01	Introduzione						15:11
	02	Primo Incontro						03:27
	03	Secondo Incontro						03:06
	04	Terzo Incontro						04:33
	05	Epilogo						11:30
	06	La Tua Casa Comoda [1973, Bonus Track]						03:46

Balletto Di Bronzo, Il [Italy]

Sirio 2222 (70), YS (72)

Their first album Sirio 2222, a rather average album of Hendrix-esque psychedelic rock may be of no interest to progressive fans yet their second, the widely regarded as superb Ys is a no miss. If you like jams that climax in incredible splendor and keyboards that compare to some of Wakeman or Stewart's best works, I think you may like this one. Although incredibly haunting, if you like dark works don't miss this one. I offer these quotes in support: Audion (speaking of the Italian band, Semiramis) .".. in the genre only one album I can think of surpasses it - Il Balletto di Bronzo's Ys," Syn-Phonic of Ys: "may be the very best ever and who's to argue " and Wayside (speaking of Sirio 2222) ."..who would next record the classic Ys." If these leading lights of prog music ever influence your music buying tastes, than you can probably see where I'm coming from....

Their album Ys is an Italian progressive rock classic from the early seventies. The music itself is most reminiscent of ELP, with fast-paced keyboard and piano leads. The "moods" of the tracks vary from the diminished chord soundscapes commonly used in horror movies to very melodic keyboard and drum interactions, in the best traditions of the genre. The Italian vocals add another dimension to the music, and range from tortured solos to well-structured harmonies. Admittedly, this CD will not appeal to many, but, to those to whom the above description sounds appealing, it should be well worth the listening.
Their album Ys is without a doubt one of the best progressive albums to come out of the 70's Italian scene. Intense high-energy rock with some jazz and classical influences, dominated by keyboards and guitar, strong vocals, and brilliant, complex and sometimes chaotic instrumental passages.
Ys is a very beautifully dark sounding album. I listened to this for the first time in several months just for this review and it really impressed me more than it ever had before. Only part I don't like is the second to last song or part, the mellow one that has that repeating bass line that drags on forever. This album is very chaotic musically and but not too hard to listen to IMO.

The first LP was great (hard rock sound) but the problem was that the label did not publicise the album enough. The guitar and the drums sound good. The second LP was very different from the first, more jazz and classical, with good keyboards

YS is a dark and intense jam that, in my opinion, blows away the best King Crimson. If you like progressive rock dynamic and disturbing, go for it. A must have.
A heavy Italian classic, their album YS. Always with the lyricism that seems to be inherent in Italian progressive, the music spans the range from melodic to intense in this one album. Melodic Emerson-like keyboard is suddenly replaced by heavy guitar jams (which I can only compare to other Italian bands such as Semiramis and Osanna) and vice versa--there is never a dull moment. Lyrics are sung in Italian, but don't let that stop you from checking out this Italian classic.

Polydor Italia



Greg Northrup 8-November-2001 Ys


Il Balleto di Bronzo - Ys

Il Balleto di Bronzo's Ys is an unequivocal classic, and stands as one of the very best albums out of Italy, and perhaps among the finest examples of dark, heavy progressive. However, newbies to the Italian scene might want to approach this one with caution, since it can be tougher to get into than some of the other popular Italian works. This was one of the first Italian albums I got, and I was frankly unprepared for it. The pyrotechnic keyboards, thundering rhythms, the angular, punishing guitars and the abrasive vocals made for a work that I found initially dense and unrewarding. For an album that many have hailed as the best progressive rock album of all time, I was a little disappointed. Of course, I've come around by now, and certainly hold this album in high regard as one of the jewels of Italian prog, but that personal anecdote should serve as a caveat for those expecting to be blown away immediately, especially if not particularly predisposed towards the more dissonant branches of progressive rock.

Still, Ys is a complete monster. The music on here is thundering, cacophonous and simply unrelenting in its sheer, brute force. This also stands as one of the best keyboard-based albums of all time, as Gianni Leone employs the full range of classic keys, from Hammond, Moog and Mellotron to piano and harpsichord, pitting them in savage, fiery duels that will absolutely tear your head off. These are contrasted against violent guitar riffs and surging bass lines, making for a chaotic, mind-bendingly complex ride. The music is punctuated by Leone's caterwauling operatic vocals, which were perhaps the toughest part of the album to get into, but are eventually endearing and nothing if not emotional. Take "Introduzione", an absolute beast of a cut that builds from volcanic climax to climax, as Hammond and Moog duel it out for supremacy. Take the opening riff of "Epilogo", with its brilliant arpeggiated theme that simply bursts at the seams with intensity. The entire album is a series of mind-blowing passages, with few spots of respite to be found. An indispensable Italian classic, without a doubt.

