Le Orme Le Orme & Friens

Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music
I remembered the first Le ORME album I ever bought. It was "Ad Gloriam", an odd pick given that album isn't what you call progressive (it was psychedelic pop).

Le Orme ("The Footprints") is an Italian psychedelic and progressive rock band formed in 1966 in Marghera (Venice).
Their first record was for the tiny Car Juke Box label, in 1968.
They earned two gold albums, a discography critic award, an England Tour. Le Orme's most famous work, the concept album Felona e Sorona, was issued in English in collaboration with Peter Hammill of Van der Graaf Generator.
Le Orme's last three works (Il fiume, Elementi and L'infinito) show a return to a classic progressive sound, and form somewhat of a trilogy pivoting on the "becoming" of the human being.

Collage (1971) is the real "first" Le Orme LP, after two previous albums of beat music. It is also the first album to feature the trio's progressive rock sound, albeit in an embryonic stage. As such, it is a mixed bag. On the one hand you get pompous, excessive keyboard workouts that owe a lot to the Nice ("Collage," "Sguardo Verso Il Cielo"), down to orchestral arrangements. On the other hand, you also get songs like "Era Inverno" and "Morte di un Fiore," both typical Italian prog songs (with acoustic guitar), both heralding what will become Le Orme's classic sound. "Evasione Totale" takes things deeper into experimental territory (ELP-style), with improvised passages and more arcane developments…

It is always difficult to describe a new album by Le Orme: in 53 years of activity rivers of ink have been written about the activity of this group that continues its "musical dream" without allowing itself a moment of pause. "On the wings of a dream" is a musical journey through the melodies that have always characterized the artistic dimension of Le Orme. An album designed for both the numerous and loyal fans of the band and to approach a younger audience so far unrelated to the sound of the group that mixes classic and rock atmospheres. Initially Le Orme, in the triangular formation composed by Michi Dei Rossi (Drums, Percussions and Glockenspiel) with Michele Bon (Hammond Organ C3, Piano, Synth and Keyboards) and Alessio Trapella (Voice, Bass and Contrabass) entered the studio to produce a unreleased song albums. Later, the work developed around the idea of ​​celebrating a particular occasion that occurs in 2019: the seventieth birthday of Michi Dei Rossi, the historical drummer of the group. "On the wings of a dream" wants to be a musical tribute to Michi, who personally selected the songs to be included in the tracklist.

This band were one of the major groups of the Italian prog rock scene in the seventies and one of the few Italian bands that were successful outside their own country.
"La Via Della Seta", which means the silk road, can be regarded as one long suite. All tracks are linked together and the music flows without any interruption making an imaginary journey along this road, where you encounter the ghosts of merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and cruel barbarians exploring mysterious cities and civilizations. The music that comes along with this concept recalls the best moments of Le Orme. There's even more room for the guitars and the interaction between the piano and the keyboards is excellent while the powerful, brilliant rhythm section adds so much more to the compositions…

Le Orme have created so many great prog albums that they all should be talked about more than they are. "Uomo Di Pezza" is on of their finest moments ever in the studio and offers some brilliant moments. "Uomo.." is full of PFM-like orchestral interludes with the unmistakable sound of Aldo Tagliapietra and company. Like so many other Le Orme albums this one ends far too earyl and only clicks in around 35 mins. "Uomo Di Pezza" is a very complete album and should definitely appeal to fans of the classic early 70?s Italian prog scene. The quiet moments on this release are quite magical and very spiritual in many ways fitting nicely the concept behind this progressive rock masterpiece.

This band were one of the major groups of the Italian prog rock scene in the seventies and one of the few Italian bands that were successful outside their own country.
"La Via Della Seta", which means the silk road, can be regarded as one long suite. All tracks are linked together and the music flows without any interruption making an imaginary journey along this road, where you encounter the ghosts of merchants, pilgrims, missionaries, soldiers, nomads and cruel barbarians exploring mysterious cities and civilizations. The music that comes along with this concept recalls the best moments of Le Orme. There's even more room for the guitars and the interaction between the piano and the keyboards is excellent while the powerful, brilliant rhythm section adds so much more to the compositions…