Tuesday 8 July 2008

STONED MOON (pscikadilik musick)

ROCCHI CLAUDIO

VOLO MAGICO N°1

Original Issue: 1971 Ariston (AR/LP 12067)

Reissue: 1994 Vinyl Magic (VM 047)

Margot-meter: 4,5 moons / 5

First track (18 minutes long) of this LP was (and still is) undoubtedly Italian psychedelic-folk masterpiece; a truly fantastic track even if you do not understand Italian language.

This will appeal to a lot of the blog's aficionados!

I do not agree with the narrow scope given in the review reported below but, you know, very little can be found in English language relevant to this gem...

01 - Volo Magico N°1
02 - La Realtà Non Esiste
03 - Giusto Amore
04 - Tutto Quello Che Ho Da Dire

from Planet Mellotron:

Ex-Stormy Six bassist Claudio Rocchi released his second album, Volo Magico n.1, in 1971, playing contrasting styles on opposite sides of the LP, with a side-long jammed-out piece on the first side, and three more straightforward singer-songwriter tracks on the reverse. This is actually only borderline progressive, to be honest, with Volo Magico being more late-period psych, and none of the shorter tracks having enough complexity to really qualify. However, none of them are bad at what they do, although it all sounds a bit trippy to my ears, and probably won't appeal to your average fan of the Italian '70s progressive scene.

There's a little Mellotron on Volo Magico, though there's a slight possibility it's real strings. Either way, it only turns up twice during the lengthy piece, with a short chordal section each time, so we're not exactly talking essential listening here. There's also some unidentified woodwind on the closing ballad Tutto Quello Che Ho Da Dire (probably the album's best track), but it's almost certainly real. So; OK album, mediocre 'Tron, not really for progheads at all. And for what it's worth, yes, there was a Volo Magico n.2, although its main title was La Norma del Cielo.

Andy Thompson

5 comments:

Lambda said...

huge thanks

Anonymous said...

Somehow you keep coming up with unique and interesting things! Thanks for your continued efforts, Bruce (Portland, Oregon)

Anonymous said...

Be sure to check out his others like "Essenza" (just as good, IMO), & his "La Norma del Cielo - Volo Magico N. 2 ", as well as his R.I.O group, STORMY SIX !

~vdorje

the cosmogonic escrotolitum said...

and Mamma Non Piangere, too

Duck said...

I liked the long track, but overall, as a prog fan, I see where the reviewer is coming from. In the sense which concerns him, this doesn't compare to classic Italian prog (e.g. Franco Battiato). I've heard good things about Stormy Six, so maybe I'll check them out too.