Osanna - Palepoli (1973/2004 JP Remastered Ltd. Mini Gatefold Sleeve Edition)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Album: Osanna - Palepoli (JP Remastered Ltd. Mini Gatefold Sleeve Edition)
Released: 1973 (2004)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Warner Fonit/Arcangelo - ARC-7061
Palepoli begins with a pounding medieval drum, which turns out to be the messenger of great things to come. Flute and distant children's voices appear shortly. Next the full band is faded in, playing at full power in a heavy, up tempo, folk rock part that is followed by a raucous guitar solo. The mood slows down and a longer spacey, pastoral part follows with beautiful mellotron playing (a bit like King Crimson). The tension builds again after several minutes with guitar and dual flute leads, which develop into a more symphonic rock melody. This constant variation of styles continues throughout the album - flute/guitar lead hard rock, dreamy mellotron parts, spacey symphonic progressive, occasionally rather chaotic free rock sections, etc. Just like the Semiramis album, they play with infectious energy and great intensity. Palepoli covers a wide range of styles, moods, and tempo variations, and Osanna handle these diverse modes of playing superbly. An ultimate classic! - Sjef Oellers, Gnosis Ratings
'Palepoli' is Osanna's crowning achievement, and a definite cornerstone in the hard wave of Italian prog - the band members themselves describe it as the first Italian opera rock ever (in their offcial website). The album consists basically of two sidelong suites, plus a brief reprise of 'Oro Caldo' intro that serves as an individual interlude. From the very beginning of the first suite 'Oro Caldo', you can anticipate that this is going to be a very special experience: the North African Muslim intro, with those hand drums, and those evocative, exuberant flute lines, with street sounds laid in the background... until an incendiary heavy bluesy rock section surfaces and contaminates the ambience with its infectuous red heat. The constant riffing of two guitars, the burning solos on guitar, flute and sax, the solid rhythm section, all of these elements are handled with finesse and attitude, while the softer side of Osanna's music is managed in the shape of acoustic- driven interludes between the heavier sections. The presence of layers of keyboards (mostly mellotron, but you can also hear some occasional organ chords, as well as weird synth effects) gives the overall sound an epic dimension. But the album's leit-motiv is not the power or rock per se, but the adventurous management of the diverse consecutive musical ideas: what you find here is a well crafted, lunatic collage of heavy rock, Mediterranean folk, psychodelia, electric blues, exotic Arabic colours, Wagnerian pomp and circumstance. The influences of JT, VdGG, Led Zep, and 69-70 KC are obvious, but not overwhelming. The musicians handle their inheritances with an inspired sense of originality, as well as skillful musicianship and devoted enthusiasm - particularly, D'Anna on saxes and flutes, and Guarino on drums and percussion, but the ensemble as a whole is simply terrific. Once you're finished with 'Oro Caldo', you're prepared to receive the other tout-de- force 'Animale senza Respiro': personally, I find this one less achieved in comparison, since it gets lost in meandering at times. But it is not without its brilliant moments: a few examples, the opening martial tune, the fiery drum solo near the end, and then, the symphonic closure, where the combination of organ and mellotron shines like a tower of gold. Maybe the sound production is a little "primitive", but it shouldn't distract us from teh fact that the music contained in this recording is amazing beyond words - who knows, maybe a more polished production work would have spoiled some of the essential fire of 'Palepoli'... A masterpiece! - Cesar Inca Mendoza Loyola, ProgArchives.com
Incredible Italian progressive. "Palepoli" is regarded as the group's best album, and it's an awesome mix of Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator and King Crimson, but with a sound of its own. The 20-minute "Oro Caldo" starts in an almost ethnic way, but after a while it bursts into a energetic vocal part with great flute. I don't know why, but sometimes this reminds me a little bit of some Spanish progressive bands. The whole track is great and with very energetic instrumental parts that may is inspired by "21st Century Schizoid Man"-Crimson. The 22-minute "Animale Senza Respiro" is even better. This track has also some very symphonic parts with beautiful mellotron. The saxophone riffs sounds awesome, and the music is always very energetic and complex. A fantastic album that should be in every serious prog fan's collection. Some members of this band later joined Uno. - VintageProg.com
What’s the meaning for the title “PALEPOLI”? It’s not so difficult to say…the band’s origins are in Neaples which was named by the ancient greek settlers: “Nea Polis” means “New City”. Palepoli is an opposite meaning “Ancient City” from the greek words “Palea Polis”. That’s their challenge: to represent the purest spirit and the most ancient face of the “Parthenopean” city of Neaples. This is the sense of that strong Mediterranean influence which makes the album a unique example of all tha Italian prog scene of the seventies.
