a certain something. A distict flavour of southern Europe, very hard to describe in mere words, even harder when you're trying to describe it in something else than your native language. Now, since this is only my first dabble in a vast and surely varied genre of music, I might just be jumping to conclusions. But could this kind of romantic melancholy and joie-de-vivre (yes, both of them) have been born in any other place? The melancholy isn't melancholic in that dark Anekdoten-esque kind of way, the lighter, happier parts are in no way as bubbly as they tend to be with Yes. And from an outsiders view, Italian just sounds...fresh, even while just picking up the meaning of a few words here and there.

Having aired those few thoughts, music doesn't get much better than this. I put this record on late one night a couple of weeks ago, sat down in my comfy armchair with a glass of whiskey by my side. And what happened was that I couldn't get past the introduction (Introduzione, naturally), Impressioni Di Settembre and E' Festa. I just repeated them once, twice, three times before I could even continue with the rest of the album. Now, a masterpiece album for me always tend to have these characteristics. Some songs that just resonate so deeply with your soul that you feel them, physically, be it by galloping heartbeat or restless legs or not being able to resist laughing out loud, all by yourself. Storia Di Un Minuto not only meets these criterias, it surpasses them with ease.

Now what is this beast of an album if I, against my will, try to break it down musically? I see that many other reviewers cite early King Crimson and Genesis as obvious influences. I agree upon hearing a little KC, but instead of Genesis, I'd say that the biggest influence here is Jethro Tull. The early, jazzier Tull. The period from This Was to Benefit. And I can't help noticing something else, much mure subtle in there. A certain relationship to more proto-prog-like bands. Early Deep Purple comes to mind. Even some Lucifer's Friend. Harder stuff. But it's played not as a tribute, not even as an influence, no, more like as it is expressed sub-consciously. If this seems hard to follow, don't worry, it is. Better to listen and judge for yourself.

Instruments you'll find here include things such as aggeggi, dodici, mandoloncello and ottavino. Exotic names that say very little to me, but they must have a tremendous effect on the music, and certainly add more of that unique, dreamy and often laid-back feeling. I love every instrument, tone and word here. Can't single out what is best, making this the only album I've come across so far, where all instruments are played at the right moment all the time, creating the right mood and atmosphere all the time.

I realise this has rambling praise written all over it, but I hope that the reasons for it are somewhat clear, and that everyone who haven't listened to Storia Di Un Minuto will listen to it in a near future. Worth every penny, and just a little more.

//LinusW