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Rating:
I wanted, with the schematic subdivision of the tracks and the assignment of grades, to try to simplify the review, as the album is very varied and complex.
This exposition could also, and I hope it does, encourage interventions from other enthusiasts, in order to analyze the Acqua Fragile phenomenon, while waiting for the release of an unpublished LP in October after 43 years from the release of this record!
Happy reading, but above all, happy listening.
Franz Dondi: bass
Gino Campanini: guitar
Piero Canavera: drums
Maurizio Mori: keyboards
Bernardo Lanzetti: vocals
Cosmic Mind Affair 7
Starts with a spatial vocal mix interrupted by a hard guitar break, then the voices overlap until the Yes-style opening and a good keyboard section with BL's standout vocal.
Space for a guitar solo that unfortunately is too stifled, and it moves to a different atmosphere with decidedly original solutions and predominance of vocals and finally a hint of guitar once more, this time well emphasized before transitioning to peace and quiet characterized by a few organ notes on which BL unfortunately inserts a phrase in perfect Gabriel style, which was not needed.
The original theme returns where the rhythm dominates in a good crescendo.
BL voice: 6
Choruses: 7
Rhythm: 7
Guitar: 6
Complexity: 6.5
Atmosphere: 6-
Bar Gazing 8
Beautiful guitars and original harmonic solutions, slightly Hackettian that lead into a well-modulated voice, even if in perfect Gabriel style. Here BL begins his accentuated vibrato that was not found in the previous album... and this, in my humble opinion, is a sore point.
Beautiful Gothic and baroque break at the same time, powerful in execution, leaving space for a melancholic electric guitar with beautiful cues and openings before closing into the initial mainframe over which countervoice and counterpointed choruses overlap, beautiful.
BL vocals: 7
Choruses: 8
Rhythm n/a
Guitar: 8
Complexity: 6
Atmosphere: 8
Mass Media Star 7
What a start... Mediterranean with a march in tarantella sauce and hints of Generale by àFM, and indeed here PFM would have reviewed themselves quite a bit listening to them.
A mandolin gives the La to the main theme with multi-voice chorus and a hammering Squire-style bass.
BL varies and spans with great pitch and interpretation.
Follows a strange syncopated section with overlapping voices/bass, returning to the previous rhythmic and vocal train... impactful... beautiful the crescendo break and the repeated tarantella... with final mandolins...
No, wait, the multi-voice theme returns, closing on a high note from BL.
BL: 8
Choruses: 6
Rhythm: 8
Complexity: 8
Atmosphere: 6.5
Opening Act 5
Begins a cappella with an overly accentuated falsetto by BL. And suddenly the Jethro appear in Thick as a Brick, then suddenly shift to a mocking little choir giving the La to BL who finds, here, the height of vibrato this time grotesque like Donald Duck. Nooooo, why?????
The melody would be beautiful, but with that interpretation it loses a lot, including the nice bass rhythm.
Ok, then returns to Thick as a Brick and the voice regains human characteristics...
Towards the end Alan Sorrenti appears in Aria, but everything is beautiful and crazy, a piece for playful and lost druggies... what can I say: they are Acqua Fragile, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the most disappointing piece of the album.
BL: 5
Choruses: 5/6
Rhythm: 7
Complexity: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Professor 8
Starts like The Who, few guitar chords, but with notes that immediately catch the ear before moving to sublime singing, melody, and rhythm, choruses that integrate... beautiful, this is a sing that can be listened to infinitely, then shifts to beautiful and original guitar and keyboard openings.
Then comes peace with a multi-voice chorus, and resumes everything, but when it seems the piece ends, Relayer by Yes appears, it's a moment but everything is very dreamlike!
And final little chorus to Deja vu!!! Alright, it fits!
BL: 8
Choruses: 8
Rhythm: 8
Guitars: 8
Complexity: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Coffee Song 9
The beginning is chilling and seems to have been composed by BL, with guitars and nothing else and a counterpoint bass.
The clear voice emerges with some vibrato here still accentuated (that find a fast reeeest!!!!!) but when he pronounces being just tired it's quite something, and the keyboards give the whole thing an epic feel with chills.
After the long final scream, the guitar wanders splendidly in the universe, but the voice this time is marked with too much feed and echo, ruining its beauty.
Finally, those wonderful keyboard and guitar notes arrive, repeated without fear of tiring in a magical, increasingly prog and stunning crescendo.
A great piece, slightly marred by the use of voice in the intermediate part with overly exaggerated effects, otherwise it would have been a piece worthy of a 10 with honors, so is a nice 9 alright?
BL: 8
Choruses n/a
Rhythm n/a
Guitar: 9
Complexity: 8
Atmosphere: 10
I consider this second work by AF less spontaneous but more elaborate than their first self-titled LP. However, it seems the producers pressured the quintet to assemble a product to release on the market, but without leaving the group enough time for proper development, perhaps not yet ready to dive into the commercial world.
An entry that didn't happen anyway, both due to the insignificant number of copies printed and because of poor printing and powerful criticism against it at the time.
In AF, even more here than in the debut LP, there is no exaltation of the soloist, and the tracks represent a good blend of the quintet, from which no instrument ever detaches to characterize the execution. AF's music is like their vocal mixes, excellent, well executed, as is their performance style.
It would have been nice if someone had taken on the burden and pleasure of standing above the others and I believe the guitarist had the potential. They were probably socialists and liked to share everything, it seems.
The final track, Caffè Song, provokes anger as it hints, almost as if it were an unintended testament, that with a third LP, never released, AF would surely have found the right path to give us more gems and moments of true emotion.
Unfortunately, the project concluded with Lanzetti's exit and the group disbanded.
We were at the end of 1974 and pop/prog was starting to fold in on itself and exhaust that exceptional triennium that gave the world unique and universal works.
Perhaps AF would also have succumbed to this reflux, but I'm sure they would still have given us at least two excellent albums.
Instead, we await the release of the third unpublished one, expected in October, with three of the original members and with the hope they have retrieved from the drawer many dusty sheets and scores drafted in that unique and magical era that will never return.
Good luck Acqua Fragile
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