Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno - Per... Un Mondo di Cristallo (1972)

La semana pasada la finalizamos con el último discazo de la infravalorada bandaza italiana Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno, trabajo que sorprendió a varios, incluido a mí. Y para recordar algunos de los grndes discos de esta agrupación rescatamos algunos trabajos ya publicados en el blog cabezón por el Mago Alberto, fiel seguidor de esta banda (y tiene muchas razones para serlo). Con ustedes, una joya (otra más) perdida de la gran música que ha dejado nuestra cultura, y que en este espacio cabezón no dejaremos que caiga en el olvido, ni se lo merece. Para seguir sorprendiéndolos con trabajos casi desconocidos y de una calidad notable, vuelve Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno al blog cabezón. De más está decir que esto es por demás recomendado.

Artista: Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno

Álbum: Per... un mondo di cristallo
Año: 1972
Género: Rock sinfónico italiano
Duración: 37:11
Nacionalidad: Italia

Ahora el Mago se viene con un disco prácticamente desconocido pero que él dice que está muy bueno, así que no voy a opinar, y le voy a hacer caso, o sea, voy a escuchar detenidamente a éste disco. Vamos con el comentario del señor que trae el disco:

Dentro del panorama progresivo italiano existen muchísimas bandas que a cuenta gotas van apareciendo en el blog cabezón, y ésta es otra que se suma a la lista, a pedido de un cabezón por el chat.
Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno, banda fundada en 1972 y que sigue vigente hasta nuestros días, comenzó con su propuesta de rock sinfónico con tintes de jazz, pero básicamente mostrando todos los tips de lo mas fundacional del progresivo, no tienen una discografía extensa, pero en su placa debut hacen honor a lo mas complejo del género.
Un disco con asimetría total, polirítmico, con cambios impredecibles, espontáneos, quizás lo que diferencia a RRR es esa estructura musical, emparentada con el clima cambiante de Focus.
Estos discos para la mayoría del ambiente progre son desconocidos, hay referencia de ellos como sucede también con Campo di Marte, pero sus discos no son muy accesibles, así que es una buena oportunidad para conocerlos.
Los amantes del rock sinfónico van a disfrutar mucho de este trabajo, los condimentos son conocidos y los tintes son muy copados. Todas las comparaciones son odiosas pero los RRR son distintos, sus integrantes son músicos de otras bandas, es decir, no son fundacionales a este único proyecto, y quizás esa mixtura de origen los muestra con ese despliegue original.
Otra cuota tana que refuerza los múltiples aportes que se hacen en el blog del rock de la bota, y no son los únicos, se vienen también los Campo di Marte y el trabajo mas reciente de los RRR, así que sigamos con la pasta.

Mago Alberto

Yo lo estoy escuchando ahora y me arrepiento de no haberlo conocido antes, esto está buenísimo! ¿cómo será posible que esta belleza no sea más conocida? es un gema perdida en el tiempo que venismo a rescatar gracias al Mago Alberto, por favor escuchen la música del video y lo podrán apreciar. ¿Cuantas de estas bellezas sonoras están perdidas en el tiempo y aún tendremos que conocer?... el tiempo y los posteos en el blog cabezón lo dirán.
Vamos con algunos comentarios que copio, pero les aclaro que de quienes tuvieron la suerte de conocer este trabajo, nadie salió decepcionado:

Here is another great Italian gem that I would put on the same shelf as "IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO, AREA, OSANNA and others. RACCOMANDATA RICEVUTA RITORNO blend the musical escapades of KING CRIMSON with the early folk'ish appeal of PFM and the classic prowess of YES providing the listener with a highly original and highly detailed album for exploration. This 5 piece band blend swirling keyboards with classical and electric guitars hosted along some pretty intricate percussive elements. Overall this tasty little album combines solid vocals with flute, tenor sax, piano, hammond organ and contrabass. Songs are dark'ish and deep in color with a sharp edge to the overall tone. In many ways stylistically this album reminds me a bit of Italy's DELIRIUM with their flute, sax and jazz like free form approach to structure. If you love the 70's Ital-prog scene then this album is in the essential category IMHO... a real killer album.