Greg Northrup [September 2001]


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Rob LaDuca 3-November-2001 Biography


Il Balletto di Bronzo

Gianni Leone - keyboards, vocals
Riccardo Spilli - drums, percussion
Alessandro Corsi - bass
The first nucleus of Il Balletto di Bronzo formed in Naples at the end of the sixties, with a hard-rock band called Battitori Selvaggi. The name was almost immediately changed to Il Balletto di Bronzo. This incarnation of the band was a quartet, with vocalist/guitarist Marco Cecioni, bassist Miky Cupaiolo, drummer Gianchi Stinga, and guitarist Lino Aiello. Their first single was cut in 1969, with their debut full-length LP Sirio 2222 seeing release the following year on the major label RCA Italia. Sirio 2222 is a Hendrix-esque psychedelic hard rock record, but sows the seeds of future progressive explorations, especially in the nine-minute-plus album closer "Missione Sirio 2222".

In 1971 Cecioni and Cupaiolo left the band. Bassist Vito Manzari and multi-keyboardist/vocalist/composer Gianni Leone, formerly of Citta Frontale, joined Aiello and Stinga. The addition of a classically trained keyboardist and composer opened up new avenues in the sound of Il Balletto di Bronzo. This new lineup's first record, Ys, was released in 1972 on Polydor. The beautifully dark Ys is widely considered by progressive rock connoisseurs to be one of the best albums to come out of the 70s Italian scene, perhaps even out of the whole progressive genre. Ys contains intense high-energy music with some jazz and classical influences, dominated by Hammond Organ, Mini-Moog and guitar, with strident, passionate Italian-langauge vocals, and complex and sometimes dissonant instrumental passages. Pastoral Mellotron-laden parts occasionally break the frenetic pace as a counterfoil. The music is somewhat reminiscent of ELP, with its fast-paced keyboard and piano leads, but the dark diminished-chord intensity is more similar to the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford era of King Crimson. The lyrics and music have been both mistakenly credited to Nora Mazzochi; in actuality Leone composed all of the music.

In 1973 the group released their last single on Polydor, "La Tua Casa Comoda", a warmer song when compared to the brooding intensity of Ys. (This single appears on the present-day Polydor reissue of Ys as a bonus track.) Following this last small burst of recording, the members of Il Balletto di Bronzo went their separate ways, with some moving to Sweden and leaving the musical realm entirely. Gianni Leone relocated to the US and recorded two solo albums for EMI under the stage name Leo Nero: Vero in 1977 and Monitor in 1981. He also served as a producer for other projects.

The return of interest in progressive rock in the 90s brought renewed interest in Il Balletto di Bronzo. In 1992, the Italy-based Mellow Records released a 15-minute mini-CD which contained English versions of two tracks from Ys, "Introduzione" and "Secondo Incontro". In September 1996, Leone reconstituted Il Bronzo di Balletto for a live performance at the Progressivamente Rock Festival in Rome, with Ugo Vantini on drums and Romolo Amici on bass. The trio performed Ys in its entirety, songs from Vero and Monitor, and a couple of improvisational jams. This concert was released in 1999 by Mellow as Trys (from trio + Ys). While Leone is the only member from the Ys-era band, albeit the most crucial, the new players handle the material exceptionally well. Leone is in fine form on keyboards, singing as well as he did in 1972. Leone has recently brought two younger musicians, drummer Riccardo Spilli and bassist Alessandro Corsi, into Il Balletto di Bronzo to revitalize its sound and record new material in the progressive tradition of Ys.

