Il Balletto Di Bronzo
Sirio 2222

Belonging to that group of briefly appearing bands from the Italian Prog Rock of the '70s, Balletto Di Bronzo is the one that hasn't been completely forgotten.

Originating from Naples, Lino Ajello (guitarist), Giancarlo Stinga (drummer), Marco Cecioni (singer and guitarist), and Michele Cupailo (bassist) made up the band's initial formation and recorded their debut album in 1970, preceded by the single "Neve Calda/Cominció Per Gioco" from the previous year. "Sirio 2222" is the sole LP testament from this first lineup, while the second and most well-known one features the talented eighteen-year-old keyboardist Gianni Leone, with whom the band recorded their most successful album "Ys".

This debut album was shrouded in mystery for a long time as there was uncertainty about who participated in the recordings. Until confirmation from some individuals and Gianni Leone, the only credited participants in the creation of the album were Lino Ajello and Giancarlo Stinga. That being said, it's time to discuss what's in the album.

In "Sirio 2222", Beat, Hard Rock, Psychedelia, Experimentation, and some shades of Symphonic Rock blend together. Already in the opening "Un Posto", we can see an example of Beat mixed with Hard sounds. The arrangement doesn't lack references to contemporary bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, thanks to the electric guitar's introductory riff. The following track "Eh Eh Ah Ah" is a Hard Blues enriched by a not very demanding text. It talks about a "retort" made by a boy to his girlfriend: "along the road I saw a thousand girls, and surely one will be good with me... eh eh ah ah...". The interlude dominated by harmonica is very interesting and exciting, which after its exit leaves room for the Rock-Blues arpeggio already hinted at the beginning of the piece, now played not by acoustic but by electric guitar.
We continue with the aforementioned "Neve Calda". Since it was released as a single, the track is adapted for radio passages, with POP influences, but also emphasized by Hard Rock and Beat passages. The riff of the chorus, with background screams, is reminiscent of "Communication Breakdown" by Led Zeppelin. Great work by Stinga on the drums. A very engaging and exciting track at the same time... pure adrenaline!

"Ma Ti Aspetterò", the fourth track, is a POP infused with Hard guitar nuances, all in all a song that doesn't go unnoticed. "Meditazione" is perhaps one of the first Italian experiments in Symphonic Rock. Beneath a symphonic carpet rolled out by violins and cellos, lies Cecioni's light and melodic voice, at one point enveloped by psychedelic distortions. Also noteworthy is the interlude of the harpsichord, very "clean" and moving. A track that is at times melancholic, but pleasant to listen to. "Girotondo" is another piece with "zeppelinian" atmospheres, again thanks to the introductory riff, and electric guitar solos that are now "jagged", now distorted, with a precise rhythmic foundation of drums. The whole is enriched by somewhat psychedelic lyrics: "girotondo when I saw you, I spilled salt in the coffee, girotondo... girotondo... girotondo... haaaa haaaa".
The seventh track "Incantesimo" is a slow Rock introduced by a distorted riff, immediately followed by the powerful yet precise rhythm of the drums. Again it seems that our four want to give another tribute to Page & Co., giving this track the dark and psychedelic atmosphere of "Dazed And Confused". It can be even more reminiscent of the "dissonant" electric guitar bursts that appear from time to time throughout the piece. In short, a Rock/Psychedelic that will keep you glued wherever you are, on the couch, on the floor, on the bed from start to finish.

Let's clarify immediately.... in this track and in the previous ones, the Balletto absolutely does not try to copy the Zeppelin, which for Cecioni & Co. are nothing but a great source of inspiration. The penultimate track "Ti Risvegliarai Con Me" is a simple POP, enhanced by exciting electric guitar solos, and in the middle it erupts into a brief Blues led by harmonica, only to return to the initial verse. And concluding is the main course, that is "Missione Sirio 2222". This track is the longest of the entire LP, (lasting 9'36""). In these nine minutes and a little more, acoustic, electric, and oriental sounds blend. The lyrics speak of space and spaceships, and the arpeggio from the acoustic guitar, if you close your eyes, makes us feel like we are part of a journey in space. "The spaceship is dying, lost in the vastness... lonely men in space, no one will help them anymore..." is how the sung part introduces itself, shortly after the beginning of the piece. At a certain point, the enchantment of the acoustic guitar seems to dissolve into nothingness, as if getting lost in the immensity of the universe, to give way to the electric and oriental sounds I mentioned earlier. After an improvisation between electric guitar, voice, and percussion, here comes back the enchantment of the arpeggiated acoustic guitar, once again giving the possibility to travel in space, only to disappear again... but this time it's really over....