Artist: Locanda Delle Fate
Label: Polydor Records
Release: 1977
Locanda delle Fate is yet another of those Italian bands known for just one album. The seventies in Italy were full of bands like that, but not many of them managed to put out a gem like this, one that’s still hugely popular with fans of Italian symphonic rock.
Locanda released their debut in 1977, and with it they created one of the last masterpieces to come out of Italy in the seventies. They showed up on the scene a little too late to become really popular, but their sheer melodic gift still got them a deal with a major label. Most of the Italian prog bands active back then weren’t that lucky. After more than twenty years, the main songwriters of the band (Vevey, Gaviglia and Conte) got back together and recorded a new album, but without the old singer Leonardo Sasso, and with a lack of variety, it wasn’t nearly as good.
The album kicks off with its only instrumental. The intro is very effectively built around the piano, with the other instruments slowly joining in. A few parts on Hammond organ and guitars stand out too. It’s definitely one of the best compositions on the record, which says a lot when you consider how great this album is and how crucial Leonardo Sasso is to the band’s sound.
The title track is simply unbelievable. It starts with a gentle piano, then a synthesizer joins in. But the song really starts to breathe when Leonardo Sasso starts singing in that passionate, melancholic voice of his. I get goosebumps just thinking about Sasso’s vocal melodies. The song goes through several parts that are seamlessly connected, and at the end the intro comes back around.
On “Profumo” we get to marvel at Sasso’s skills all over again. Another fascinating composition with gorgeous keyboards. Maybe the part near the end, where the synth takes over, drags a little too much, but the melody is so pleasant you hardly notice.
“Cercando” is another collaboration between the two guitarists, who contribute some excellent guitar parts but, as usual, give the keyboards priority.
“Sogno di Estunno” is once again packed with wonderful piano passages. At times the piano and flute play some outstanding duets.
“Non Chiudere” was again written by the two guitarists and is the only song where the guitars take center stage (in fact, this time all we hear is the two guitars and a flute). The problem with this song is the absence of Leonardo Sasso. Gaviglia and Vevey are good singers, but not for this kind of music. It’s like listening to Geddy Lee on helium.
And then, one more masterpiece. “Vendesi Saggezza” is structurally a similar composition to “Forse”. The piano is up front again, there’s some harpsichord too, and the song once more has complex arrangements.
The album also includes “New York”, a bonus track without Leonardo Sasso. It’s not as spectacular as the rest of the tracks, but for a bonus it’s solid.
It would be hard to compare Locanda to any other band, but if I were forced to, I’d mention Genesis, PFM, Le Orme and maybe Banco. But Locanda are more than that. True, they have that same incredible knack for mixing melodic beauty with complex arrangements like Genesis, they have a very dramatic singer like Genesis and Banco, they’re as sensual as Le Orme and PFM, but Locanda add plenty of their own ingredients. These are fairly complex songs with unconventional structures, yet their melodic quality manages to evoke exactly the opposite feeling. That’s exactly what symphonic rock should be. The melodies are laid out in very tricky patterns, but they’re all so singable that you don’t even notice how difficult they are. As befits a symphonic band, the sound is truly superb, full of keyboard magic, vocal sensuality and drama, and lovely guitar parts.
The album’s biggest trump card is undoubtedly Leonardo Sasso’s divine vocals. Without them, the album would be worth a lot less. You can especially tell on “Non Chiudere” and the bonus track “New York”, where the aforementioned gentleman is absent. Locanda are still good without him, but no more than that. With him, they’re sensational, because the color of his voice lifts all the other instruments too, making them sound even more majestic. Some might think Sasso’s raspy voice wouldn’t suit such romantic music, but it works great. Sasso can express the greatest possible drama and sensuality with his voice, as if he were playing several roles in a single song. No question, the man knows how to get inside a song, even though he had nothing to do with writing it. He could have become one of the greatest Italian singers, he could have stood shoulder to shoulder with Frencesco di Giacomo, but after this album there wasn’t much heard of Sasso anymore, which surprises me quite a bit given the qualities I just mentioned. If you’ve got such a powerful vocalist, all the other instruments simply have to work as the background. But what a background! Two keyboardists who shoulder the biggest burden of that rich, lavish sound and, with duels between piano, Hammond, synthesizers, harpsichord and whatnot, give Sasso wonderful support for his sensual voice. It’s surprising that, with two guitarists in the lineup, they aren’t more prominent. The guitar hides quite a bit in the background, but it’s very refined, in the style of Steve Hackett. The guitarists don’t overdo the fast technical stuff, they’d rather play slowly and with feeling. The fact that the second guitarist often picks up a flute instead of a guitar also helps keep the strumming from standing out as much as it otherwise could. Never mind, because we get some really lovely exchanges between flute and piano. And what about the rhythm section? Locanda have so many strong trump cards that the rhythm section almost goes unnoticed, but both the bassist and the drummer are excellent. The drummer shows in a few passages that he could be superb if he let loose, and you could say the same for the bassist.
So, Locanda are exceptional musically, and a few other things set them apart from other Italian bands. Their lyrics are also very poetic and metaphorical. Italian bands are admittedly known for their melodic sense and romanticism, but anyone who speaks Italian will tell you the lyrics are mostly terrible (especially with PFM). One of the rare exceptions is supposed to be Banco, and occasionally Le Orme. The song titles alone say it all. The title track means “Maybe the fireflies don’t love each other anymore”, “Vendesi Sagezza” means “Wisdom for Sale”, and so on. The titles are eloquent enough, but the lyrics themselves are on a high level too and prove that the Italians weren’t just “coasting” on their romanticism and gift of the gab.
I have to admit I know almost every note of this album by heart. It got that far under my skin. It’s one of those records you simply never get tired of. It’s probably one of the most romantic albums of all time (not in terms of lyrics, but in feeling). This is music that, at its best, is practically perfect. And there are tons of those moments! No superfluous notes, no overlong solos, everything clicks and the result is something beautiful. If you haven’t heard this album yet and you like symphonic prog, I recommend you go buy it right now.
Lineup
Ezio Vevey – 12-string acoustic and electric guitars, vocals, flute
Alberto Gaviglia – acoustic, electric, 12-string electric guitars, vocals
Michele Conta – pianos, Moog, clavinet, synthesizers
Oscar Mazzoglio – Hammond organ, piano, Moog, synthesizers
Leonardo Sasso – vocals
Giorgio Gardino – drums, vibraphone
Luciano Boero – bass, Hammond organ
Production
Locanda delle Fate
Track list
1. A volte un istante di quiete (6:31)
2. Forse le lucciole non si amano più (9:48)
3. Profumo di colla Bianca (8:25)
4. Cercando un nuovo confine (6:41)
5. Sogno di Estunno (4:41)
6. Non chiudere a chiave le stelle (3:34)
7. Vendesi saggezza (9:37)
8. New York (4:35)
Album length: 53:52