Discography (full albums only):

Sirio 2222 (1970)
Ys (1972)
Trys (1999)
email: rspilli@tin.it

Most of the material for this biography was taken with permission from the web site of Ted White, who used Barotto's book The Return of Italian Pop for his source material. White's Dr. Progresso web site is at: www.holeintheweb.com/drp/Dr.P1.htm

Rob La Duca

(originally published in the NEARFest 2000 Program Guide, edited for Gnosis 11/3/01)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Sjef Oellers 3-July-2001 Sirio 2222

On their first album, Sirio 2222, Il Balletto di Bronzo were obviously influenced by English and American bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds. "Un posto" and "Girotondo" are nice Hendrixy rock tracks centered around a simple, but effective guitar riff. "Eh eh ah ah" starts like a nice mellow ballad, but gets into a Canned Heat type blues rock groove about halfway. A surprising track is "Meditazione" featuring orchestral arrangements; it is a more typical symphonic progressive track with elements of The Moody Blues, The Beatles and possibly Barclay James Harvest. Most tracks are short (between 2 and 4 minutes), except for the 7 minute "Incantesimo" which sounds not unlike Humble Pie and "Missione Sirio 2222," lasting almost ten minutes. "Missione Sirio 2222" contains droning psychedelic rock with whirling guitars and a heavy pounding drum sound, sandwiched between an acoustic intro and outro. Evidently incomparable to their masterpiece Ys, Sirio 2222 is nevertheless a good rock album with a clever mix of ballads and fairly heavy rock tracks. An Italian group with a similar sound would be Osage Tribe. Anyone looking for a proto-version of the Ys album will probably be disappointed by this album.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Sjef Oellers 26-March-2001 Ys

Ys is the second album by Il Balletto di Bronzo and rightly regarded as their best album. Ys features relentless, high intensity music with great spacey guitar and keyboard soloing. The unrelenting intensity on Ys reminds me of Banco's Darwin or the heavier parts of Semiramis. For the organ playing, imagine something like a psychedelic (instead of classical) influenced ELP-ish style. The guitar is also more on the psychedelic side of things. Still the album as a whole sounds very much like a progressive rock album. A very rough comparison would be Iron Butterfly playing a much more sophisticated and fierce In-a-gadda-da-vida [Note that this comparison doesn't do justice to Il Balletto di Bronzo, but it should give some idea what to expect]. The fairly harsh vocals may deter some people, but I think that they fit excellently with the music. A dark and brooding piece of work, possibly being the best album in the twilight zone of psychedelic and progressive rock that I have heard so far. A classic album, but prepare for an assault on your senses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Il Balletto Di Bronzo


Personnel:
Lino Ajello - guitar
Gianchi Stringa - drums, percussion
Marco Cecioni - vocals
Miky Cupaiolo - bass
Gianni Leone - vocals, organ, piano, mellotron, moog, harpsichord, celeste
Vito Manzari - bass

Albums:
Sirio 2222 1970 RCA PSL 10459 (re-issued on CD by RCA, ND 71819)
Ys 1972 Polydor 2448 003 (Germany Polydor 2480 127; re-issued on CD several times by Polydor: 1989 Japan ERC 32001, 1993 Italy 519 388 2, 1994 - 523 693-2 with one bonus track)
Ys - English Version Mellow (MMP 112), 1992 (This contained two re-recorded tracks only, as the English version was never completed)
Il Re Del Castello 1980 Raro - NL 74220

Gianni Leone Solo (As Leo Nero):
Al Vero 1977, Harvest 3C064-18272

45s:
Neve Calda/Comincio' Per Gioco 1969 ARC/RCA - AN 4193
Si, Mama Mama/Meditazione 1970 RCA - PM 3549
La Tua Casa Comoda/Donna Vittoria - 1973 Polydor 2060 053
Primo Incontro/Secondo Incontro - Polydor AS 2448 003 (promo, no cover)



This was one of the most talented Italian groups. Formed in Naples in the late sixties, their first single, "Neve Calda", was released in 1969. The exact line-up behind Il Balletto Di Bronzo's first album is not known as it wasn't mentioned on the record sleeve. "Sirio 2222" was one of the best albums released in Italy prior to 1971. This is raw-edged, intelligent, heavy progressive rock at its absolute best - fronted by Lino Ajello's powerful electric guitars (comparable to Jimmy Page, Adrian Gurvitz and Jeff Beck) and an enthusiastic vocalist (comparable to Steve Winwood). Even a slightest blues influence wasn't common for Italian bands at the time. Only a couple of the nine tracks on the album are longer than 4 minutes, but their overwhelming power and great melodies make them irresistible. On "Meditazione", a string quartet and harpsichord add uncommon elements to their music.