James Unger

RRR's one and only contribution to the Italian prog scene is a terrific, albeit not completely mature example of symph instilled with folkish acoustic sensibility, not too distant from what Delirium, Capitolo 6 and Blocco Mentale were doing, but in comparison, RRR is more solid than the aforementioned bands. 'Per.. Un Modo di Cristallo' is a concept album that revolves around a post-apocalyptic observation on human condition. This explains the somber mood that is present all along the record, but interestingly though, the somber factor is managed subtly via the predominance of acoustic guitar duets and flute solos. The keyboardist deals with his arsenal of organ, piano, mellotron and harpsichord with ease and an obvious reservation towards pyrotechnics: he lays some foundations while the lead guitarist and the saxophonist/flautist come to the fore. Piermaroli can also play some good jazzy stuff on piano, which makes him perfectly compatible with the rhythm section's recurrent jazz oriented leanings - his labour is crucial, since he incarnates the bridge between the drummer/bassist duo and the harmonics and soloing of his other two instrumentalist partners. The jazzy side of the band is properly incarnated in the instrumental 'Nel Mio Quartiere' and some of the most notable passages of the mini-epic 'Un Palco di Marionette': this side is mostly provided by Piermanoli, sax/flute player Grassi and drummer Francica. Even in the folkish passages Francica tends to use his drum kit with a jazzy vibe, in this way providing a peculiar cadence as a basis for the acoustic guitars. Now, Regoli's range and style remind me of that of Biglietto's singer, but due to the more restrained instrumentation of RRR, Regoli doesn't allow himself to excel fierily: he displays his vocal energy in a prper, moderate manner. My fave tracks are 3, Il Mondo Cade (Su di Me) and 6 (Un Palco di Marionette). The former is arguably the most articulated number in the album, which motif and mood changes that go shifting naturally across the clever use of empty spaces, that is, brief silent interludes. The latter, being the longest track, comprises the most passionate exposition of RRR's sound, including frantic acoustic moments and somber passages in which the organ, sax and lead guitar elaborate a psychedelic aura with cosmic allusions. Immediately after, 'Sogni de Cristallo' travels easily from folkish joy to hopeless melancholy. Well, in conclusion, this is a wonderful piece of Italian semi-acoustic oriented prog.

César Inca

Another of the one shot Italian groups that while only putting out one album, they do leave us with a gem. Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno, Italian for Registered Letter with Notice of Receipt (thanks Raffaella!) mixed jazz, folk, and classical in an album that like many Italian classics like Palepoli and Dedicato A Frazz, was all over the place musically. If you like you prog complex and twisting this is an album you probably will enjoy. Unlike Osanna and Palepoli the accoustic guitar is featured here more than the electric guitar. Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno (RRR for short) put out a single album in 1972. The album did not live up to expectations sales-wise and Luciano Regoli and Stefano Piermarioli left to form Samadhi which also did one album before disappearing. Francesco Froggio Francica left to show up later with the groups Procession and Kaleidon. Several attempts to reform the group failed and RRR were left with this album, Per...Un Mondo Di Cristallo as their legacy.
As far as the album itself. Fans of Semiramis, Osanna, and Delirium should find the album to be very interesting. Musical twist and turns abound with great accoustic work, classy and flighty flute work, nice tasty heavy guitar, and a vocalist whose voice I really like though some have made it a point to say it is a weakness on the album. The first song, Nulla, for example gives an indication right from the start of what to expect. A dark minute long organ intro is followed by a short but beautiful flute and accoustic guitar melody before the manic drumming of Francica heralds a complete shift in mood and tempo and we go right into Su Una Rupe. Some inspired flute follows the drummerwith some accoustic piano pounding away .. then suddenly an accoustic guitar heralds the powerful voice of Luciano Regoli. I love his voice, able to project powerfully and yet handle soft quiet moments. The next song, Il Mondo Cade (Su Di Me), starts with a great accoustic guitar to start, and end the song with some cello and strings giving the song a rather dark feel. Nel Mio Quartiere has a great jazzy feel to it, with some nice saxophone in it. L'ombra is a real showcase for Regoli as he belts out some inspired lyrics against a manic rhythm. Un Palco di Marionett is the real gem on this album. With a gorgeous flute and accoustic guitar intro, when the drums, piano, and voice enter you find yourself taken away. Such wonderful and melodic prog as only the Italians could do it. Some piano ushers in a stylistic change as the tempo picks up with some guitar and a flighty flute. Some tasty e-guitar licks are thrown into the mix and you have another great example of what makes Italian prog so tasty. Lots of musical ideas that are put together with the attention to detail an artist would be proud.
This has been a great addiction to my Italian collection and would strongly recommend it to anyone who is exploring Italian prog past the big groups and '1st tier' of Italian albums. Why this album isn't in that tier... repeated listens have not answered that question. Definitely not essential but 4 stars is not a reflection of what I think of the album. A great album all the way through.

