Lodovico Ellena
Musica per topi

THE REVIEW

Lodovico Ellena is a charismatic figure: with the Effervescent Elephants, he has written unforgettable pages of psychedelia. "Something To Say" is today considered a minor classic of that mythical era. Ellena is a controversial character also because of his political ideas, which align him with the far right. Nevertheless, he explained his point of view in the recent book No Strange e sogni correlati. Regardless of one's opinion, the artist from Vercelli cannot be denied a solid historical culture and a genuine inspiration that has led him to release respectable solo albums such as "Good Morning Mr. Barrett", a tribute to the Crazy Diamond of Pink Floyd, and the surreal and delirious "Musica per topi", credited to Lodovico Ellena e gli Assurdi. Also notable is his Storia della musica psichedelica italiana, a fundamental text for those wanting to get an idea of the psychedelic phenomenon in our country. "Musica per topi" is an album that defies conventions, a sort of irreverent rock concept with politically satirical lyrics. In this sense, a piece like "A Silvio" – dedicated to Berlusconi - is irresistible. The music is fragmented: these are small sketches of hallucinated psychedelia with free-jazz and avant-garde influences. The spirit of Syd Barrett always hovers in these compositions, characterized by the utmost expressive freedom. In "Compagno, sii tollerante," the sounds and lyrics are delirious and corrosive, while in "Pezzo Ariano," one ventures into territories close to jazz. "L'urlo del nulla" is, instead, psychedelic, oriental, and mystical. The entire album always offers surprises and brilliant ideas: listen to "Negri" and "Nietzsche," the latter a powerful psychedelic rock in the vein of the early Pink Floyd. With "Gli oracoli di Delfi," we return towards avant-garde settings. Irresistible then is "Dalla parte dei polli," sustained by a shattering hard-rock guitar riff. Surely the attitude of "Musica per topi" also owes something to Frank Zappa. Available on Bandcamp at the following link: https://mellowyellowlive.bandcamp.com/album/lodovico-ellena-e-gli-assurdi-musica-per-topi.

This is the Facebook page of the Effervescent Elephants: https://www.facebook.com/Effervescent-Elephants-184427151607863/