With the new band members, Gianni Leone and Vito Manzari, Il Balletto Di Bronzo's sound changed considerably on their masterpiece second LP, "Ys" (1972). Leone's rich array of keyboards blended with Ajello's extremely heavy guitar style on this unforgettable concept album. The mood here is very sombre and gloomy, with a spine-chilling female soprano voice introducing the main musical theme at the start of "Introduzione". This is revisited with chords on electric guitar much later on "Primo Incontro". After a vocal part accompanied by organ, the rhythm section enters while the moog plays a variation of the main theme.

Further on, jazzy instrumental variations with a baroque touch are played with anguish and despair by Ajello and Leone at full speed, gradually turning into the most frighteningly intense music you can imagine. The remaining tracks share these qualities, and "Ys" is a really fantastic album, suitable to score a horror film about the death of Pompeii. An English version of it was never finished, although "Introduzione" and "Secondo Incontro" have recently been released on CD. After one disappointing single in 1973, Il Balletto split up. They never got the recognition they deserved, as is often the case. As Leo Nero, Gianni Leone released a solo album in 1977, inevitably featuring lots of keyboards. Still the music on it is quite ordinary and close to a mainstream singer/songwriter album with symphonic backing.

Taken from Scented Gardens of the Mind - A guide to the Golden Era of Progressive Rock (1968-1980) in more than 20 European Countries, by Dag Erik Asbjornsen, Borderline Productions, ISBN 1-899855-12-2



Il Balletto Di Bronzo was surely one of the most unfortunate groups in the history of Italian progressive music. Their two really fine albums did not get the public acclaim they surely deserved. Due to the lack of publicity and maybe because they were too musically advanced for their time, they received no public recognition. The initial nucleus of Il Balletto was formed in Naples at the end of the sixties: the group chose Battitori Selvaggi as their name and specialised in hard rock. This line-up even featured Raffaele Cascone, the future DJ of Per Voi Giovani. Successively the name was modified into Il Balletto Di Bronzo, and their first single, "Neve Calda" came out in 1969, issued by ARC/RCA.

In 1970, their first LP, "Sirio 2222", was released on the same record label, featuring vocalist/guitarist Marco Cecioni and bassist Miky Cupaiolo. To this day, it's still one of the best heavy progressive rock albums made in Italy: their brand of rock is very much 'alive', at times extremely brutal and tempestuous in sound, and, above all, the best progressive tendencies in rock music can be traced back to this album and especially the fine suite, "Missione Sirio 2222". The phrasing between electric guitar and drums is very precise, and the contributions by other instruments (e.g. harp) are always clearly defined. It seems almost impossible that an Italian group could have released an album like this in 1970 while in the same year professional groups like Camaleonti were coming out with "Eternity". It's too bad that 'Sirio 2222' was not properly promoted by the RCA label, who potentially could have gotten the job done and pushed this incredible band to the forefront of the progressive scene. At the same time, the band released a single, "Si, Mama Mama", perhaps the most commercial-sounding track ever recorded by this group (not included on the LP). In 1971, a line-up change took place: the "survivors" of the early band, Lino Ajello and Gianchi Stringa (the fine drummer featured on the first album), added bass player Vito Manzari from Rome and ex-Citta' Frontale keyboardist Gianni Leone. The new quartet immediately started to work on a new album which was radically different to their debut. It was released in 1972 by Polydor under the title of "Ys". This album featured great sleeve design with the foldout cover and four pages inside listing all the lyrics. Musically "Ys" wound up as one the period's greatest concept albums. Everybody in its line-up deserves a particular mention, but above all there was new member Gianni Leone playing several different keyboards (organ, moog, celeste, spinetta) and becoming the real leader of the group, even if the background mixture of bass, guitar and drums is consistent throughout the album. The music itself here spans many genres and styles from classical to jazz and beyond, the lyrics are surreal and the playing is top-notch: perhaps this perfectionism caught the public by surprise, because "Ys" requires several plays. It was supposed to come out also as an English version: in fact, the English lyrics would have better suited this kind of music, but for some reason this did not happen. In the period between 1972 and 1973, Il Balletto participated in various concerts, such as Controcanzonissima, festivals for young people, and a jam session at the Altro Mondo in Rimini. During the same period, the band released its last single, which was somewhat more accessible than the cuts contained on "Ys". However, it was all but ignored by the record buying public, and afterwards the group split up. Vito Manzari played for a while with Alan Sorrenti while Gianni Leone (under the pseudonym of Leo Nero) moved to Los Angeles and began a solo career to very little acclaim.

