CONCERTO GROSSO Nº 2

After their first split up and the separate experiences of the members with Ibis and New Trolls Atomic System, in 1976 New Trolls reunited and tried to repeat the success of "Concerto Grosso per i New Trolls".

Luis Enrique Bacalov composed the music of the first three tracks of this album and the band interpreted them interacting perfectly with an orchestra . Perhaps you can't find here the originality of the album released in 1971 (on the third movement every now and then there are slightly reminiscences of Mike Oldfield's Tubolar Bells.) but the pieces are well structured and well performed. On the second and third movement there are some remarkable harmony vocals and the romantic lyrics are sung in English . "She's many miles away from me / She's wasting nights away from me / But every sing and every tear and every lie and every fear / Are always calling back my love keeping back my love". An amazing example of contamination between classical music and progressive rock.

It's a pity that the other tracks of the album seem to go in another musical direction. Just some nice pop songs (the dreamy "Quiet Seas", sung in English, and "Bella come mai"), some West Coast echoes ("Vent'anni" reminds me slightly of CSN&Y, with amazing harmony vocals built up around a remarkable acoustic guitar work, while "Let It Be Me" is the same song made famous by the Everly Brothers.) and some vocal experiments ("Le Roi Soleil" where the words of the bleak nonsense lyrics are nothing more than sounds while the music reminds slightly of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".)

In the whole an album heterogeneous and not always completely convincing, but with some great moments.