FRUTTI PER KAGUA

Obscure, raucous, and ahead of its time: These all describe Frutti Per Kagua, the sole album from Capitolo 6. After some lineup changes and furious live activity, the band released its only LP in 1972 featuring one side-long suite and three shorter tracks on the flip side. The main attraction is of course the title track, an 18-minute opus that covers a variety of styles and evokes several different emotions. The primary sound is rock, with touches of folk and sheer balladry. In 1972, no Italian bands were attempting anything this grandiose with the exception of Jumbo and maybe Flea. Both Yes and Genesis would famously release 20-minute songs that year, but I think "Frutti Per Kagua" was quite groundbreaking considering its contemporaries.

"Frutti Per Kagua" grabs your attention with a straightforward rock riff and strong vocals right out of the gate. The tempo increases and adds even more energy. I love the half-time feel at the three-minute mark; these guys could jam, although the Jethro Tull comparisons are valid and fully apparent by this point. Only five minutes in and the feel changes yet again, this time to a sobering ballad. This may be my favorite section of the entire piece, as the instrumental break allows the musicians to really sink into the material and flesh it out. The tempo again gradually increases, until a crescendo of crashing cymbals and rotating Leslie speakers cause the song to self-destruct, and return to a folky slow jam. As the song rides to its close, you get the sense Capitolo 6 could keep going for another twenty minutes, but alas, are constrained by the limitations of the vinyl medium.

"Grande Spirito" was released as a single, but fell on deaf ears. This is a neat litlle song that features some outstanding vocals and synth flourishes. Unfortunately, the last two songs pale somewhat when compared to the excellent "Frutti Per Kagua," and prevent the album from becoming truly excellent. Frutti Per Kagua is still a very good album, but ultimately non- essential until you have filled out your collection a bit. Luckily the Sony CD is still in print and shouldn't be too hard to come by.