Search - Osanna :: L'uomo

EXCELLENT ITALIAN PROGRESSIVE ROCK WITH A TOUCH OF FUSSION

Gregorio Alfaro Aguirre | AGUA DULCE, VERACRUZ. MEXICO | 05/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"OSANNA BELONGS TO THE PROGRESSIVE ITALIAN SCENE OF THE SEVENTIES. DIFFERS IN THE CLASICS SUCH AS PFM, BANCO OR IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO IN THE FACT THAT IT IS MORE INFLUENCED BY JAZZ-ROCK, MAINLY IN THE GUITAR WORK. THIS ALBUM CONTAINS EXCELLENT WORK IN GUITARS(ELECTRIC ANND ACOUSTIC) AND RELEVANT TOUCHS OF FLUTE ALA JETHRO TULL. IT IS NOT AS WELL AS THE OSANNA'S MASTERPIECE "PALEPOLI", BUT DUE TO THE MANY DIFICULTIES TO FIND A COPY OF IT, IT IS RECOMENDABLE TO BUY THIS ONE WICH IS JUST A LITTLE BIT LOWER."

Amazing debut from a great Italian prog band

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 11/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Palepoli, released at the end of 1972 might be regarded as Osanna's finest release, and I have no argument about this, but I find their debut, L'Uomo, released in 1971 a bit underrated, but still great. Here the music tends to be a little less progressive, more hard rock, blues, jazz, folk, and experimental. The album is somewhat more song-oriented than their following releases, but it's still progressive. "Non Sei Vissuto Mai" actually features some experimental passages that sounds like a precursor to Palepoli. "Everybody's Gonna See You Die" is one of the less progressive numbers on the album but I think it's great rocking number with some screeching sax in the middle courtesy of Ello D'Anna. The opening cut "Introduzione" starts off with some great acoustic guitar, organ, and synthesizer, very trippy stuff indeed, before it ventures more in to early Osanna territory. "L'Amore Vincerà di Nuovo" is a cool sounding piece that sounds like hippie music from the 1960s until the heavy guitars kick in to let you know this is from 1971. Osanna often gets compared Jethro Tull and Van der Graaf Generator, especially in the flute and sax department. Wind player Ello D'Anna often plays two saxophones at once just like VdGG's David Jackson and he plays flute just like Ian Anderson. Half of L'Uomo is sung in Italian while the other half is sung in English. The English isn't the strongest part, as it's obviously singing in English isn't one of the band's stronger points, although I have to admit it's not nearly as unbearable as the English language songs on their 1974 album Landscape of Life. L'Uomo is a great debut from a great band, but start with Palepoli first, then try L'Uomo, Milano Calibro 9 (1972) and Landscape of Life."