After their debut album “Dolce acqua” and some commercial singles (“Jesahel”, “Haum” and “Treno” - in my opinion weak, but very successful), singer and flutist Ivano Fossati left the band and Martin Grice took his place in the line-up. In 1972 the band turned back to prog and released “Lo scemo e il villaggio” (The fool and the village), their second album, a kind of “concept” about “foolishness and reason”, where the fool is someone that always finds a way to tell the truth. In 1974 they released “Delirum III – Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo” that many prog fans consider their best work. It’s a kind of confused concept album about time and reality with not always inspired lyrics by Mauro La Luce and beautiful instrumental moments. It’s more symphonic compared to “Dolce acqua” and “Lo scemo e il villaggio”, here there’s less flute, more strings and saxes... In other words, a sound more distant from Traffic or Jethro Tull and closer to PFM, BMS and Le Orme. Nevertheless Delirium are still able to keep a touch of originality and the result is not bad at all.
The opener “Il dono” (The gift) is a delicate ballad introduced by acoustic guitar and flute. The mood is dreamy and the lyrics describe in some way the relativity of time... “Because of the desires of distant gods / You will live thousands of years in just one hour / Eternal keeper of a pale civilization filled with its own goodness... On account of the wishes of distant gods / You will be able to understand your role / And then mould time as you like / You will rule moon and sun / There are strange colours deep in your eyes, drops of fire set in the sky / Young face, time will reveal nothing but ashes of glances and then...”.
“Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo” (Journey through the archipelagos of time) is more complex and features dark, gloomy atmospheres, changes in rhythm and jazzy interludes “leading to the house of the king in the land of Focus”. Our journey through time and space begins, in awhile you will see passing in front of you centuries and centuries of wars... The Earth is burning, you can hear the dark sound of weapons resounding all around you and steel clashing against iron, you can see silver rostrums coming out from the sea, the glow of thousands armours and the light mirrored by thousands swords... “The Earth still smells of blood... I can’t hear anything but Death in front of me...”. “Fuga N.1” is an excellent instrumental track featuring a good organ and sax work, many changes in rhythm and mood that perfectly fits the atmosphere of the previous piece...
Then comes “Dio del silenzio” (God of Silence), an amazing short acoustic ballad featuring a great sax solo... “I’m the merciless blaze in a moment of eternity / My body is made of nothing but wind / Bright is the moon in sapphire waters / There are only stars in my singing / God of silence, please don’t go away... My God, do you think it was just an act of goodness giving me the gift of eternity?”.
“Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo” (Journey through the archipelagos of time) is more complex and features dark, gloomy atmospheres, changes in rhythm and jazzy interludes “leading to the house of the king in the land of Focus”. Our journey through time and space begins, in awhile you will see passing in front of you centuries and centuries of wars... The Earth is burning, you can hear the dark sound of weapons resounding all around you and steel clashing against iron, you can see silver rostrums coming out from the sea, the glow of thousands armours and the light mirrored by thousands swords... “The Earth still smells of blood... I can’t hear anything but Death in front of me...”. “Fuga N.1” is an excellent instrumental track featuring a good organ and sax work, many changes in rhythm and mood that perfectly fits the atmosphere of the previous piece...
Then comes “Dio del silenzio” (God of Silence), an amazing short acoustic ballad featuring a great sax solo... “I’m the merciless blaze in a moment of eternity / My body is made of nothing but wind / Bright is the moon in sapphire waters / There are only stars in my singing / God of silence, please don’t go away... My God, do you think it was just an act of goodness giving me the gift of eternity?”.
In “La battaglia degli eterni piani” (The battle of the eternal plans) after a quiet intro, the battle rages on and... the rhythm rises! The sound is more symphonic despite a slightly jazzy interlude... “The whole landscape is rigged and we could not be sure of anything. This jagged cliff, perhaps it is a fortress bristling with guns, this rocky outcrop: a missile on its launch pad. All is suspect, the tiniest stones, the smallest grove... I’m not even sure that the clouds are real...” 1. I think that a beautiful novel by the French writer Serge Brussolo, “Rinocérox”, could perfectly provide the images you need to completely appreciate this piece dealing with eternal plans of destruction and an eternal wish to build more and more powerful weapons... “The battle raged on in the eternal plans / Where men chose weapons able to kill more / I will conceal the evidence, I will obscure reality / I will forget what’s the truth...”.
“Un uomo” is a short, introspective melodic piano ballad. After so much trouble and fighting it marks a pause for reflection... “I will find again in my thoughts the faith in me / Or I’ll run away... A man can never stop / He has to find his reality in himself...”.
It’s time to set off on another journey leading away from wars, towards a new dawn of peace. The last two tracks are the instrumentals “Viaggio N.2” (Journey nr. 2) featuring good sax work and a jazzy feeling. The music takes you away for a night ride on the shoulders of a gentle giant, then drops you off for a rest and allows you to admire a spectacular new dawn on the notes of the quiet, symphonic “Ancora un’alba” (One more sunrise). After so many centuries of wars passed by in awhile, peace and silence at last!
“Un uomo” is a short, introspective melodic piano ballad. After so much trouble and fighting it marks a pause for reflection... “I will find again in my thoughts the faith in me / Or I’ll run away... A man can never stop / He has to find his reality in himself...”.
It’s time to set off on another journey leading away from wars, towards a new dawn of peace. The last two tracks are the instrumentals “Viaggio N.2” (Journey nr. 2) featuring good sax work and a jazzy feeling. The music takes you away for a night ride on the shoulders of a gentle giant, then drops you off for a rest and allows you to admire a spectacular new dawn on the notes of the quiet, symphonic “Ancora un’alba” (One more sunrise). After so many centuries of wars passed by in awhile, peace and silence at last!
From the book Rock Progressivo Italiano: An introduction to Italian Progressive Rock
You can listen to the complete album HERE
Delirium: Delirium III - Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo (1974). Other opinions:
Jim Russell: "Viaggio" is a good Italian album with some very beautiful sections scattered throughout and these parts are very endearing. But I was less convinced by their more dramatic, harder edged sections which seemed a bit forced and as I mentioned already, somehow unfocused. Fans of Italian prog who love saxophone and flute will likely enjoy this enough to purchase but I don't think of it as highly as some others do. Then again, the sheer beauty of the opening track is enough for an Italian zealot like myself put this one on the shelf... (read the complete review HERE)
Delirium: Delirium III - Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo (1974). Other opinions:
Jim Russell: "Viaggio" is a good Italian album with some very beautiful sections scattered throughout and these parts are very endearing. But I was less convinced by their more dramatic, harder edged sections which seemed a bit forced and as I mentioned already, somehow unfocused. Fans of Italian prog who love saxophone and flute will likely enjoy this enough to purchase but I don't think of it as highly as some others do. Then again, the sheer beauty of the opening track is enough for an Italian zealot like myself put this one on the shelf... (read the complete review HERE)
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