Michael

Impressive Italian work with nods to VDGG and KC.
RRR's single delectable morsel from 1972 is one to be reckoned with and just as impressive to these ears as some of the English heavy hitters.
Deeply layered, good vocals, stunning arrangements, complexity, varied and interesting songs, and extremely talented musicians displaying their chops. I can definitely understand the comparisons of this group to King Crimson and VDGG but RRR are not copycats, they have their own individual sound. This band just never sits still or wastes a minute coasting..we have constant movement and many convergent ideas coming and going. This is music for people who like chaotic prog, "hard" prog, music that is not necessarily easy to listen to but rewards after many spins. In fact it took a long time for me to "get" this album but I now love it.
"Nulla" is just a one minute classic organ intro but nicely sets the mood for the wavey ride that is coming, dark and rather unsettling.
"Su Una Rupe" begins with sweet acoustic guitar and flute, then dives headlong into frenzy as the vocals begin all in the first minute. The vocals are expressive but not as harsh as some other Italian groups. The electric guitar makes its first appearance butting heads with the flute/acoustic team.
"Il Mondo Cade" again begins with acoustic guitar. Then a nice groove begins with bongos, flute, and bass. We get some interludes of calm mixed with manic bombast almost like Gentle Giant, then strange wordless female vocals drifting in and out as the drummer is going totally wild. (The drummer is especially good in this band.) We return to the groovy acoustic jam at the end.
"Nel Mio Quartiere" is a jazzy number with some piano and sax at first, later adding some guitar as the pace picks up. Again the drummer is really something here with the fills.WOW!
"L'Ombra" intros with some spooky organ before a fast paced vocal section. A strange interlude near the end features some creepy female laughter out of nowhere.
"Un Palco di Marionette" at 10 minutes is the anchor track. The first minute is a very nice flute/acoustic portion before the band takes advantage of the time to stretch out and explore some different terrains, some rock, some psych, keeping you guessing.
"Sogni Di Cristallo" is the closer and is just bizarre. Folky and upbeat one minute, weird psych madness the next, and then to a finish that is like a musical setting sun. By the end you'll be both exhausted from and excited by this band.
The sound of the Japanese mini-lp CD is outstanding as is the production value. The gatefold inner artwork is classic early 70s fantasy depicting a barren, destroyed world. The musicianship is absolutely first rate across the board. I agree with Micky that this album deserves to be in the top tier of Italian bands for its power and exploratory prowess.
If you like classic Italian you must own this title. And I think a good portion of any early 70s proggers will appreciate this, perhaps not on the first few spins, but eventually. Really pretty solid.

