The Trip
Time Of Change

The Trip: Time of change

1973. The Trip are now a trio, and after the pleasant surprise of Atlantide (1972), they are preparing to release a new album (unfortunately the last one). The album in question is Time of Change, a masterpiece of refinement and elegance, like few other records: the members are at their best, Furio Chirico with the drums is already a genius (he was less than 20 years old), Wegg Andersen flawlessly combines his bass with his beautiful voice, Joe Vescovi is at his peak, his fingers dancing across the keys like fawns around a mountain pond.

It starts with Rhapsodia, a twenty-minute suite that begins with a celestial intro before bursting into a fresh and joyful pandemonium of rich, almost jazz-like rhythms. From here on, it alternates between explosions and moments of exquisite calm, until the quirky, almost Disney-like end. This is followed by the beautiful Formula nova, an instrumental piece along the lines of the previous one, with jazzy rhythms and complete with African percussion: it exudes a festive air that inevitably makes you feel good.

Some say that the third track "De sensibus" is a mediocre imitation of the experiments of "Ummagumma" (Pink Floyd): it's not true, although the composition in question is somewhat the weak point of the album (all albums have a weak point): a word to define it is certainly Experimental.
The fourth track is the masterpiece of the album: "Corale". No drums, only timpani, liturgical organ, and keyboards, sung with a beautiful refrain, truly very original, surreal, and meditative lyrics, one of the most beautiful songs by the Trip. Note that Joe Vescovi did not own a synthesizer but managed to mold the sound of his Hammond to make it seem like a Moog (don't believe it? Listen to believe...).

The fifth and final track, "Ad Libitum", is a composition for solo piano: some of you may say it's boring. Naaaa. It's of incredible abstraction and elegance, and flows fluidly through all its 4:29 with improbable scales and classicisms that never fall into the banal; all seasoned with a playful atmosphere that will hardly annoy. After this album, the Trip would cease to exist: Furio Chirico ended up in Arti e Mestieri, and the other two soon after disappeared from the scene (musically speaking).

"Time of Change" is one of the most underrated records in Italian progressive, fallen into oblivion for some unknown reason. With this review, an attempt is made to pay it a heartfelt tribute, hoping in some way to introduce it to new progressive enthusiasts, who will surely find pleasure in listening to this forgotten gem masochistically left in an old dusty trunk.