Le Orme
Storia O Leggenda

Recorded at I.P. - 31, Rue du Colisée in Paris, "Storia O Leggenda" has often been considered a melancholic album.

The album was born in the year of the decline of Prog Rock, 1977. This year, "new frontiers" in music emerge: dance music and Punk. Like every band that had garnered much acclaim during the golden age of "cult" music, Le Orme found themselves caught off guard with many ideas now unfeasible due to the generational change.

Perhaps this is why "Storia O Leggenda" can seem like a sad, melancholic album, as if reflecting the true mood of its members. The cover is a painting by Walter Mac Mazzieri, the same artist who created the "Garbo Di Neve" on the famous cover of "Uomo Di Pezza". The lineup is the same as the previous album "Verità Nascoste": Aldo Tagliapietra, Toni Pagliuca, Michi Dei Rossi, and the guitarist Germano Serafin (who later passed away in ’92 due to illness). Moreover, this album might appear very "POP" compared to the early works of Aldo & Co., due to the lack of instrumental tracks, which had already taken precedence in the aforementioned "Verità Nascoste", where all eight tracks on the album still have a vocal part.
In "Storia O Leggenda", however, we find only one instrumental piece, the album closer, titled "Al Mercato Delle Pulci". But we will talk about that later; for now, let's proceed in order.

"Verità, dove sei?..... Volontà, resta mia..... Realtà, cambierò....." with these words begins the first track of the album "Tenerci Per Mano", Aldo delivers them with a haunting and threatening voice, only to soften the atmosphere that almost turns it into an anguish, singing in a high pitch: "E tutti assieme cercare tenerci per mano...." The lyrics and music of this opening piece give us a sense of hope for peace and equality from the group. It continues with the title track, which has a guitar and Hammond organ introduction that is nothing short of legendary, followed by the sharp and surprising beat of the drums. The Hammond, after detaching from the guitar harmony, plays scales, first an octave lower and then an octave higher, all embellished by back-and-forth arrangements, a delight for the ears!.......
"Mi son svegliato all' improvviso, con tanto freddo intorno guardo se c'è il sole.... ma che cosa mi succede? Ho un gran buco qui sul petto......" first unforgettable lyrical introduction, right? The text, the music, the atmosphere it gives make this a dreamy piece, totally out of reality but, at times, a reality... "Il Musicista" the third track, is melancholy made sound. Each of us, depending on mood, character, the story of our life as individuals, can interpret this song as we like. As a child, I always dreamed of being a musician, specifically, I wanted to be a drummer, but due to space limitations, I chose the guitar. While dreaming of having long hair and a long beard, the soundtrack of my childhood was Le Orme and in particular this track I am talking about. In short, at the time I interpreted this song thinking of becoming a great musician, but at the same time, I was afraid that if I became one, I would leave my family, my birthplace, childhood, and adolescence. Perhaps in essence, this is the true meaning of the song. The introduction of the piece might seem very cheerful at first, but when Aldo's warm and delicate voice peeps in, the atmosphere changes immediately. "Un tempo giravo per strade deserte, cantavo canzoni che, nessuno ascoltava mai. Facevo di tutto per tirare avanti, non posso scoradre mai le tristi domeniche....", beautiful words.

"Come Una Giostra", the following track, is an alienation from reality, both for the text and the musical arrangement. A song where dream, will, romanticism, illusion, impotence, and melancholy for a life that always turns on itself just like a carousel, often depriving the living being of its freedom, find expression. Pagliuca's work on the keyboards makes us participate in this carousel, perfectly imitating the little song that emanates from the rocking horses of the Luna Park. "Se Io Lavoro" is the most well-known piece of the album, mainly because it was released as a single. Who cannot remember the famous verse "Primavera, Estate, Autunno e Inverno, canto il giorno per la terra in festa, e così sereno resto qui ad aspettar la sera."
Due to the high intonation used by Aldo for the verse of this track, it much reminds us of "Cemento Armato", in both pieces it seems that his voice emanates from a megaphone. "Un Angelo" and "Il Quadro" are the last two tracks that feature lyrics. The first seems to speak of a hope placed by a man in an invisible someone "perhaps descended from a distant world", which at the beginning might be thought of as a supplication. There is a note of the piano phrasing in the middle of the composition, very sweet and sad, that brings tears to your eyes for its sweetness and beauty, truly magnificent. The second, to tell the truth, has always been difficult for me to understand. It speaks of a poor painter who comes to Aldo and asks him to buy his painting, framed by various impressions of Tagliapietra. Is it perhaps his own experience that actually happened in Paris? Well, the fact is that it is a very captivating piece but at the same time very difficult to understand. The finale is entrusted to the already mentioned instrumental piece "Al Mercato Delle Pulci". It must be said that besides being a piece that does not offer lyrics, it is also the least melancholic track of the entire album. Heavy rhythms and changes in atmosphere make this an excellent closing piece.

All in all, "Storia O Leggenda" could represent the desire of Le Orme to play good music once more, despite the generational change. So, it is for this reason that it is an album that gives much sadness, it's because Aldo, Toni, Michi, and Germano do not want to abandon the desire to experiment with other sounds and give music a sense. But one thing is certain, two years later, in 1979, Le Orme with "Florian" will provide the proof of growing more and more, but without leaving their roots.