Jim

This is a hell of an album, a classic. I know of a certain proghead who would surely confirm it. "Per ... un Mondo di Cristallo" is the only record ever released by this band under the name of Raccomandata Ricevuta di Ritorno (RRR for short). As usual in RPI, it's a wonderful debut album. Not clearly a symphonic prog effort in the pure sense, since the evident jazzy vein, as in the instrumental track "Nel Mio Quartiere" (In My District, 3,58 mns) and the omnipresent folky and pastoral touches, faithfully to the purest italian tradition. This interesting mix of genres is what many other italian bands of the seventies have created, each one in its peculiar way. Just think to Delirium, for instance who went mixing jazz, folk and Crimson's early symphonic experience. Just think to Procession who were more lucky than RRR and managed to record a pair of convincing records. Just think to Osanna and their unique musical madness from Neaples. To name but a few.
As some of you already know, "Per ... un Mondo di Cristallo" is a concept album based on the return to earth of a solitary astronaut. After the landing of his spacecraft he realizes that human kind has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared while he was away in the outer space. What an anguishing situation. Anguish is what this beautiful music is based on and you can hear it clearly all through the record and, in particular in "Il Mondo Cade su di Me" (World Falls on Me, 6,48 mns) and the short bu extraordinary "L'Ombra" (Shadow, 3,38 mns).
What makes RRR so unique and spectacular isn't the pompous production. It's the dramatic pattern, the theatrical and impressive development of the eight composition, the anguishing alternation of classic piano, organ, flute, sax, contrabass, guitars and orchestra! It's a musical journey into solitude of man, into his deepest daily desperation. For these reasons there are not comfortable moments. Each track smells of End and is perfectly executed as it was the most perfect closer. Obviously this may not be agreed by someone, but evidently the creativity's level is very high and impressive. This is what we call the proof that RPI is a more suitable acronym than ISP.
4,5 / 5 stars for sure.

Andrea Cortese

Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno was a band of the Italian prog scene of the early seventies. The line up featured Luciano Regoli (vocals, acoustic guitar), Nanni Civitenga (guitar), Stefano Piermarioli (keyboards), Damaso Grassi (flute, sax), Manlio Zacchia (bass) and Francesco Froggio Francica (drums, percussion). They were from Rome and they released only one album. Anyway, the musicians where involved also in other projects, for instance singer Luciano Regoli had a previous experience in a band called Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray (that never released any album) with future Goblin's leader Claudio Simonetti and, after RRR disbanded, he and guitarist Nanni Civitenga played in another band called Samadhi...
"Per... Un mondo di cristallo" is a concept album based on a story by Marina Comin, who wrote the lyrics. Music and words try to describe the feelings of an astronaut who comes back to the Earth and finds only desolation and ruins... The planet where he had lived before his space journey does not exist anymore, around him there's nothing ("Nulla"). The first track is a short introduction dominated by a church-like organ then, on the second track, acoustic guitar and flute greet the astronaut wake-up. The protagonist climbs on a rock ("Su una rupe") and realizes that he's living a kind of nightmare because everything around him is dead by now... The music is complex with shifting tempos... "Men, if you could climb on this rock and see what you have done... You would have thought more about what you were doing...". Then anguish and fear, it's like if the world was falling down and the protagonist remembers the happy days of his past "like a tree that is using its roots". Here the music is uneasy and it reminds me of Il Balletto di Bronzo's "Ys" ("Il mondo cade su di me"), then turns into a "jazz mood" ("Nel mio quartiere").
The second part of the album begins with a dramatic atmosphere, a threatening shadow without a smile is rising on the horizon. When the protagonist realizes that the merciless shadow is the "humankind" the rhythm turns into tarantella... The lost world was nothing but a puppet show, a stage where men were acting like marionettes ("Un palco di marionette"). The music here describes the madness of the humankind perfectly mixing a wide range of moods and rhythms. The final track is dreamy, with acoustic guitar and flute in the forefront... Now the protagonist has nothing in his mind but crystal dreams ("Sogni di cristallo") that melt back into the mist...
On the whole a very good album, with a beautiful art cover. Perhaps it's not flawless (lyrics are a little bit naïf and vocal parts are not "impeccable") but it's really worth to listen to... If you like bands like BMS, Le Orme or Il Balletto di Bronzo this album will be an excellent addition to your collection!

