Great prog, vocals an acquired taste
BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 09/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Film composer Carlo Rustichelli's son, Paolo Rustichelli hooked up with future Cherry Five drummer Carlo Bordini to record this album, Opera Prima, originally released in 1973 on RCA. What's really interesting about this album is all the music is performed by Paolo Rustichelli and Carlo Bordini, with absolutely no one else helping. Rustichelli handles vocals, as well as all the great analog keyboards you come to expect from the 1970s: Hammond organ, piano, Mellotron, ARP 2600, EMS Synthi A, with of course, drums from Bordini. No guitars, no bass. And to think that this duo pulled off such a great album when Paolo was just 16 years old! The opening cut, "Nativita`" is a totally amazing instrumental cut demonstrating the talents of this guy! The Mellotron passages especially blew me away. "Icaro" reminds me a bit of Gabriel-era Genesis. There is also a jazzy passage dominated by Bordini's jazzy drumming, and Rustichelli's organ and Mellotron. "Dolce Sorella" is one of those ballads that seem to pop up on many other Italian prog albums. "Un Cane" starts off with rather laid-back piano, before the vocals and synthesizer kicks in. I just love how this song keeps its intensity throughout. "E Svegliarsi in un Giorno" reminds me most of Semiramis, but with Mellotron, Hammond organ, and ARP synth, rather than Davoli synth and Eminent. But this album also demonstrates one weak spot: the vocals. The vocals tend to be harsh, and he often had trouble keeping pitch. The vocals certainly are an acquired taste, that's for sure, but of course this album would be even better if it was all instrumental, as the opening cut, "Nativita" certainly proves. He obviously succeeds most at the keyboards. I wonder what's up with the Italian teenagers of the early '70s involving themselves in such great prog rock bands? Aside from Paolo Rustichelli, members of Semiramis (Michele Zarrillo), the drummer for Latte e Miele, the keyboardist for Apoteosi, and Corrado Rustici when he was with Cervello were still not 18 when they recorded and released their albums and demonstrating they were fully capable of holding their own to those several years older than themselves. Present day America, it's nearly impossible to find people that age into that stuff, never mind performing and recording that kind of music. Still, despite the vocals, Opera Prima is truly another one of the great, unknown prog albums that's worth looking in to. If bombastic keyboard-dominated prog (such as ELP, Le Orme, even Cherry Five) is up your alley, I can highly recommend this album."
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1