Le Orme
Verità nascoste

I have seen that this album has already been reviewed, and quite well too, but the temptation to give my opinion on this masterpiece (the best in my opinion) by one of my favorite bands was too strong. Magnifiche e stratosferiche Orme.

Le Orme, an atypical band in Italian prog, distant from the experimentalism tout-court of Area and Banco, (except "Felona e Sorona") and with one foot in pop, indeed it happened to see some Italian music compilations with some of their songs inside. A bit Italy and a bit England, also thanks to Peter Hammil, who launched Felona e Sorona in the British land.

But if I approached them, it is thanks to this work. After "Smogmagica" here comes the turning point, Germano Serafin on guitar instead of Tolo Marton, who in my opinion did not match well with the style of the band and Tagliapietra's voice, as his guitar was very hard-rock blues. And here's the talented Serafin, in symbiosis with the Venetian group.

1976 was their magical year, with prog albums behind them, here they surpass themselves and engage in something amazing.

(It should be noted that in that year the band gifted Italian song with a gem like "Canzone d'amore", which is not present in this album, but released as a single. Recently with a friend of mine as passionate as I am about 70s music, we watched the black and white video of their performance at the festivalbar, with Aldo and company with long hair. One of the best music videos I have ever seen).

But the album "Verità Nascoste" is a pearl. Just "Regina al Troubadour" is enough, my favorite song, but not only of Le Orme but of all music. I spent days thinking about how everything is true, how we fall in love with those who see the world opposite to how we see it, and you keep asking yourself why, trying to convince her. Indifference dominates and maybe a sense of incomprehensibility. It is not possible to obtain the same degree of feelings from someone who, in the end, is not predisposed to give it. For this, poetry is born and lets out. So Aldo asks this girl how she can’t see his interest, he can’t say that he doesn’t see her as everyone else does (like a bar girl), he doesn’t ask for a simple moment of serenity but asks for her hand.

And it continues to amaze with "Radio felicità", a guitar riff, then the apotheosis with the piano that slowly rises and opens the doors to synthesized sounds and interruptions of radio fragments. I played in a band, one day to try this piece we spent an afternoon. When you are in front of a song like this, you are excited and can’t even make a cover.

Another noteworthy song is "Vedi Amsterdam", with that psychedelic intro and that organ that paves the way for the almost hard-rock guitar riff, forerunner of post-punk sounds, also excellent is the lysergic text that makes it clear that this album is a concept.

"Il gradino più stretto del cielo" is a gem. Serafin enjoys painting this scenario and Pagliuca's keyboard gives him the baton. The text is double entendre, because it is not clear if it is addressed to a woman seen or a vision, a dream, a form of unreal communication.

A trail of their old repertoire is clear in "In ottobre", with time changes and a great De Rossi on drums. This piece reminds me a lot of some sounds from bands like Affinity. While Aldo asks where are you, the guys do the rest. Music for the anthology.

The title-track is the only piece that distances itself from the rest of the tracks, warmed by violins. Melody, melody, and melody, unique, floating.

What a great album, what a great band. I have an immense love for their music, having played and sung their songs. That friend of mine still follows them today, goes to see all their live performances and every time he returns he tells me almost moved how great this band is.

The magic of music.