Celeste
Celeste

With the idea of highlighting products of Italian prog, unknown to many but of sure and indisputable value, here is the first album by the Ligurian band Celeste. After the experience with "Il Sistema," Ciro Perrino is back in action with this group, which began recording its own songs in 1974. The tracks from that time ended up in the posthumous "I Suoni In Una Sfera," but already the following year, the preparation of this first volume began, which was released in 1976 titled simply "Celeste," although many insist on forcibly titling it "Principe Di Un Giorno."

The album borders on masterpiece and offers us sweet and soft sounds, for a prog album that despite the year of recording, does not sound either outdated or poorly aged. The approach of the work is typical of the Italian prog of the era (PFM, Banco, etc.), although the Anglo-Saxon influence emerges, especially in certain crimsonesque atmospheres of the mellotron, bringing to mind the legendary "In The Court Of The Crimson King." The record consists of seven tracks of variable length, from the minute and a half of the closing track "L'imbroglio" to the over eight minutes of the splendid "Favole Antiche" and "Giochi Nella Notte." It is rare, as it was rare back then, to find an album with such delicate and refined balances without ever becoming cloying or predictable. The strength of this work, which I find intact with every re-listen, is to combine this atmospheric rarefaction with quick and sudden mood changes, without ever becoming sugary or baroque. The mellotron, for most of the album, is the undisputed dominator of the sound management, alternating with enchanting passages of flute, where Perrino and Lagorio (ex Museo Rosenbach) intertwine with truly focused musicality and galloping piano with greater richness and sound presence, carrying evocative and often moving melodies.

There is no drum set, but simply atonal percussion, discreetly accompanying the developments and melodic and tonic interweavings, giving a slight jazzy flavor to certain more crossover moments. These same stylistic elements will be extensively developed in the second volume (Second Plus) making it almost a Canterbury record.

For those who wish to deepen their understanding of Italian prog (and I hope many), surpassing - perhaps - the usual more famous and already well-known groups, this episode is absolutely indispensable and the CD reissue by Vinyl Magic should be relatively easy to find. I also extend the recommendation to the second mentioned volume, which thanks to the astute recovery policy by Mellow Record, we can listen to on CD. Unfortunately, the vinyls are reaching astronomical prices, and anyone who manages to find them will be very fortunate...