E.A.
Poe are one of the many one-shot bands of the Italian prog scene of
the early seventies. They came from the surroundings of Milan and the
line-up featured Giorgio Foti (keyboards, vocals), Beppe Ronco
(guitar, mandolin), Lello Foti (drums) and Marco Maggi (bass).
“Generazioni (Storia di sempre)”, a concept album about the
generation gap, is the only album they had the chance to release
before disappearing from the scene. It’s a real pity because this
album proves that they were a very promising band blending classical
influences with jazz and rock in the same vein as Le Orme, BMS and
PFM.
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| E.A. Poe |
The
opener “Prologo” begins with recitative vocals on a suggestive
piano background... “Now we say stop to the kings, to the warlocks,
to our artificial paradises / We want to believe in what we feel /
Throw in the face of the past the sin of an apple / Imposed or, as
you say, inherited / All we want is nothing but to live / Be it right
or wrong...”. The lyrics are committed and the passionate words
sound like a statement of their purposes, then bass lines start to
pulse and to pump tension in while the electric guitar sets off on a
jazzy path backed by piano...
“Considerazioni”
starts with a catchy bass line, then the other instruments come in
adding tasteful sounds and colours while evocative lyrics depict the
metaphorical wall that divides the young from older people, awareness
and the pleasure at breaking down that wall, even committing
errors...
On
the next track “Per un’anima” (For a soul) the tension fades in
a bittersweet acoustic ballad... “How many hopes in your white face
/ That melts into the mist of the past / How many memories in your
blind eyes / That have seen so many things in such a hurry, you know
/ Perhaps you were running after what you were feeling inside /
Without knowing the price to pay / I don’t know why you are running
away from life / Life has gone away to be replaced by
remembrance...”.
“Alla
ricerca di una dimensione” (Looking for a dimension) recalls some
works of Le Orme and features excellent classically inspired organ
passages. The atmosphere is tense and solemn while the lyrics try to
depict the reasons for the fight against an oppressive reality that
can’t be accepted... “I look at a newborn baby... He grows up in
hurry and with him grows the wish to kill us all / He doesn’t
respect authority / Because of his instinct and because of his love
for freedom / Rebellion, what absurdity / He dies along with us and
there’s nothing left now / He looks at other people as if he was
reading inside himself an unknown story / Perhaps he can’t believe
it / He can’t accept it as if it was just nostalgia... We say to
him just wait for time to run over you / And you will understand...”.
“Ad
un vecchio” (To an old person) is a wonderful symphonic track that
seems to come from “Felona e Sorona”. The lyrics are about the
mistakes older people make and the impossibility to believe in
politicians who are the expression of a generation that pushed people
into the madness of war.
“La
ballata del cane felice” (The ballad of the happy dog) is more
relaxed. It’s a ballad featuring strummed acoustic guitars and
mandolin. The lyrics are about love as a traditional value... “Happy
dog running after its tail / Close the ancient circle of a game / And
when you reach it / That’s love...”.
The
final track “Generazioni” is another symphonic track featuring
beautiful organ and piano passages and melodic soaring vocals...
“Generation, the never ending story / Strange lost meetings / That
you can’t find again...”.
On
the whole, a very good album that is really worth listening to!
More
info about the band:
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