Road To Planet Circus is the fourth album by Mad Fellaz and was self-released in 2022 with a renewed line up featuring Paolo Busatto (electric and acoustic guitar), Andrea Cecchetto (drums, percussion), Ruggero Burigo (guitars), Carlo Passuello (bass), Enrico Brunelli (keyboards, synthesizers), Rudy Zilio (flute, clarinet, synthesizers), and Luca Brighi (lead and backing vocals) plus some guests such as Giovanni Forestan (sax), Davide Baratto (guitar, backing vocals), Evridika Cuder (backing vocals), Fabio Trentini (backing vocals), Giancarlo Romano (trumpet) and Marcello Sambataro (additional keyboards). As on the previous album, during the recording sessions they were helped by producer Fabio Trentini (Moonbound, Le Orme) and shaped their compositions with a strong focus on the “groove” in a nice blend of prog, jazz-rock, fusion, funk, afro and even a bit of soul. The beautiful artwork by Antonio Carrara tries to depict the musical content...
The opener “The Animal Spell” features hypnotic atmospheres and exotic flavours that might recall the imaginary landscapes of Roger Dean. The music and lyrics in some way invite you to close your eyes and take off from the ground jumping up to the sky where life beats hard and you can find beautiful, deep colours and paint your dreams with them...
The lively, carefree “Free As A Dog” portrays a man walking on a street as free as he can be in a bright sunny day. He can run wherever he likes and no chain can stop him, all he needs is the light of the sun shining through the rain and its warming effect on his skin to feel good. The music every now and again reminds me slightly of PFM...
“Jokepot” is a funny piece inspired by the character and the story of Giancarlo Pelosini, an Italian TV quiz show contestant who answered by a suggestive joke to an ambiguous question about the warlike qualities of the legendary Amazons. He lost a huge sum of money but became famous... Next comes the lively “Sips Of Confidence”, a warning against the charming, false promises of modern barkers who draw your attention to sell you illusory remedies to soothe your pains...
“Rise And Shine” starts by a soft, acoustic intro. Here the vocals are used just like an instrument to add a touch of colour. When the rhythm rises the dreaming atmosphere does not vanish and the music shines like the sun upon the desert producing mirages... The following “Tuareg’s Dance” evokes in music and words a long caravan of tired men and women that, step after step is crossing a hot, sunny desert. The falling rain is like a blessing for them, an injection of hope for their hard journey towards the sea... Then, “Exodus” describes their feelings, the silent cries they left behind and the difficult choices they had to made leaving their homeland to reach the shore from where diving into the unknown...
On the notes of the sarcastic “Candy Store” you disembark on a greedy world where you have to keep calm and maintain your self-control because all what you can see is deceiving and dangerous. Real happiness lies on a magic land where there’s no crime nor lies, a paradise where you can find love everywhere... A place that doesn’t exist! Next comes “Babylon” where there are some passages that might recall Gentle Giant blended with Oriental flavours. The music and words convey a sense of dramatic awareness about all what’s going around you. It’s written in your eyes that you want back your liberty...
The following “Rise Again” begins a cappella and the influence of Gentle Giant is stronger than ever when the vocals evoke the sense of freedom that can experience children plying games and climbing trees... Eventually, the long, beautiful instrumental “Tennouheika No Sakura” (Cherry Blossoms of His Majesty the Emperor) closes the album with a surreal, dreamy atmosphere...
On the whole, a very good work that is worth listening to.
You can listen to the complete album HERE
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