I was wondering what does represent the album cover…an opened window to…it seems to me part of the famous renaissance Babel’s Tower painted by Pieter Brugel the Older in 1563. The Bible’s Chapters on the Humanity’s Origin from which derives this scene, represent the origin of the foundation of the ancient cities and empires…also represents men’s greatest arrogance against God. For that reason He punished them confounding their languages!
Does then the album represent a critical description of the wrong and deep-rooted aspects of the famous vesuvian city? Osanna’s imaginery is somehow oscure and it’s not easy to understand the lyrics’ meaning! I can found many social, political (even ecologist) themes…don’t understand the fulcrum of the concept completely!
By the way this is the first Italian opera-rock of the seventies, very similar in its structure to albums like Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play. People usually compare it with those Jethro Tull’s works. I have a different opinion yet, not only the music parts but even the atmospheres being quite different. Similaritie can be found only in some flute and guitars interludes. Sometimes the band appears to show some Van der Graaf Generator’s influence, expecially for the great sax playing provided by Elio D’Anna and for some darker and sinister compositions. Others could see affinities with Balletto di Bronzo and even King Crimson. I’m sure that’s not the point, yet! Palepoli is an original piece of art!
All the concept is played with remarkable equilibrium, a great mix between the stronger and harder electric parts and other more acoustic and intimate folk movements.
What could I say more? Let’s take another listen to this “MIRABILIS” 1973 masterpiece! - Andrea Cortese, ProgArchives.com
The structure of Palepoli is very similar to albums like A Passion Play and Thick As A Brick from Jethro Tull. Each side of the album contains 20-minutes of an album-length epic. However, the music, rather than being Jethro Tull-like, is influenced by early King Crimson(jazzy sax-driven parts), and the Italian prog-rock of the time. So, the music alternates between heavy guitar/sax-led sections, and softer flute/mellotron interludes. Ideas come and go rather quickly, and most sections last no more than 2-minutes or so. It also appears that Osanna basically connected shorter songs to build a larger epic. I really like the vocalist(who sings in Italian). His voice is almost like a warmer version of Klaus Meine from The Scorpions. Palepoli is a very unique album that has never been duplicated. - Zoltan's Progressive Rock Webpage
Osanna are generally regarded as one of the best and most innovative bands to come out of the entire Italian '70s scene. Their debut, 1971's L'Uomo (***?) is good, if not groundbreaking, but their soundtrack to Milano Calibro 9 (****) from a year later is where their reputation begins. Some versions of this album credit 'Mellotron', but after close listening, I can confirm that there's none to be heard; much orchestral string work, but that's it. My copy doesn't even mention Mellotrons.
'73's Palepoli is almost certainly their best work; apparently it's a concept album, or 'rock opera', but without any Italian it's impossible to say. Consisting of two side-long tracks bisected by the under-two minute Stanza Citta, the material is highly impressive, with complex instrumental interplay making it a 'difficult', though ultimately rewarding listen. Effectively a continuation of the style of Milano Calibro 9 applied to extended composition, this album is rightly hailed as one of the best of the genre. On the Mellotron front, the only 'Tron to be heard from Lino Vairetti during the first several minutes of Oro Caldo is an understated cello part, but about seven minutes in, a huge strings part erupts from the speakers in time-honoured fashion, with several other sections throughout the piece. Animale Senza Respiro has a little less, but the quality of the music here overshadows the actual sounds being used, which is as it should be. - Planet Mellotron Album Reviews
Back in 1993, I was a bit lost trying to figure out what kind of music I should try. I was discovering several lesser known prog acts (GENTLE GIANT, SOFT MACHINE, HENRY COW, even PFM) though ROLLING STONE books on record collecting. Then I met this guy from Eugene, Oregon who was a big time prog rock fan, and I was asking questions about these bands since he knew a lot more than me. And he gave me a blank tape. One side was MUSEO ROSENBACH's "Zarathustra". The other was OSANNA's "Palepoli". And here I was 20 years old at the time, not realizing there were way more Italian prog than just PFM, and I was totally blown away by this tape.
