01	Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)						05:39
	02	La Mela Di Odessa						11:05
	03	Cometa Rossa						05:58
	04	Are(A)Zione						14:59
	05	L'internazionale						04:04

Area
Are(A)zione
Cramps Records (1243 8 57427 2 9)
Italy 1975

Giulio Capiozzo, drums and percussion;
Patrizio Fariselli, electric & acoustic pianos, bass clarinet, percussion, synths;
Demetrio Stratos, vocals, organ, percussion;
Ares Tavolazzi, electric & acoustic basses, trombone, pocket trumpet;
Paolo Tofani, electric guitar, synths

Tracklist:
1. Luglio, agosto, settembre - 5:41
2. La mela di Odessa - 11:05
3. Cometa rossa - 6:00
4. Are(A)zione - 15:00
5. L'Internazionale - 4:00

total time 41:46


bob

This live disc is a hell of a lot better than the other live Area album I reviewed for Ground and Sky, Concerto Teatro Uomo. First off, the sound quality is infinitely better. And the performance also sounds better (although that may just be because I can hear everything more clearly).
That being said though, I'm finding myself curiously underwhelmed by this CD. There's nothing specific that I can point my finger at really, it's just not as fantastic as I was hoping for. The band doesn't sound quite as tightly focused as they do on the studio work I've heard from them, so that may be why I'm having trouble with the album. Still, the band has chops galore and a ton of energy. I bet they probably were a lot of fun to see in concert. I hate to come off sounding negative about this album, because it really is a good performance of complex fusion/avant music. It's just not ripping my head off as I'd hoped.

I'm also noticing that a lot of the band's songs sound pretty similar. I love the one studio disc that I have (Crac!), but listening to these live versions of tracks from other albums is not making me want to rush right out and buy the other studio discs. I'll probably end up buying at least one more album, but I'm starting to wonder if the band has already shown me all that they have to offer.


joe

It's so hard to make a live album that sounds like it matters. But Are(A)zione not only sounds like it matters, it made me feel absolutely envious that I didn't grow up in 70s Italy to witness this amazing band's performances. Area's penchant for intricate turbo-riffs and jazzy exploration as caught on their studio albums were brilliantly carried over to their live shows. Their sound is a meeting ground of Mahavishnu Orchestra meets ELP, with several wild cards thrown in. "La Mela di Odessa," as just one example, cries out with a sense of life that takes other bands entire albums to capture. A haunting effect is created as one of the band members chomps away at an apple greedily at the microphone, amidst the audience buzz. Then, a funk riff starts up as lead vocalist Demetrios Stratos, again proving why he was a one of a kind musician, breaks out with a vocal performance of pure attitude, his soliloquy capped with playful references to "Summertime" and "Taps" from the band. You don't even have to know what Stratos is saying or singing, he just draws you in like a moth. Fans of the previous Area albums are treated to great renditions of studio material, including "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre" from Arbeit Macht Frei and "Cometa Rossa" from Caution Radiation Area. And the title track will blow your mind. This is a gem of an album, documenting one of the most curious and fiery bands from Italy.


brandon

Are(A)zione is a curious, and distinctly Area-esque (well, duh), mix of fusionish jamming and wild avant-experimentalism. The first three tracks are more of the former, with plenty of tight ensemble playing; predictably, Demetrio Stratos' voice really shines. The title track is a long jam that sounds like it might be improvised; it's more experimental than the rest, features some amount of noodling, and few vocals (all of them of the wordless yodelish brand that Stratos somehow manages to do so well). It doesn't really capture my attention or imagination, though; nor does the final track, another playful high-adrenaline fusionish piece. As a whole, the energy level on this album is very impressive, but like Bob I'm not particularly excited by anything here. The aforementioned opening tracks are great, and Stratos' voice is wonderful throughout, but something's missing for me.




Area
Are(a)zione
Cramps
1975
Wayside Music

How many bands are there in progressive rock which can be considered truly unique? In a field of music where new bands are constantly recycling ideas and sounds from the '70s, and where almost every classic band seems to have legions of imitators, it would seem a unique band would be almost impossible. Only a few of the most avant-garde and idiosyncratic bands are relatively isolated. Even then, lines of influence can be drawn to or from these bands in most cases. One of the most unique bands in progressive rock is Italy's Area. This ground-breaking group mixed jazz, rock, traditional music from all around the Mediterranean Sea, and avant-garde electronics with a revolutionary political and musical sensibility. The result is a vibrant and unprecedented mixture of musical styles which remains without equal today. True, the recent Italian band Deus Ex Machina echoes something of the spirit of Area today. Also the above review of Rahmann's album mentions a similarity to Area in the Mediterranean melodies, but nothing before or since that I have heard comes very close to the unique musical vision of Area for more than a few fleeting moments.
What sets Area even further apart is that they were fronted by one of the most gifted and powerful vocalists to ever take the stage. Imagine, if you can, a hyperactive Elvis Presley with operatic vocal training singing in Italian. This is Area's late Demetrio Stratos. While Jon Anderson and John Wetton may have had pretty voices, Stratos could sing circles around them both. He could also growl, yodel and create all sorts of vocal sound effects which bordered on superhuman. Area's other four musicians were all some of the best in their respective fields, but it is clear that Stratos was always the star of Area's show.
Are(a)zione (translated "area action") is an excellent introduction to the band's work. It features selections from the band's first three albums, plus an amazing 14-minute jazz fusion improvisation and what I can only assume is a rather unorthodox rendition of the international communist anthem "L'Internazionale" (in the tradition of Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner" and Gentle Giant's "The Queen"). Also included are great renditions of the classics "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre," "La Mela Di Odessa" and "Cometa Rosa." All are high-energy shredders likely to get you off your prog-rock butt and moving around the house. But this can be detrimental to your appreciation of the music because it can be so intricate.
If you know Area, you know how good this is. If not, take my word for it and buy this album.