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Rating: Very ambitious work by this Italian progressive band from the '70s, which, having abandoned the strictly beat and hard rock sounds of their first album, with the replacement of the bassist and the singer, the latter being replaced by the talented Gianni Leone, tackle a concept that is today considered a gem of Italian progressive.
The concept is inspired by the medieval legend of the island of YS, an island submerged in ancient times by the ocean; it speaks of the story of the last man left on earth, in search of someone to tell the Truth to, who eventually succumbs to death.
The skilled Gianni Leone manages to create atmospheres typical of medieval Celtic music, for the first time in Italy, touching upon many genres, but those that predominate are jazz and classical, mixed with psychedelic touches created with his eccentric keyboards, yet certainly not lacking in flashes of hard and driving rock following the trail of their first album.
The only weak point of the work is certainly Leone's voice, not quite aligned with what the album wants to convey. The album consists of a long introduction, followed by "Primo Incontro" (the most remarkable track), "Secondo Incontro", "Terzo Incontro" and finally an "Epilogue". Unfortunately, Il Balletto di Bronzo disbanded after the release of this album, for unknown reasons, but our Gianni Leone would successfully attempt a solo career (especially in Japan) under the pseudonym LeoNero.
Honestly, I recommend this album to any fan of Italian progressive rock and beyond, it is an album that does not tire at all over time, and, at least in my case, I cannot listen to the tracks individually, or even skip them: if I am to listen to this album, I listen to it from the introduction to the last track, without interruptions or skips; that’s how one can perfectly grasp what the work intends to convey.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Introduzione (15:18)
La voce narrò
all'ultimo che
sul mondo restò,
la vera realtà
E poi comandò
di andare tra i suoi
a dire la verità
e il gioco iniziò.
Quella voce premeva nel petto
col dolore di cose capite
forse era in tempo a dirlo anche agli altri
forse era in tempo a dirlo anche agli altri
Cos'è la vita di un uomo che ha pianto
come gurdare un cielo sereno
come fissare i tuoi occhi nel sole
come afferare una mano protesa.
E la voce premeva nel petto
col dolore di cose vissute
doveva andare presto
doveva andare presto
La poesia di un giorno di vento
l'ultima foglia di un albero morto
il primo giorno di sole d'aprile
un corpo caldo una mano vicina
02 Primo incontro (03:30)
Lui andò oltre i monti e più in là
senza mai voltarsi a guardare
lungo è il cammino da fare
ma doveva andare ancora andare.
Un uomo è là con la faccia all'ingiù
e giù l'edera abbraccia il suo corpo
nero è tutto il sangue che ha
su ferite di orecchie strappate
La voce lo costrinse a gridare
tutto ciò che moriva dentro sè
quel che gridò il vento portò con sè
non avrebbe più sentito niente.
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Other reviews
By nick81
The Balletto di Bronzo delivers a milestone of Italian prog that has nothing to envy even of foreign giants.
The lyrics unfold through a mysterious concept plot, giving the whole thing an atmosphere of decadence; one of the rare examples of Italian dark progressive.
By paloz
This, along with very few others, is one of those I consider the TRUE masterpieces of Italian progressive rock.
I swear it gives chills.
By sinaftersin
Leone, exceedingly generous behind the organ, the moog, the mellotron, the spinet, the piano, weaves an oppressive and claustrophobic plot, interwoven by a faint and delirious voice, dreamy and damned.
This album is a work forever contemporary, capable of gifting dozens of hours of pure, powerful emotions to anyone willing to be transported to another world.
By giuseppe40
Ys is a record not for everyone, certainly not for every day.
The intertwining of the many and complex instrumental parts is almost perfect, the arrangements are never predictable or banal.
By BiagRece
Leone is indeed considered one of the greatest rock keyboardists of all time.
This album is a clear example of how an incredibly capable group remained partially hidden from the 'masses' in Italy.