On the subject of "Palepoli", well tracking down a CD reissue seems to be a bit more difficult (it's time this album received a more permanent CD reissue print, and make it more readily available through places like Amazon). I still listen to it through that cassette to this day, ten years later. Finding an orginal LP isn't exactly easy to come by either. In 1993, "Palepoli" was by far the most challenging and exciting prog rock I've heard up to that point. The JETHRO TULL, KING CRIMSON, and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR influences are quite obvious. Lots of twisted passages, very aggressive, and tons of Mellotron. This album also benefits as being OSANNA's only album to be sung entirely in Italian (the thing that often bugged me about their other albums was their English wasn't that great). The music never stays one thing for long, one minute they might get in to a minblowingly intense jam, then next they quiet down with some sinister sounding passages, then they get all quirky and silly the next. Easy to get in to this is not. LOCANDA DELLE FATE, PFM, or CELESTE this is not. But if you like the more aggressive end of prog, you're certain to enjoy this. - Ben Miler, ProgArchives.com
Osanna's opus, Palepoli, is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Italian progressive rock out there. Like Il Balleto Di Bronzo's YS, it is also fairly abrasive and inaccessible, which could disappoint many listeners looking for a good introduction to that prog hotbed. Both albums have a hard rock edge, and where Il Balleto based much of it's sound on keyboard pyrotechnics, Palepoli uses tons of saxophone and flute, though still mining much of the same sort of dissonant and experimental territory.
I hear healthy doses of two of my favorite bands in Osanna's music, Van Der Graaf Generator and Jethro Tull, as well as a significant King Crimson influence. This makes for an extremely chaotic and heavy blend, with wailing saxes and driving guitars, as well as a significant portion of ripping flute melodies over a solid hard rock foundation. Occasionally, the music lapses into quiet melodic moments reminiscent of Genesis circa Nursery Cryme or Trespass. A major problem with the album is the fairly horrendous sound quality, and many of the more chaotic moments, which could be absolutely mind blowing, end up sounding like a jumbled mess of screechy saxophone and drum parts. This album truly needs a remastering job before I can enjoy it on the same level as many of the other Italian classics.
The album is basically two songs spread out over what were originally the two LP sides, with a sort interlude at the end of side 1. The main song on side 1, "Ora Caldo" is excellent and is definitely able to hold my interest over the entire track. The song definitely recalls the best of early Tull and Van Der Graaf, but infected with their own distinctive style. The vocals are also quite good and though the poor sound quality takes away from it, it doesn't obstruct the music that much. The side 2 track is not quite as strong, being much more experimental and not as cohesive. By this point my attention would start to wander and the muddled sound quality definitely started to grate on my nerves. I don't know if there is a remaster of this album coming out any time soon, but if there is, wait for it. Otherwise this is a fairly solid Italian release, and they are definitely a number of absolutely incredible moments on the album. - Greg Northrup, ProgWeed.net
One of the greatest bands in the italian prog field, Osanna came from Naples, formed in 1971 by the members of I Volti di Pietra and Citta Frontale (another band with the same name came from Osanna ashes and recorded El Tor) whose keyboard player Gianni Leone has gone to Balletto di Bronzo. Reeds player Elio D'Anna came from Showmen, the others didn't have significant experiences.
During their four years lifespan Osanna failed to create, as many critics have pointed, the perfect album, but left us four very good LP's, among which Palepoli deserves a particular mention.
L'uomo, their first album, released in a memorable triple gatefold cover, already contains their distinctive elements, the nice voice of Lino Vairetti (with interesting lyrics indeed), the aggressive flute of Elio D'Anna, fluid guitar playing by Danilo Rustici and the solid rhythm section of Lello Brandi and Massimo Guarino. Taken from this album the tracks L'uomo and In un vecchio cieco were also released as a single, both starting with an acoustic guitar introduction followed by guitar and flute riffs.
The band also had an intense live activity, with band members all dressed in long vests and with their faces painted. The collaboration with theatrical groups produced interesting shows, unique for the italian audience of the time. They also played with Genesis in their early italian tour, and who knows if the Osanna stage show has somehow inspired Peter Gabriel...