There's a certain sense of sadness and disappointment for yet another legitimate group from the most creative period in the history of progressive music that was totally forgotten, while other - surely inferior - formations kept afloat.

Taken from "The Return of Italian Pop" by Paolo Barotto (Vinyl Magic VM201, 8016158220124)
Vinyl Magic/BTF web site: http://www.btf.it/


Il Balletto di Bronzo - "Ys" (1972)
An incredible, unbelievable, disharmonious, symphonic progressive rock Masterpiece!!!! This is PROGRESSIVE ROCK at its absolutely ultimate!!! This Italian geniuses had already released their debut in 1970, but that was a much more straight-forward rock album. "Ys" on the other hand, is one of the most essential progressive works ever. It seems to be a concept album with a "Introduzione", three "Incontros" and a "Epilogo". The music varies from beautiful and atmospheric parts, to disharmonious energy of a kind you never have heard before. There`s plenty of organ, mellotron and harpsichord creating a sinister and mystical atmosphere through the whole delight. The album has simply some of the best prog-rock sound I've ever heard, and its a shame that the band didn`t record more albums after this one. Most prog rock fans regards this as a classic, but there are in fact some morons who have written this Masterpiece off as "noise"!! These sissies should better keep listening to Saga and Asia, and all the other shit they for some unknown reason calls "progressive", instead of spreading bullshit about this glorious work of pure PROGRESSIVE ROCK ART!. I guess I`ve made myself clear now. Buy it!!!!



=====www.italianprog.com==========

IL BALLETTO DI BRONZO



1969-70
Marco Cecioni (vocals, guitar)
Lino Ajello (guitar)
Michele Cupaiuolo (bass)
Giancarlo Stinga (drums)

1971-73
Gianni Leone (keyboards, vocals)
Lino Ajello (guitar)
Vito Manzari (bass)
Giancarlo Stinga (drums)



Formed in Naples in late 60's, with the initial name of Battitori Selvaggi, playing in Nato bases in Italy.

Changed name to Il Balletto di Bronzo with the first line-up, with two god singles in 1969 and 1970 and even recording some tracks in spanish (released in 1988 as a single and in 1990 on the Il re del castello LP) and their first album, Sirio 2222. The album is now considered as one of the rarest of the italian prog era, and is halfway between late 60's psych-influenced pop and prog.

The long suite Missione Sirio 2222 is one of the best tracks, while most of the tracks are in the 3-minute typical length of the time. Some collectors consider it as one of the best in the iatlian prog field, others think it's still not a mature group's work. Without doubt a very important one.

In 1971 Gianni Leone (from the very first Citta Frontale) enters the group and a new Balletto is born, much more in a symphonic vein and dominated by his keyboards. Second album released in 1972, Ys (from the name of a legendary town in Brittany) , is a masterpiece, giving the group the success they deserved. Inexplicably an english-sung version, ready to release, was never issued.

Group disbanded in 1973 after a final single, Gianni Leone having a short solo career under the name of Leo Nero, the others went to live in Sweden and disappeared from the italian music scene.

Gianni Leone has reformed the band in late 90's for a series of concerts from which the live CD Trys has been recorded.





LP
Sirio 2222 RCA (PSL 10459) 1970
RCA/Contempo (NL 71819) 1988 reissue with same cover design and label
Ys Polydor (2448 003) 1972 gatefold with 4-page lyric booklet
Polydor special (2449 017) mid 70's reissue with single cover
Il re del castello RCA/Raro! (NL 74650) 1990
first two albums have been officially reissued on CD in Italy


CD

Ys (english version) Mellow (MMP 112) 1992
Trys Mellow (MMP 367) 1999

SINGLES (all with picture sleeve except where noted)

Neve calda
Comincio per gioco ARC-RCA (AN 4193) 1969
Si, mama mama
Meditazione RCA (PM 3549) 1970
Primo incontro
Secondo incontro Polydor (2060 053) 1972 promo-only with no cover
La tua casa comoda
Donna Vittoria Polydor (2060 053) 1973
Si, mama mama (spanish)
Nieve calda RCA (AN 7645) 1988 1000 numbered copies with plain white cover





Sirio was originally released on RCA Italiana blue label, promo white label copies exist. The hard cover is laminated on front.

