Orme, Le - Felona E Serona


Year of Release: 1973
Label: Phillips
Catalog Number: 842 507-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 33:29:00

The highlight for me on this excellent album is the percussion, especially in the first track "Sospesi Nell Íncredibile", not to take anything away from rest of the instruments - or rather, the musicians who play them. But, based on the percussion alone I'd recommend Le Orme's Felona E Serona. Although not so much during the rest of the album, Aldo Tagliapietra sounds quite a bit like Peter Gabriel in tone and delivery.

There are moments when the music is Genesis-like - "La Solitudine Di Chi Protegge Il Mondo" for example, with its arrangement, which is sparse but for tinkling piano. This is involving and evolving stuff. It's epic and varied, say on the order of "Supper's Ready" - but don't expect their version of "Apocalypse In 7/8". The keys on "L'Equilbrio" are Emerson-esque - which means they are almost played as a percussive instrument, the with more melodic qualities (though that isn't to suggest that it is the only style Emerson plays in, but it is one of his most distinctive).

Felona E Serona is considered their masterpiece, at least by some. There's no questioning that it very well could be, but as they are still a going concern, their best may also be yet to come. It's certainly one of the best discs in my collection. A good mix between rock and folk elements. "La Solitudine?" also a very light and airy feel about it, a sing-a-long quality that shouldn't be viewed as a negative. And towards the middle, some beautifully swirling keyboards. I don't recall if Marillion (or other neo-progressives) were influenced at all by Le Orme, but a case certainly could be made, based on this disk alone. The transitions and contrasts between and within the tracks are similar to what Marillion later used on Misplaced Childhood. But, the case could also be made that Le Orme took those elements from Genesis, as did Marillion. Because I'm not familiar with the whole Le Orme oveure yet, that really is a hard judgement to make. Though again, if this were the only evidence, a case could be made.

Is that what makes this such a great disk? Of course not. What makes this a great disk is the trio of musicians here - Aldo Tagliapietra on vocals, bass, and guitar, Toni Pagliuca on keyboards, and Michi Dei Rossi on drums and percussion. It's the keys which give this a fuller sound, making you think there certainly must be more than three of them - but of course, like ELP before them, looks can be deceiving.

Lighten your wallet a little and seek out this classic disk - you'll thank yourself (probably by buying the others we've reviewed here).

By the way, Peter Hammill (Van Der Graff Generator) wrote English lyrics for a different edition, about which Al Gunnison said, "The Hammill lyrics are real dopey - stick with Italian version." (Progression, pg 10, Issue 10, Jan-Feb 1994)

Also, I'm not sure when this CD edition came out, as there's no date on it, so I've used the original release date... just in case you were wonderin'


Tracklisting:
Sospesi Nell Íncredibile (8:43) / Felona (1:58) / La Solitudine Di Chi Protegge Il Mondo (1:57) / L'Equilbrio (3:47) / Sorona (2:28) / Attesa Inerte (3:25) / Ritratto Di Un Mattino (3:29) / All ?nfuori Del Tempo (4:08) / Ritorno Al Nulla (3:34)

Musicians:
Aldo Tagliapietra - vocals, bass, and guitar
Toni Pagliuca - keyboards
Michi Dei Rossi - drums and percussion

Discography:
Ad Gloriam (1969)
L'Aurora Delle Orme (1970)
Collage (1971)
Uomo De Pezza (1972)
Felona E Sorona (1973)
Contrappunti (1974)
Le Orme In Concerto (1974)
Smogmagica (1975)
Beyond Leng (1975) (English version compilation)
Veritzà Nascoste (1976)
Canzone D'Amore (1976)
Storia O Leggenda (1977)
Le Orme Vol 1 (1977)
Le Orme Vol 2 (1977)
Le Orme Antologia 67-69 (1978)
Le Orme (1978)
Florian (1979)
Piccola Rapsodia Dell'ape (1980)
Venerdì (1982)
Le Orme (1983)
Live Orme (1986)
Orme (1990)
Grandi Incontri (1990)
Antologia 1970-80 (1993)
Le Orme (1996)
Il Fiume (1996)
Amico Di Ieri (1997)
"Gioco Di Bimba" E Altri Successi (1998)
Studio Collection 1970-1980 (2005)
Progfest '97 (1998)
Anthology (1998)
Le Più Belle Canzoni (1998)
Gioco Di Bimba (1999)
Gioco Di Bimba E Altri Successi (2000)
Elementi (2001)
Risveglio (2001)
L'Infinito (2004)
1967-1969 - Le Origini (2005)
I Successi (2006)
The Collection (2008)
Live In Pennsylvania (CD/DVD) (2008)
Live Orme (LP) (2009)
The Universal Music Collection (2009)
Progfiles: Live In Rome (2010)
La Via Della Seta (2011)
Felona E Sorona- Deluxe Edition (Eng/It versions) (2011)
Felona E Sorona 2016 (2016)
Amico Di Ieri (LP/CD reissue) ClassicOrme (2017)
Sulle Ali Di Un Sogno (2019)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin IT

Added: February 1st 2000
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.leorme-officialfanclub.com
Hits: 3603
Language: english

  

[ Back to Reviews Index | Post Comment ]