Germinale
were formed in Pisa in 1991 and their name was inspired by an Emile
Zola novel. After an interesting but still immature eponymous debut
album in 1994 and some line-up changes, in 1996 they released on the
independent label Mellow Records what is reputed their best work so
far and one of the best Italian prog records of the nineties, “...e
ancora il suo respiro agita le onde...” (And his breath is still
moving the waves). The line-up here features Salvo Lazzara (electric
guitar, devices, vocals), Marco Masoni (vocals, bass, classical and
acoustic guitars, mellotron), Andrea Moretti (piano, Hammond, moog,
synthesizers), Alessandro Toniolo (flute, sax, vocals) and David
Vecchioni (drums, percussion). The overall sound is rich and
inspired, in the best tradition of Italian prog rock while the
beautiful art cover by Marta Bibbiani tries to capture the explosion
of colours which the music expresses...
The
short opener “Il già sentito e il non ancora” (The already heard
and the not yet) is introduced by the sound of sea waves and seagull
calls. Then, from a delicate acoustic guitar pattern soars a
particular invocation... “We forgive you, Euterpe, for bringing us
up here / Goddess of music, lyric poetry and the flute / We ask you
now to let us use your regenerating pathos...”.
Next
comes the long, complex “1° maggio” (May Day), subtitled
“dialogue between a worker and a warrior”. It was inspired by an
essay written in 1934 by the French philosopher Simone Weil about the
reasons for freedom and social oppression, “Réflexions sur les
causes de la liberté et de l’oppression sociale”. Dreamy,
reflective passages alternate with aggressive and dynamic parts
underlying the contrast between the dreams of freedom and equality of
the worker and the angry, disdainful reaction of the warrior, symbol
of power... “My resistance compels you to think about equality /
I’ve always had to work but I want to do so with dignity... I know
the revolt of the oppressed / It explodes only occasionally but it’s
always bubbling / And it increases your pain if it forces me to use
my power...”. A wonderful track!
“D’ombra,
vapori e sabbia” (About shadows, steam and sand) is an excellent
instrumental in three parts. The first is dominated by keyboards, the
second features swirling flute passages soaring from a drum solo
pattern while the last is driven by an ethereal guitar solo. It could
be a perfect soundtrack for an adventure in the desert...
“Eleonora”
is a nice instrumental featuring delicate acoustic guitar patterns.
It leads to “Le onde, il respiro del mare” (The waves, the sea
breathing), a complex, dramatic piece in two parts. The lyrics are
freely taken from “Alkestis”, a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke
inspired by ancient Greek mythology. The atmosphere is dark,
narrative vocals tell a dark story... A diabolic messenger appears as
an uninvited guest at a nuptial banquet announcing that the groom has
to die, on the spot! The unlucky man implores, asks for mercy, asks
for more time, a year, a day, even just one more night! No way, the
task of the messenger is clear... Sometimes the music is powerful and
flows like a raging river, every now and again it stops and gives way
to disquieting dreams while the groom is carried away by the river of
despair. Every effort to grip the rocks is vain, the poor man is
swallowed by the obscure sea of predestination. Eventually... “The
messenger got up and walked into the water / He sank himself in
victory / And his breath is still moving the waves...”.
“Diòniso
inquieto” (Restless Dionysus) is a melancholic track describing in
words and music how time is spent in youth. “Another exciting
suicide to rejoice boring dusks...”. The lyrics tell of nights
wasted in fake happiness during parties and bike rides but also of
nights spent in a more bucolic, pensive way, stretched out on a lawn
watching the stars, tasting the pleasures of mother nature...
“Malcreanza”
(Bad behaviour) is a nervous track featuring many influences (from
Jethro Tull to jazz, from bossa nova to Jean Michel Jarre). The
visionary lyrics depict a smoking heart thrown to the winds and a
desperate wandering under the stars... “I’m still losing myself /
I do not talk very much / I never ask for explanations / I discuss to
understand / The sea around us where we have to swim towards cliffs
of sand helps us to ride the tiger of life...”.
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| Germinale, picture taken from their Myspace profile |
“D’io”
(Of me) begins softly, just a guitar arpeggio and a voice taken from
a radio broadcast... Then recitative vocals begin to declaim a long
list of useless things as heavy drugs, light words, football matches,
obsequious waiters, complete scores, human flies, counted hours...
All things that you can do without!
“Avànt
– grado” is an excellent long, complex track. The music begins
calmly with a swirling flute and a dreamy atmosphere. The lyrics were
inspired by the character of Peter I “The Great” Romanov. The
title is a mix between the French word “avant-garde” and
Leningrad, the Soviet name of Saint Petersburg. There is no judgement
about the “modernist despotism” of Peter I but a reflection about
“a revolution from above”, directed by the Tsar of Russia...
“It’s the energy of desire for concreteness... The vanguard and
the complete renovation of customs...”.
“In
Aeternam Veritas” (The truth in the eternal) is a short, dreamy
guitar instrumental that concludes a beautiful album. The re-release
on CD features also as a bonus track the cover of “Meurglys III
(The songwriter’s guild)”, originally recorded for a tribute
album to Van Der Graaf Generator released by Mellow Records.
You can listen to the complete album HERE
