Actarus
Atlas Ufo Robot

The Japanese cartoons caught us completely off guard in that fateful 1978, the year when RAI broadcasted the episodes of the series "Atlas Ufo Robot" for the first time. It became an instant trend.

The record I am submitting for your attention is indeed just one of the many items that carried that brand (models, toys, etc...) that the market offered us to empty our mothers' and fathers' pockets. I fell for it completely, and this review is a testament to that. Incidentally, I remember there was a public outcry against "Goldrake". Too violent and uneducational, said some. A motion was even presented in parliament to prevent its airing. But the success of Go Nagai's creation was overwhelming; much to the chagrin of parliamentarians and parents...

This 33 rpm or long-playing record contains some of the theme songs from "Atlas ufo robot" plus a few pieces composed on the spot. I must say right away that the musicians involved were certainly not novices. Vince Tempera, a very capable keyboardist, took care of the orchestral arrangements, Ares Tavolazzi of the "Area" and I emphasize "AREA" played the bass and signed all the pieces. Ellade Bandini, the future drummer for Paolo Conte, Fabrizio De André, and Francesco Guccini, played the percussion. Then a vocal group was created just for the occasion: the "Actarus"; that is Michel Tadini (who?), Dominique Regazzoni, now a capable painter, and Fabio Concato. The latter should need no introduction. Or maybe he does, but for that, there is the handy link... Completing the entourage is Luigi Albertelli, a skilled lyricist, inventor of the line "Occasionally cybernetic books and salads of mathematics" which still makes the hearts of nostalgic fans beat. The genres explored: then-dominant disco music, some melodic strings, and a dash of country.

But let's get to the songs: it kicks off with "Ufo Robot" (to be clear: "he transforms into a missile rocket..."). Anyone who says they didn't love it as a child or didn't groove to it as an adult, in my opinion, is lying to themselves. The country of "Rigel" is dedicated to the namesake character. It tells of his simple life tied to work on the farm "White Birch" and his unrequited love for all forms of extraterrestrial life (those bad guys...). Also, "Venusia" is dedicated to the namesake character. It is voiced by Dominique Regazzoni. In this song, the man-machine debate is analyzed from a female point of view. In the sense: Venusia loves Actarus, Actarus is always on Goldrake, therefore Venusia hates Goldrake. Love is love, and this is shown by Vince Tempera's poignant strings counterpointed by Tavolazzi's fusion bass. "Alcor" is a pompous and cheerful disco music track that describes the life and deeds of Actarus's companion in a thousand adventures. "Vega" doesn't appeal to me because Vega is the enemy. End of Side A.

Begin Side B: for "Goldrake" ("Go, destroy the evil...") everything I've said about "Ufo Robot" applies. "Planet Earth" is a somewhat spiritual piece that celebrates life on our planet and invites all the people who inhabit it to oppose the invader. The usual propaganda... "Atlas ufo robot" is a song with a dreamy melody. Notable is the instrumental part with the air first repeated by the strings, then by a trumpet. "Prokton" instead is dedicated to the wise scientist, Actarus's paternal friend. Here all the melodies of the previous songs are recounted, and a nice thought is dedicated to each of the characters. The ending is pyrotechnic with an almost progressive rock style.

The 33 rpm ended here, but I know for certain that the reissue on CD (yes, they reissued it on CD...) recovers the instrumental "Shooting star", the ending theme of the episodes of the first series. Godrake was just the beginning; then came Mazinger, Jeeg Steel Robot, etc....

I conclude with a small memory. I remember that on television, I once saw a firefighter and a journalist interviewing him. The firefighter had just been rescued from a 30 cm wide and about sixty meters deep artesian well where he had gone to save Alfredino Rampi, a six-year-old boy who, even today, it is not entirely clear how and why he ended up in there: "What did you say to him?" the journalist asked. And the firefighter: "...To stay calm because MAZINGER Z and GIG STEEL ROBOT are coming. They will save him." How wrong he was...