I
New Trolls started their career in 1966 in Genoa, influenced by beat
and psychedelia. Then, in 1971, they turned to progressive rock and
later to pop. Nowadays I New Trolls continue to keep alive their
repertoire with excellent live performances even if they have split into many branches with old and younger members playing in
different line-ups. One of these is La Leggenda dei New Trolls,
featuring founder members Vittorio De Scalzi (vocals, piano, guitar,
flute) and Nico Di Palo (vocals, keyboards) along with Alfio Vitanza
(drums, vocals), Andrea Maddalone (acoustic and electric guitars,
vocals), Mauro Sposito (electric guitar, vocals) and Francesco Bellia
(bass, vocals). In 2007 they released on the independent label
Aereostella an interesting new album, Concerto
Grosso - The Seven Seasons where
you can find a new creativity and an excellent interplay between rock
instruments and orchestra. Nico Di Palo here is in the
background, because of the consequences of a car accident now he can
hardly move his left arm and he can’t play guitar any more, but New
Troll’s fan still love him and his voice. In this work the
orchestra conductor, Maestro Stefano Cabrera, and guitar virtuoso
Andrea Maddalone play an important role too and with the executive
producer, PFM’s drummer Franz Di Cioccio, they contribute to the
excellent final result.
The
opener “The Knowledge (Overture)” is an instrumental track with an excellent interaction
between the orchestra and the band that recalls New Trolls' first Concerto Grosso. The following “Dance With The
Rain (Ballata)” is a delicate, soft ballad featuring soaring vocals
upon a classical guitar arpeggio and a good flute work by Vittorio De
Scalzi. The lyrics by Shel Shapiro depict images inspired by
universal love and comprehension and draw some reflections about the mystery of life... “Have you ever tried to dance with the rain?
Have you ever tried to fly to the stars? Has compassion ruled your
world? Could an overdose of knowledge divide? Dance with me and let
your heart decide...”.
“Future Joy (Scherzo)” is an interesting, joyful “instrumental dialogue” between orchestra and electric instruments with the guitar of Andrea Maddalone in the forefront. “High Education (Cello cadenza)” is a cello performance provided by Stefano Cabrera that leads to the following track, “The Seventh Season (Ostinato)”, more in a pop vein and that in some way reminds me of the Gianpiero Reverberi’s project called Rondò Veneziano. This piece features the narrative vocals of the lyricist Shel Shapiro and is a kind of prayer invoking a new season that could bring love and a new balance in the relationship between men and nature... “The seventh season will teach you to love the land / The seventh season will teach you to love again...”.
“Future Joy (Scherzo)” is an interesting, joyful “instrumental dialogue” between orchestra and electric instruments with the guitar of Andrea Maddalone in the forefront. “High Education (Cello cadenza)” is a cello performance provided by Stefano Cabrera that leads to the following track, “The Seventh Season (Ostinato)”, more in a pop vein and that in some way reminds me of the Gianpiero Reverberi’s project called Rondò Veneziano. This piece features the narrative vocals of the lyricist Shel Shapiro and is a kind of prayer invoking a new season that could bring love and a new balance in the relationship between men and nature... “The seventh season will teach you to love the land / The seventh season will teach you to love again...”.
“One
Magic Night (Larghetto)” is a beautiful, melodic air where the lead
“pop vocals” of Vittorio De Scalzi are counter-pointed by the
operatic vocals of the soprano Madelyn Monti (who sings in Italian).
The lyrics conjure up a magic night where dreams come true and the
light of knowledge leads you... “Dream a dream of northern
lights... Sleep and let your spirit heal... Let your mind flow like a
river / Give it freedom, let it fly / All you have to do is try...”.
The instrumental “Barocco'n'Roll (Allegro brioso)” is another interesting example of blending between rock and baroque music while “Intro and Canone” is a short classical guitar piece that introduces the following track, “Testament Of Time (Andante)”, featuring a beautiful melody and excellent harmony vocals. Here the lyrics evoke a future of joy where love can penetrate your mind at ease... “As the sea shifts the sand / Let us float away hand in hand...”.
The instrumental “Barocco'n'Roll (Allegro brioso)” is another interesting example of blending between rock and baroque music while “Intro and Canone” is a short classical guitar piece that introduces the following track, “Testament Of Time (Andante)”, featuring a beautiful melody and excellent harmony vocals. Here the lyrics evoke a future of joy where love can penetrate your mind at ease... “As the sea shifts the sand / Let us float away hand in hand...”.
 |
| Vittorio De Scalzi and Nico Di Palo 2007 |
“The
Ray Of White Light (Rondò)” is another track in a particular “pop
vein” that could recall some works of Queen (or, if you prefer, “Le
Roi Soleil” from Concerto Grosso N. 2). The lyrics invites you to
follow the light of love... “Listen to your heart / And you will be
loved in return / Don't be afraid / Follow the white stream... And
like a love that's blind / You'll see the future behind / And feel
the love alive in your heart...”.
“To Love The Land (Adagio)” is a piano ballad featuring the lead vocals of Vittorio De Scalzi and a remarkable electric guitar work with the orchestra in the background. The lyrics draw another invocation to love and hope, another prayer to the god of earth, wind, fire and rain... “Like spring from the rain / The seventh season gives you love again...”. The following “The Season Of Hope (Piano preludio)” is an interesting, calm duet between piano and viola that evolves into a more “progressive” and “jazzy” mood eventually leading to “Simply Angels (Suite)”, in my opinion the best track on this album and the closest to the prog vein of the early Seventies, featuring shifting tempos and well balanced harmony vocals. The lyrics here compare a flock of birds to angels heading south, following the rhythm of the seasons... “We're simply angels / We've been dancing with the rain / We birds are leaving / And we're flying south again...”.
“To Love The Land (Adagio)” is a piano ballad featuring the lead vocals of Vittorio De Scalzi and a remarkable electric guitar work with the orchestra in the background. The lyrics draw another invocation to love and hope, another prayer to the god of earth, wind, fire and rain... “Like spring from the rain / The seventh season gives you love again...”. The following “The Season Of Hope (Piano preludio)” is an interesting, calm duet between piano and viola that evolves into a more “progressive” and “jazzy” mood eventually leading to “Simply Angels (Suite)”, in my opinion the best track on this album and the closest to the prog vein of the early Seventies, featuring shifting tempos and well balanced harmony vocals. The lyrics here compare a flock of birds to angels heading south, following the rhythm of the seasons... “We're simply angels / We've been dancing with the rain / We birds are leaving / And we're flying south again...”.
Next
comes “Ethix (Canzona)”, a simple melodic song sung by Vittorio
De Scalzi that here seems almost trying to draw the listeners away
from their daily grind leading them into a world of dreams... “I
hate the noise of the world of today...”. A “bonus track”
concludes the album. It's “So che ci sei”, the Italian version of
“Dance With The Rain” and I have to say that I like this version
more than the English one...
Well, to be honest the lyrics by Shel Shapiro are a bit naïve and the conceptual thread is not completely convincing but the music is really good and even in the “pop oriented” passages you can always find a pleasant, never banal sense of melody. Have a try!
Well, to be honest the lyrics by Shel Shapiro are a bit naïve and the conceptual thread is not completely convincing but the music is really good and even in the “pop oriented” passages you can always find a pleasant, never banal sense of melody. Have a try!
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