Original copies of Ys have a 4-page 12" booklet glued in the laminated gatefold cover, containing lyrics and drawings.
The Polydor special budget series reissue had a single cover and no insert.

No counterfeits should exist of both albums.
Ys has been reissued in Japan (Polydor 23MM0149) with the same gatefold cover and in Korea on vinyl (Polydor 849 355-1/RG 2230) and CD (Si-Wan SRMC 007).




Il Balletto di Bronzo
Ys
Polydor (523 693-2)
Italy 1972

Vito Manzari, bass;
Gianchi Stringa, drums;
Lino Ajello, guitar;
Giani Leone, vocals, organ, piano, mellotron, Moog, Spinnnet, Celeste

Tracklist:
1. Introduzione - 15:11
2. Primo incontro - 3:27
3. Secondo incontro - 3:06
4. Terao incontro - 4:33
5. Epilogo - 11:30
6. La tua casa comoda - 3:46

total time 41:34


conrad

This dark, haunting, and in places aggressive album has become an icon of Italian progressive rock. It is characterised by long jams, strange but compelling melodies, distorted guitar and the keyboard work of Gianni Leone. Needless to say, somebody expecting the melodic, pastoral style of some Italian bands will be in for a surprise.
This is not an album that will necessarily appeal on the first listening. Certainly after my first several listens, I was wondering what all the fuss was about. The extended solos bordered on tedious and there really wasn't a strong tune anywhere. What eventually wins the listener over is the slow dawning of the intrinsic beauty of the music as well as the atmosphere that's masterfully maintained whether the band is playing in a slow relaxed fashion, or with frenetic high energy.

The album consists of three "incontros" (literally this translates as "encounters", but I confess that I have no idea if this is a standard musical term in Italian) situated between an Introduction and an Epilogue, both of which are of much greater length. In some ways these divisions are almost arbitrary, as in a couple of cases there are more significant breaks in the music within a track than there are between them. Either way, the Introduction and Epilogue neatly perform the role of bookmarks, and the end at the end we even hear the opening music played backwards. The current CD release also has a bonus track which I think is the best thing on the album. It certainly has the best melody. It doesn't even disrupt the flow of the album, and sits nicely at the end, serving as a sort of nightcap after the epilogue.

I do still have a few reservations about this album, though. The rhythm section can be very repetitive, playing the same bass riff over and over. While I recognise that this is a legitimate musical device to build suspense, I still feel it gets overdone. There are also precious few highlights. Most of the other highly rated Italian albums have at least three or four moments that can lift your spirits to the sky and stick in your head for weeks to come, but on this album, all that sticks in your mind are the opening vocals and repetitive bass lines.

That said, I still think that this is a very good album. I think it's the equal of a number of English albums that are considered classics, though I wouldn't say it was my favourite Italian album. If you think Banco gone gothic is a good idea, you'll probably worship this album. For the rest of you, don't give up after the first couple of spins. The album does grow on you.

5-13-03








Balletto Di Bronzo, Il - YS+1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Release Date: 1972
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Track Listing
1) Introduzione (15:10)
2) Primo Incontro (3:25)
3) Secondo Incontro (3:07)
4) Terzo Incontro (4:30)
5) Epilogo (11:26)
6) La Tua Casa Comoda (3:44)

Member: KidAmadeus - 05/30/03

I wish that it had not taken me so long to come across this recording. Few and far between are the discs that simply blow me away on first listen, and Il Balletto Di Bronzo's YS was one of them. I could sum up an entire review for this with one word..."WOW!"; however...

