ONCE UPON A TIME

After their debut album “Frontiera” released in 1972, Procession released their second album for the record label Fonit Cetra in 1974 with a different line-up featuring the original members Gianfranco Gaza (vocals) and Roby Munciguerra (guitars) plus Maurizio Gianotti (sax, flute) and Paolo D’Angelo (bass). In studio they were helped by some guest musicians such as drummer Francesco Froggio Francica (Raccomandata con Ricevuta di Ritorno), keyboardist Ettore Vigo (Delirium) and vocalist Silvana Aliotta (Circus 2000). The result was excellent. The overall sound is less raw and aggressive compared to the previous album and dreamy acoustic atmospheres prevail while the lyrics by Marina Comin perfectly fit the music blending dreams and reality.

The opener “Uomini di vento” (Men of wind) starts with a rhythm percussion pattern, then an electric guitar comes in... “The wind blows strongly now / Men run away because they can’t stand it...”. Sax, flutes and vocals depict a world battered by the wind where scared shadows are looking for shelter. Reality and its hypocrisies are swept away...

“Un mondo sprecato” (A wasted world) is more reflective and darker and features good electric guitar and sax solos... “I wasted a world trying to understand / But I don’t know how to begin / Man, you look at me and you don’t understand / I used to live like you / A bitter life like many others / But I made up my mind and now I know / You’re laughing at a clown / That has stopped playing with the wind now... You are laughing without asking yourself what this tale could mean...”.

 

On the long, complex “C’era una volta” (Once upon a time) the band tries to explore the “dark side of the moon” and the sax and vocals every now and again run after Pink Floyd’s shadows... The lyrics are about a quest for true life: a child sets off looking for the sense of life and when he thinks he has found it he realizes that he’s now old and that he has wasted his time...

 

 

“Notturno” begins softly, with acoustic guitar and flute drawing a strange, disquieting dreamy atmosphere... “A boat sails lightly on the sea / There’s a man on the edge / And the breeze wets his face / And the night gets darker / The man seems to be looking for life / But what is he looking for? He’s not a fisherman... And the sea gets darker and darker / And the man leaves the edge / Now the boat is lighter...”.

“Il volo della paura” (The flight of fear) is another beautiful dreamy track. The lyrics depict a flock of seagulls that darken the sky. When they land all together the earth is shaken. Men, who can’t fly, are scared and remain on their shaken world where there’s only a wall left, so hard to climb... Just a thousand wings and so much fear!

The final title track “Fiaba” (Fairy tale) describes a village on top of a hill where live people refusing the rules of the world and enjoy their peace... I think that the inlay painting featuring classical and rock musicians climbing the hill describes this track better than words...

From the book Rock Progressivo Italiano: An introduction to Italian Progressive Rock

You can listen to the complete album HERE

Procession: Fiaba (1974). Other opinions:
Jim Russell: Fiaba is a well rounded and musically satisfying album that will certainly entertain you even if it doesn't make the top of your list. A fabulous painting on the gatefold mini-lp edition shows the band and orchestra traipsing up a hill for an apparent jam at a medieval castle. It may not be the most representative album of the Italian scene but I doubt this album will disappoint anyone looking for good music... (read the complete review HERE)