Andrea Parentin

Exploded Italian power, I'm amazed and beaten.
RACCOMANDATA RICEVUTA RITORNO (RRR)'s power is suddenly changing states, I consider. Trust me not be deceived by the romantic pipe organ and flute sound in the beginning. Suddenly it will get to be rampant, and typical Italian progressive sound will be exploded. What is typical? RRR could have many sources of sound...rock (of course), jazz (on 4th track Nel Mio Quartiere is really rough and improvisational jazzy sound), classic, and Orient-like sound. All of sounds are well mixed and well matured, and the lump of sounds can knock us strongly and massively. Moreover, I wonder this sound concrete would be one of the origin of Italian progressive power.
Palepoli by Osanna, or Darwin! by Banco, etc. may belong to same group as Per... Un Mondo Di Cristallo. Strangely, these three albums were born in the same year 1972. Whoa...I can't help sayin' 1972 was the most powerful year of RPI. Do I overevaluate? :P

Keishiro Maki

One more Italian band with just one album and a weird and long name, this is Raccomandata Con Ricevuta Di Ritorno. Not quite accurate, cause the band returned with an album some years ago called Ill Pittore Volante (2010).
Well, Per? Un Mondo Di Cristallo (1972) was their debut and swan song. And like many other albums of its time it's a mix of classic Italian sub-genre with a strong Jazz Rosk Fusion and Frank Zappa feeling.
I would say that the most 'Prog' song of the album is 'L'Ombra/Um Palco Di Marionette'. The album ends with 'Sogni Di Cristallo/Nulla' and it seems as if it was an unfinished piece of work. Indeed, many Italian bands have this kind of feel when you listening to their albums.
A 3.5 / 5 really

Diego Camargo

I bought this vinyl reprint because of the things I read about it on PA, I had never heard a song of the band. This Italian progressive group from the seventies has had some renewed attention after publishing their second album in 2010. Their sole album of the seventies is however my point of interest. The concept of the album got me interested; 'man comes back to earth in his spaceship to find his planet destroyed'.
The music of RRR really turned out to be a very pleasant eclectic mix of prog(related) elements. A bit Led Zeppelin rock-guitar and temperament, classical music, world-music influences, Crimsonian harmonic structures, VdGG power-strikes, some sypho and an original use of be- bop-jazz. The use of these elements is actually quite psychedelic, going from one style to another without warning. One could attack this album on it's lack of cohesiveness, but I actually like this, perhaps naive, approach on progressive rock. Though the band keeps on throwing new things at you, it does it at equal speed and intensiveness throughout the album! It's the STYLE of this band haha.
In the meanwhile I'm fully entertained whilst listening to RRR. The recording of the album is good and the experiments are great. The frantic opening section (you're planet's destroyed..), the nice be-bop track on the end of side one, the world-music influences with nice flutes and of course the fierce Italian vocals! This energetic eclectic RPI album is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Conclusion. If you're interested in RPI or eclectic prog this is your cookie. Not only does it taste good, it has some bite which will keep you listening to it for a while. If you want classical inspired sympho-prog you might look somewhere else. For me this is a big four star recording and one of finest examples of innovative Italian prog that really is something different than the English progressive tradition that once inspired the Italian musicians.

Friso

"For a Crystal World" - to translate the title - is one of the better of the second-tier Italian prog albums from the great RPI boom of 1972. With Luciano Regoli's gentle voice being a particular highlight, the album is also worth listening to for the skillful keyboard stylings of Stefano Piermarioli. The concept seems to be something about an astronaut who returns from a mission to find that life on Earth has been destroyed - perhaps a nod to "The Crystal World" by J.G. Ballard? - but there's not much very spacey about this release - instead, it's the typical RPI fare of early Genesis blended with other progressive influences. A strong effort, though not quite enough to put the band in the front rank of RPI bands.