YS starts off with the fifteen-minute "Introduzione", a song which leads the listener quickly into Balletto's dark world. Disjointed ghostly vocals meld into some elegent organ work. I have heard many complaints about the harshness of the vocals on this recording, but I don't see the problem. The vocals melody line floats nicely around organ chords and vibes for a while before the band finally kicks in...minimoog and organ in a baroque Pictures at an Exhibition fashion, jazzy drumming, etc. And although a little repetitious after a while, the repetition stops just at the right time. I could only describe this piece as frenzied in a very-ELP/Crimsonish way. Odd italian scat singing, jazzy piano/hammond solos, tasteful bass lines, even space whispers a'la Gong...a great way to start the CD off. The last minute or so of this piece even reminds me a little of one of the Fripp sections from VDGG's Pawnhearts!

"Primo Incontro" feels more like a continuation of the last four or five minutes of "Introduzione"...nice harpsichord intermingled with wicked guitar. My one complaint with this CD is that the guitar tone is not really to my liking. Ho hum. Anyway, the drumming is very reminiscent of Carl Palmer's work, especially the snare work. This piece closes with a short harpsichord melody that sounds as if it would have fit perfectly on a Gracious album.

"Secondo Incontro" sounds like it was probably the beginning of the second side of the original album. Having never heard the original, I couldn't say for sure. Once again some excellent piano work.

"Terzo Incontro" has a really jazzy feel to it, with some very nice walking bass lines dancing around under heavily modulated synth work and more ghostly scat singing.

"Epilogo" is my favorite cut on this disc...the interplay between the musicians is simply amazing here. To me, this song is on par with some of the greatest prog songs of all time! I have to wonder how much time they spent in pre-production trying to nail the intro here...this is tightness on par with Yes' "Sound Chaser". The intro is followed by a nice vocal verse section in 6/8...followed by several minutes of the most spooky music I've heard in prog (except maybe for Goblin or Univers Zero). A very tasty repetitive bass line sets the mood, with dripping piano, mellotron, echoed guitar effects...ahh, bliss and heaven! Scare your neighbors at Halloween with this one! Finally, the blistering intro is reintroduced, and the album closes with disembodied voices which recall the very beginning of the CD.

Track 6 is a bonus cut which, although nice, just doesn't sound like it belongs here. I don't know why but this song reminds me for some reason (except for the vocals) of a cross between an early U.K. rehearsal tape and Starcastle...but that could just be my brain short circuiting after listening CD.

Dynamic, dark, intense, difficult, aggressive, dissonant and thoroughly entertaining...this is a disk that would impress even a few metalheads. I love this one! I highly recommend this as a requirement in any serious prog fans collection.





Il Balleto Di Bronzo - Ys

Released: 1972/1994
Label: Polygram Italia
Cat. No.: 523 693-2
Total Time: 41:37


Reviewed by: Tom Karr, March 2004
I guess I should start by saying that this second release by the legendary Italian band Il Balleto Di Bronzo is thought of as an epic masterpiece of progressive rock, and of Italian progressive music in particular. I call this work, consisting of the original five tracks (the CD re-issue has a bonus sixth track), an epic because it should be seen as one work, one piece of music broken into an introduction, three movements, or incontros, and an epilog. The sixth (bonus) track can be seen as an addendum to the epilog. This work is thematically a musical journey through some sort of Dante-esque netherworld. I assume a great deal here, as I confess to no facility with Italian beyond reading a menu. After an afternoon spent translating the lyrics of the first track, printed in, duh!, Italian on my import CD, I will make some educated (I hope) guessess based on the first cut's lyrics, and the artwork that accompanies each song's lyrics on the insert.

How bold of me, and how foolish as well.

Nevertheless, I take this to be the journey of a reluctant cleric through the depths of hell, ending in revelation and redemption, at the behest of some irresistible spirit force. Lyrics aside, this is some seriously spooky stuff, and it makes for some interesting listening. It is an instrumental powerhouse, containing some impressive work by the four members of the group, and it would be easy to call it a masterpiece of keyboard brilliance if it weren't for the stunning play of everyone else as well. It IS a storehouse of great keyboard wizardry, and all the usual subjects are utilized to great effect, Mellotron, Moog, organ, piano, and also celeste and spinetta, a couple of instruments more likely found in museums than recording studios. The drums are powerful, as is the guitar and bass work.

There are some slight similarities to ELP and Banco, but this is, to a great extent, a very original sounding work by a very thoughtful and talented group.