In June 1971 the band won the first prize at "Festival d’Avanguardia e Nuove Tendenze" in Viareggio, along with Premiata Forneria Marconi and Mia Martini.
Second album, Preludio, tema, variazioni, canzona, also known as Milano calibro 9 from the name of the film for which it was chosen as soundtrack, is a step backward, with few band compositions mixed with composer Bacalov's orchestral themes. Some of the Osanna tracks are beautiful, though, like the first three Variazione.
Third album, and their best one, Palepoli, from 1973 sees the band at their peak. The album only contains three long tracks and is housed in a nice gatefold whose inner picture is based on the band live stage background. The starting track, Oro caldo, mixes the band typical style with folk chants from their native city Naples. while Stanza citta and the side long Animale senza respiro all give space to the good playing of the band members. In many writers' reviews one of the best italian prog albums... - ItalianProg.com
Osanna was one of the great Italian prog rock bands. Maybe not as well known as PFM, Le Orme, or even Banco for that matter, but definately worth looking in to. Palepoli is Osanna's third album, and was the very first Italian prog album I ever heard and I was just totally amazed! It also shows how much the band had progressed as well, starting off with the bluesy/jazzy/hard rock of L'Uomo (1971), to the classical orchestra with rock band of Milano Calibro 9 (1972), which was a film soundtrack, and this one.
Palepoli was the only Osanna album sung entirely in Italian, which was a real smart move for this band as singing (partially) in English on previous albums was definatley not the band's strong points (the same goes for PFM, particularly on their 1973 album Photos of Ghosts), although those are still fine albums. This time around, the band went for two side length cuts, "Oro Caldo" and "Animale Senze Respiro", with a short incidental piece called "Stanza Citta" in between. This is Osanna at their most aggressive.
If you enjoy David Jackson's works with Van der Graaf Generator, you're certain to enjoy Elio D'Anna's sax work (he even played more than one sax at once, just like Jackson). The saxes throughout the album are very aggressive and can be quite squeaky at time. Keyboardist Lino Vairetti added a Mellotron to his setup (he also used the ARP 2600 synth as well), and uses the tron throughout with very spectacular results. This is also Osanna's most Mellotron-drenched albums as well, so if you're a Mellotron fan, you need to start with this album.
The music throughout the album is very unpredictable. It might start off gentle, with acoustic guitar and Mellotron, then they get in to some very aggressive sax and flute jams (the flutework, also from D'Anna himself, is much in the style of Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson), then the music becomes quiet again, then goes through some experimental passages, complete with toying with the Sample & Hold feature on the ARP 2600 synthesizer (which creates a random series of sounds at varying pitches). So don't buy this album expecting structured music, this is an album once the band gets bored with one thing (which never seems to be more than a minute) they go on to the next thing.
Palepoli is one truly amazing album, and totally unpredictable. There are so few Italian prog albums I've been able find that has the mood of this one, the closest being by Cervello, who released an album called Melos (1973), but that should come as no surprise as Cervello featured guitarist Corrado Rustici, who was the younger brother of Osanna guitarist Danilo Rustici. For those more used to the gentler side of Italian prog, such as PFM, Le Orme, Celeste, or Locanda Delle Fate, Palepoli will come as a shock, as this is definately one of the more harsh and abrasive Italian prog albums out there (with the exception of Il Balletto di Bronzo's YS, of course).
This album truly is nostalgic for me, prior to hearing this album (back in 1993), I didn't even know there was a large Italian prog scene (I was only barely aware of PFM at the time). So if you like the more heavy, aggressive side of Italian prog, you are certain to enjoy this album. - Hippyland
1 Oro Caldo 18:31
2 Stanza Città 01:45
3 Animale Senza Respiro 21:36
OR
1 18:31
a) Oro Caldo
b) Stanza Città
2 no title 01:45
3 Animale Senza Respiro 21:36
Danilo Rustici - Guitar, Organ
Elio D'Anna - Sax, Flute
Lino Vairetti - Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Synthesizer
Lello Brandi - Bass
Massimo Guarino - Drums
Enzo Petrone - Bass
Fabrizio D'Angelo - Keyboards
|
