No Strange
L'universo

It's nice to discover a masterpiece almost by chance.

And perhaps it's the kind of beauty that you really like, like slightly limping acid/folk thingies with sudden glimpses of the sky that leave you stunned.

And a lot of naivety (or something that resembles it) and even one or two dustings of magical spices from the East.

And, to exaggerate, even something that makes you say: “how is this possible?”

I am especially thinking of “Ode in delirium,” track eight.

It's a kind of traditional, beautifully rhythmic and beautifully strange, that you just can't figure out where it might come from (from the Langhe? from Ireland? from the gates of the cosmos?), at least until there's the voice...

Then, (how can I explain it to you?) comes one of those glimpses of the sky I was telling you about, a kind of mystical orchestra thing, and I emphasize the term orchestra (yes, yes, I emphasize it), because the inlays of flute and violin, besides being almost absurdly beautiful, maintain a wonderfully naïve air of a soul's fairground...

Imagine the members of the "Incredible String Band" and "Penguin Café Orchestra" at the orders of the king of gnomes, or at mine when I want to have a perfect dream.

I'm sorry, but I can't explain myself better.

In the end, however, there's the sound of a fleeing spaceship, and maybe, maybe we've been in a timeless place...

A thing that brings tears to your eyes...

And I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it.

While the raga of the title track, that one I could have expected... with those almost liquid sounds and those percussive magic of bongos and small bongos, the sitar and the violin leading on a magical path, the pace ever slower to highlight the enchantment...

Yes, I could definitely have expected the raga. Aren't these No Strange a kraut/psychedelic band?

But the hit, also a bit unexpected, comes right at the beginning, with that little gem called “Opening.” It lasts a minute, but you'd want it to last thirty, and it's a wonderful expansive refraction of fabulous mystical chords, a sort of powerful silver cacophony...

And the next track is another one of those that you almost don't believe... it seems like listening to a simple beat group without pretensions...

(and, damn, we do have pretensions, especially if the group is kraut/psychedelic, especially if one of the two leaders declares in an interview that his reference albums are “Ummagumma” and “Yeti”)...

But here there's the naïve, smiling grace of a soft, childlike folk song, and there are words of naïve liberation and a tender/clumsy voice overwhelmed by ringing sounds...

And the freshness of a little beat song blown by a happy wind...

And a small final liturgy made of nothing, perhaps played by a toy organ...

A fantastic thing...and it makes you feel good... maybe that's why one of the two leaders is involved in music therapy today.

There are then lots of other beautiful things, encounters between sitar and electric guitar, wild folk madness almost like Amon Düül, hypnotic organs and keyboards, surprising echoes of the most pioneering Italian beat.

Among their influences, they indeed mention fabulous names: Chetro, Gli Astrali, I Templari, I Fantom's, Le Stelle di Mario Schifano, and even, in a more mainstream scope, Equipe 84.

And of course, they also mention those names you can easily imagine yourself.

Anyway, great thing this psychedelic archaeology, we have many lost jewels to find, and many, many homework assignments...

Homework that, for once, we will gladly do.

No Strange, active since the mid-eighties ("L'universo" is from 1987) still do great things today. But the freshness of their early years seems to me unreachable.

Two more things: a mention for the splendid cover, and a thanks to Caesar 666...