As I said earlier, this CD has some spooky moments, and the album starts in that vein. The first track, "Introduzione," begins with something that sounds like a Halloween sound effects record, all full of ghostly moaning and the like. One expects the ghost of Jacob Marley to spring out at you, rattling his chains. The first line of the lyric states (I think) in somber tones, that what is to be revealed is "to the last word, the whole truth." I'm too scared to read beyond that foreboding revelation. The choir like vocals of the introduction leads to the main theme of this song, carried by organ and Moog. This quickly becomes a cacophony of dissonant keyboards, and leads to the real meat and potatoes of this cut, the agonizing, horror movie score, that makes up the body of this chunk of the epic. There are numerous changes of meter and tempo and a treasure trove of ghastly keyboard pyrotechnics. The guitarist is out for the kill as well, and produces a bevy of distorted, scraping licks, with echoing slides and lines that would easily draw blood. After a suitable period of chaos, the Mellotron steps in, and along with more creep show vocals, moves us along to another depth of Hell, this time accompanied by some really disturbing guitar played through a rotating Leslie or perhaps an early model of the Roto-Vibe. Tasteful spinetta, an Italian version of the harpsichord, is added to the mix, already heavy and bewildering. This extends for fifteen minutes, and the listener may at first want to bail out at this spot.

Don't stop now!

The next cut, the first movement or, "Primo Incontro" begins, without any really noticeably break. Lord, this is going to be an ordeal.

Unresolved guitar lines lead into a reprise of the first theme of the "Introduzione," this time led by the guitar, playing some mean spirited psychedelic riffs. Thankfully, after only two and a half minutes, we get a break from the sonic madness by way of a gentle interlude performed on the spinetta, which ebbs away, ending this movement.

Continue on, fear not!

"Secondo Incontro" begins with a jolt. Sounding like a heavy metal band trying desperately to find the end of a song, Il Balleto Di Bronzo beats us senseless in the intro to this movement. Moving on into the verse, we are lulled with vocals and soft Mellotron before heading into the maelstrom again. Weird Zappa-like riffs alternate with quieter, melodic parts. I call this melodic with tongue planted firmly in cheek, as there is little on this release that can be called melodic. This movement, and all the movements are based on repetitive riffs that are ornamented with chaotic solos and sheer noise. To call much here melodic would be quite generous.

As in the transition from "Introduzione" to "Primo Incontro," the break between the second and third movements goes by unnoticed, and the "Terzo Incontra" is, to my ears, the same piece as the former.

Finally reaching the "Epilogo," the intensity level drops noticeably for long enough for the listener to at least catch a breath, and take stock of the first passage that might be broadly called melody. This, of course, is fleeting and the band seems to rise once more from the depths of torment. Wild keyboards and ghostly moans carry the music to an overpowering crescendo, and some small semblance of melodic content can be appreciated near the end of this section. This section finally ends with a choir of voices signaling a return from this journey of agony.

The bonus track on this re-issue, "La Tua Casa Comoda," shows us an entirely different face of the band. This is a welcome change at this point, I will attest to that. There is no hiding the melodious nature of this piece, and the contrast from the preceding work is quite stark. This track features some unhurried work on the keyboards and a lovely solo on the vibes, as well as gentle acoustic guitar work. It works very well, set against the raging, atonal fury that precedes it.

This is a work of great power, and it contains some of the best playing I have heard from an Italian progressive band. It will not be suitable for all listeners, and certainly is not a good choice for relaxing after a long day. But, seen and heard on its own terms, it is a brilliant work, indeed a masterpiece of the genre.

As an added benefit, let me describe a use I have found for this CD. Whenever my former next door neighbors decided to drink beer and chat loudly near my bedroom window late in the evening, I found that two or three minutes of Il Balleto at high volume on my stereo would clear their yard of revelers every time. Ah, the power of music!

Rating: 5/5

More about Ys:

Track Listing: Introduzione (15:11) / Primo Incontro (3:27) / Secondo Incontro (3:06) / Terzo Incontro ( 4:33) / Epilogo ( 11:30) / Bonus Track - La Tua Casa Comoda (3:45)

Musicians:
Vito Manzari - Bass
Gianchi Stringa - Drums
Lino Ajello - Guitar
Gianni Leone - Vocals, Organ, Piano, Mellotron, Moog, Spinetta, Celeste

Discography

Sirio 2222 (1970)
Ys (1972/1994)
Trys (1999)