W. Arthur

The future and the progress needs the intelligence of men to discover always more. So a man leave for a space travel, but on his return on Earth the world that he knew is not the same, devastated by a nuclear war. In a "not world" dominated by nothingness this man looks at the ruins of Earth upon the only remaining cliff, asking to himself why men have destroyed themselves. While he was thinking his childhood, a flash take to the sky remembering to him the life. An apocalyptic world which was theater for puppet where everything is now his enemy, leave in his mind only crystal dreams, destined to crumble. This Sci-fi tale, written by poetess Maria Comin, is well described by on of the most important one shot band of 70s RPI. This band was born in Rome in 1971, and despite they were very young, they had already had some musical experiences. Texts so visionary are well bonded with musical atmospheres with tones that try to represent the reflection of a man about solitude created by humanity, probably for the progress's advent that in its crazy run has fixed in collective imaginary the figure of a destroyer monster of their freedom.
This work is based on a classic guitar and keyboards fusion with the flute that has exercised a magnetic attraction for young RPI of 70s, especially associated to the figure of Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull style in general. The main themes of songs are "interrupted" by sudden changes of time which make more interesting the "apocalyptic" atmospheres sink into nothingness. Hysteric and obsessive rhythms dominated by piano, are alternated by folk passages of flute and classic guitar. All is enriched by some jazz tones and the creative voice of Luciano Regoli that vaguely remind me Peter Hammil style, however a versatile artist with a crazy love for art in general (later he'll discover to be a great painter!).
The dark atmospheres "painted" by a distressing organ in the opening song "Il Nulla" (nothingness), introduces the desolation of this world now ended that sometimes remind me the intro of the album "Inferno" by Metamorfosi. The whirl of thoughts that kidnap the mind of protagonist in "Su Una Rupe" (on a cliff) is represented by many changes of time that makes more fragmentary not only this piece, but the entire album. The voice appears as a lamentation of a desperate man afflicted by these visions, that try to understand the essence of men. To searching something the astronaut walks alone in "Il Mondo Cade Su Di Me" ( the world falls on me). The song is opened by beautiful arpeggios in Led Zeppelin style, and later obsessive rhythms of piano and bass give to us an idea of the walk trough the nothingness with some chorus on background, that seems to come from hell damned. Maybe this is their best musical passage."Nel Mio Quartiere" (in my neighborhood / area) is a nice jazz intermezzo, in fact the lighter side of these tones maybe remembering his childhood games. But here's return in "L'Ombra" (the shadow) the previous obsession that leaves no way out. A mixture of anxiety and madness that instruments reproduce perfectly, with a repetitive piano and usual distressing voice and crazy laughter. The beautiful "Un Palco Di Marionette" (a puppets stage) is a memorable song characterized by flute and piano with some Jethro Tull passages, in which is expressed a "sweet" criticism to the men that are little and without will, oriented only to their unnecessary problems. This is maybe their better piece, and in RPI certainly one the most memorable. The last song "Sogni Di Cristallo" (crystal dreams) sounds lighter however highlighting that all is lost, that "there are a thousand colors, that have no more colors".
A very impressive sound, with tracks that were often "segmented and interrupted" sharply, giving the impression of a confused work, sometimes. However this is a classic RPI album to listen to, made maybe by the youngest RPI band (the oldest was 22 years)!
4 / 5 Stars - An album not to be missed.

Marco Simone Muraca

Great Italian Progressive Rock Album. One of the most traditional prog albuns in Italian 70 scene. Great atmosphere with calm parts that change to psicotic but melodious great prog. A nice guitar arrangements with some flute parts and some fast bass parts, made this albun one of the best in oposition for another Italian Prog groups. I think they made just one album because I never see any other works of this great band. An album what we heard with much pleasure and what liked always revising. We have some parts of prog folk with another's with psichedelic space rock and another's whith symphonic prog and ecletic prog. Great stuff my friends. It's a great album that we never lose. Please listen, and you just like me, began a new music adventure in progressive Italian scene that are one of the most important in progressive world, specialy the 70 years that is the period that I like. Vewry good music work.

