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Prog Archives:
A
few years ago PFM pulled off an amazing comeback album called “Stati
di Imagginazione” which struck me because latter day comebacks of
some favorite English bands had always disappointed me. Now Delirium
have returned with the remarkable “Il Nome del Vento” proving that
the Italians have bested the formula for comebacks-- frankly I think
the difference is that some prog giants see a comeback with dollar
signs in their eyes, whereas Delirium are in it for the right
reasons, first and foremost the love of music. Many prog writers
have proclaimed the 3rd Delirium album to be the best of the ‘70s
lot. While I’ve not heard their first two albums I can safely say
that Delirium 2009 has impressed me much more than the ’74 album did.
This is a work that feels painstakingly crafted with mature
composition and sophisticated, beautiful arrangements. The band is
legit without a doubt: back are Ettore Vigo, Pino di Santo, Martin
Grice, and Mimmo di Martino. Newer members include guitarist Roberto
Solinas and bassist Fabio Chighini. They are joined by a string
quartet and guests including the amazing Sophya Baccini among others.
No shortage of talent! Lyricist Mauro La Luce was brought in and the
perfectly representative cover art was painted by Anna Ferrari.
The album “Il Nome del Vento” (which
if my awful translations skills are accurate would be “The Name of
the Wind”) is a skillfully blended and thoroughly fulfilling
combination of sophisticated symphonic progressive rock and
jazz-rock excursion. I have heard many attempts by today’s decent
high-profile bands at capturing something this ambitious, and even
when the results are mostly good there can be some sections that
make me wince a bit for reasons of either poor composition or iffy
production/performance. You will find none of these kinds of bush
league mistakes on Il Nome, this album is flawlessly executed.
Carefully considered compositions, painstakingly perfect production,
and immaculate performance from top to bottom. |
If there is any negative charge to be leveled at
Delirium for this album it will come from those who feel they play
it too relaxing, not wild enough for adrenalin loving prog
fanatics--consider a quote like this from the book Scented Gardens
written about 1974’s Delirium 3: “All Delirium albums are
pleasant enough but sound too common and pedestrian to be really
interesting.” [Scented Gardens of the Mind]. I have written
often enough myself that even the high quality modern Italian prog
albums lack the “avant-garde” surprises of the early ‘70s heyday.
While that sentiment is true to some extent one should not write off
an album like this because it is far from “pedestrian.” True that
much of the high-minded weirdness of the old days is gone but what
remains is not “common” but exceptional this time around. Maturity
is a word the band might not appreciate but the composition demands
that I use it. These tracks are so beautifully written and perfectly
arranged that I’ve realized sophistication isn’t necessarily the
harbinger of soft middle age I might have thought. Like Wyatt’s
recent “Comicopera” Delirium have infused a degree of elegance that
few bands of any age pull off.
In attempting to describe moments of beauty for which
words don’t do justice, I would say that Il Nome almost has the
classic symphonic influence of “Days of Future Passed,” the
occasional jazz leanings of a Robert Wyatt album, and the upscale
rock of a Zuffanti project. (like I said, encapsulating an album
like this is not fair but at least I gave it the college try!) The
symphonic moments are my favorite when you have these glorious
melodic passages rising from the piano, Hammond, or Mellotron. They
are grand and stately, adorned with Baccini’s lovely backing vocals,
gentle flute and strings passages, lovely to the point of
intoxication. The title track is the perfect example of this with
Sophya’s harmonies just heavenly. From these sections they will
quite frequently veer into jazz-rock territory with saxophone often
taking the lead for some extended workouts.
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