Quinto
Stato is the third studio album by Arti e Mestieri and was
released in 1979 on the independent label Cramps Records with a
renewed line up featuring Furio Chirico (drums), Marco Gallesi
(bass), Marco Cimino (piano, synth, clavinet, Moog - former member of
bands such as Errata Corrige and Esagono), Claudio Monafia (guitar,
flute, vocals) plus the contribute of the guests Gigi Venegoni
(guitar), Rudy Passuello (lead vocals, bassoon), Arturo Vitale (sax),
Gigi Fregapane (vocals), Gino Torni (vocals) and Flavio Boltro
(trumpet). The overall sound is more straightforward than in the past
blending jazz-rock and committed lyrics and every now and again this
work could recall the seventies albums released on the Cramps label
by artists such as Eugenio Finardi or Alberto Camerini...
The
caustic opener “Quinto Stato (emarginato)” (Fifth State –
Outcast) tells the misadventures of a musician falling into
marginalisation in a time of ideological crisis, called in Italy
riflusso, characterized by the betrayal of the ideals of the
seventies, swept up by problems such as drug addiction, unemployment,
corruption or criminality... The title refers to a famous tableau by
Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, made in 1901 and representing the
Fourth State assuming class awareness and marching together, a
well-known symbol for progressive and socialist causes. In this
sense, the Fifth State of the title is located on a lower level and
the protagonist feels like an outcast without hope...
Next
comes “Vicolo” (Alley), a nice instrumental track featuring
slapping bass lines and soaring synth melodies that leads to the
following “Arterio (sclerosi)”, a venomous ranting against the
Italian political class of the time, here described as an incompetent
gerontocracy clinging on power and crowded with hunchbacks
and dwarves...
Next
comes “Torino nella mente” (Turin in the mind) that closes the
first side of the LP. It’s a calm piece that could recall Perigeo
with a good flute work that contrasts with the pulsing rhythm
section. It paints with its notes the hazy urban landscape of an
industrial, busy city that is not without charm and beauty...
Side
B opens with “Mercato” (Market), a beautiful track with a vein of
suffused melancholy and a pinch of exoticism. Here vocals are used
just as an instrument and the relaxed atmosphere could be the perfect
background for some scenes from a seventies film shot in the streets of an Italian city...
Then
it’s the turn of “D’essay”, an ironic track that tells of a
police raid in an art-house cinema... A genial film about alienation
and social crises, ten spectators in all for the premiere. When the
police arrive all of them are searched, one hides a joint and
complains... Well, it’s just another ordinary evening of urban
commitment!
Then
the short, dynamic “Arti” (Arts) leads to the last track, “Sui
tetti” (On the roofs). Here vocals are used as an instrument again
to give colour to a relaxed jazzy piece where melancholic sax notes
seem flying over a sleeping city that wants to dream on...
On
the whole, a good album performed by a skilled group of musicians but
not an outstanding one.
Arti
e Mestieri: Quinto Stato (1979). Other opinions:
Peter
Thelen: Chirico is still there, but original keyboardist
Beppe Crovella and violinist Giovanni Vigliar are nowhere to be
found, and original guitarist Venegoni only guests on a couple
tracks. As a result, their sound morphed into a more streamlined and
funky jazz-fusion style, losing some of its early delicacy. In
addition, new singer Rudy Passuello has a far more aggressive
delivery and dominates the music on the tracks where he sings. Four
of the album's eight tracks are purely instrumental, and on those the
band still shines brilliantly, even though it's in the new style. In
short, this isn't a bad album, but it doesn't live up to the standard
set by their first two... (Read the complete review HERE)
After
a good live activity, supporting bands like PFM and even Gentle
Giant, in 1975 Arti & Mestieri released their second album “Giro
di valzer per domani”. The line-up, along with founder members
Furio Chirico (drums), Beppe Crovella (keyboards, piano, mellotron,
Hammond), Gigi Venegoni (guitar), Giovanni Vigliar (violin,
percussion, vocals), Marco Gallesi (bass) and Arturo Vitale (sax,
clarinet, vibraphone), here features a new member, vocalist
Gianfranco Gaza, from another band from Turin, Procession. Despite
the presence of a lead singer the weight of instrumental tracks
prevails over committed lyrics and vocal parts. The music is in the
same vein as the previous album, delivering an original, perfectly
balanced twining of jazz, rock, classical music and folk.