João Paulo Vieira Rodrigues

RRR (as they were often referred to at the time due to their long difficult name) were from Rome, all coming from various minor groups, only Luciano Regoli had a significant experience with Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray.
Their only album, 'Per... un mondo di cristallo' (eng: 'For... A World Of Cystal'), housed in a curious gatefold cover containing a nice drawing from the Up&Down Studio (as in Procession's 'Fiaba'), mixes a typical Italian prog sound with acoustic guitar, flute and keyboards in evidence, with jazz influences, and the result is sometimes disjointed, with great tracks such as 'Un Palco Di Marionette' (eng: 'A Puppet Stage') mixed with less convincing jazzy tunes like 'Il Mondo Cade Su Di Me' (eng: 'The World Falls On Me'). (extract from www.italianprog.com).
This album is a concept album based on the reflections of an astronaut on his return to Earth. Only that Earth is not Earth... But a desolated planet. And the astronaut reflects on life and what he sees.
Now... The music is a good mix between Jazz and RPI, good if you like bands as Delirium but not totally succeeded. Indeed, in my humble opinion, the music is good, although not particularly thick and the lyrics are a little forced at some point. In general an album like this should be read in a total. Not song for song. But, in hindsight, is the crucial mistake that everyone makes: song by song does not explain the absolute clarity of the music offered. In brief (but clear) words, we must read the final result. But then? What we hear? Certainly we come to understand that 'Per... Un Mondo Di Cristallo' is a fusion RPI album. But not comparable with Area. Rather Delirium is a good comparison (only from their 2nd LP). Rather than seeking the differences between RRR and Delirium, I think it's better to read a good book and try to oxidize the mind like a piece of iron infected with rust. In short RRR and delirium are two groups not combinable side by side but ... Yet this album (I mean that of RRR) has a very strange power. A power that never explodes but that (strangely) has exploded in us without necessarily prove. If, then, we read the proof of Luciano Regoli not see the classic Rock sing. Here he is closer to folk! And also of certain types of flute but do not remember the Rock Folk. Except that, in the end, all this is pure RPI.
Musically the writing is all geared to the feeling: because the arrangements are part of the melody, they form the melody. The arrangements, therefore, are not intrusive. Sometimes the melody is to be intrusive. Defect or honor? I am not in a position to express an opinion. RRR was certainly a band that could find elements of pure psychedelia. That, in hindsight, is present in some phrases. Only it is not visible. Responsible for writing too much fluid (in some cases seriously heavy!). Technically, I noticed the search of complication. What ever it is placed in a logic. It is not hidden (as in Delirium), but clear expression of belief of their own means and that is uncharacteristically (and only) elegant. If this is not a pure RPI element... What should be? Unfortunately, all this gift of God is an expression of music that has not aged well as we might little bee. Clearly this is a flaw in the RPI. But in this case also the production helps. The mix is good but the registration does not allow the music to emerge from a quiet (apparently) flat. What can I say? In my modest opinion, this album sounds flat at times and in other times too colorful... As if Delirium become New Trolls!
'The sun rises first... Then set '. This sends me the concept of 'Per... Un Mondo Di Cristallo'. We can not overlook in our discography. Needless to hide it. So while this album is not essential... I think it becomes essential if you love RPI. Especially if you love historical RPI.

Andrea

Un discazo que es necesario rescatar del olvido del tiempo, y una verdadera sorpresa que se viene a sumar a la cantidad de discos muy recomendados del blog cabezón.
No se lo pierdan.

Lista de Temas:
1. Nulla
2. Su una rupe
3. Il mondo cade su di me
4. Nel mio quartiere
5. L'ombra
6. Un palco di marionette
7. Sogni di cristallo

Alineación:
- Luciano Regoli / vocals, guitar
- Nanni Civitenga / guitar
- Stefano Piermarioli / keyboards
- Francesco Froggio Francica / drums
- Manlio Zacchia / bass
- Damaso Grassi / Tenor saxophone, flute