The
opener “Valzer per domani” (Waltz for tomorrow) is a light,
joyful instrumental. Furio Chirico’s drumming is brilliant while
the melodic lines played by the violin seem to bring some gusts of
optimism.
“Mirafiori”
is more complex. It begins softly with delicate melodic lines, then
the rhythm takes off backing a following frenzied violin solo.
Changes in rhythm and frenetic solos seem to depict a very busy
place... Mirafiori is the name of the Turin district where there is
the most important car factory in Italy, Fiat Mirafiori, a symbol of
the industrialization of the whole country.
On
“Saper sentire” (Knowing how to feel) you can listen for the
first time on this album to Gianfranco Gaza’s voice. It’s a
nervous, introspective track inviting you to avoid the venomous
spells of consumerism and trust your feelings... “Why are you
crying if I’m here with you? / If you look for me / You will find
me inside you... Just a few people know what a man is now / But there
are many people who can easily feel it...”.
“Nove
lune prima” (Nine moons before), “Mescal”, “Mescalero” and
“Nove lune dopo” (Nine moons after) are closely linked together
and form an exciting instrumental suite featuring sudden changes in
mood and rhythm. The titles could suggest a spaghetti western
setting, featuring Indians and cowboys and the cavalry charging...
Well the music here is very different from an Ennio Morricone
soundtrack but the band showcase great personality and musicianship,
so you can imagine what you want while listening to this wonderful
flow of notes!
“Dimensione
Terra” (Dimension Earth) is a short instrumental featuring tense
drumming and catchy sax patterns that leads to the committed “Aria
pesante” (Heavy air) where the desire to change the world and rage
shape a dreamy atmosphere turning into a nightmare... “Yesterday
you were dreaming to set the city on fire and hang all the
inhabitants / Today you wake up and, you know / It’s sad when you
realize that you have no fire and that they have put a rope around
your neck...”. The heavy air of the years of lead!
Three
short instrumentals follow, forming an evocative, dreamy suite, the
ethereal, nocturnal “Consapevolezza parte 1” (Awareness part 1),
the joyful, wild “Sagra” (Feast) and “Consapevolezza parte 2”
(Awareness part 2), a short reprise of part one.
The
bitter-sweet “Rinuncia” (Renouncement), is piece about the
generation gap that is structured as a dialog between parents and
son. The vocals feature Eugenio Finardi (albeit not credited) who in
1975 released his debut album on Cramps Records, the same label as
Arti & Mestieri and Area. “The dreams that were born some years
ago are now like trees broken by the weather / Time slipped out from
us and we are not children but fathers now...”.
Next
comes “Marilyn” an instrumental that begins with a delicate piano
pattern, then sax and drums help stir the flow of the music. The last
track “Terminal” is another excellent short instrumental where
violin and vibraphone perfectly interact with the other instruments.
On the whole an excellent album...
Arti
e Mestieri: Giro di valzer per domani (1975). Other opinions:
Jim
Russell: For me personally the music is at times too busy and this
is why I give a higher rating to something like Esagono, who may not
have quite the chops of this band but arguably provide more
emotionally satisfying music. "Giro" can be a simply
exhausting listen that rarely gives the listener a chance for a
breather - of course I realize this is a plus for many of you...
(Read the complete review HERE)
Universi
Paralleli is the last, long awaited, studio album by Arti e
Mestieri, a band from Turin that have been active, one way or
another, for more than forty years. It was released in 2015 on the
Cramps - Sony label with a renewed line up featuring, along with
founder members Gigi Venegoni (acoustic and electric guitars,
keyboards) and Furio Chirico (drums, percussion), also Iano Nicolò
(vocals), Piero Mortara (accordion, piano, keyboards), Lautaro Acosta
(violin, electric violin), Roberto Puggioni (bass, fretless bass) and
Marco Roagna (acoustic and electric guitars) plus some prestigious
guests such as Arturo Vitale (sax), Mel Collins (sax, flute) and Lino
Vairetti (vocals). The creative vein of the band has not run out
along the years and the songwriting is still brilliant, blending jazz
rock, melody and Mediterranean colours with excellent results. On the
album cover there's the picture of a sculpture by Lugi Farina that in
some way recalls their debut album Tilt - Immagini per un
orecchio, but with a touch of modernity that could give you an
idea of the musical content. According to the liner notes, the music
and lyrics of this work deal with the subject of parallel universes,
emotional contrasts that are mirrored, for instance, in double lives
or double personalities...
The
opener "Alter Ego" is a great instrumental track where
acoustic and electric instruments draw new images for you ears with
soaring melodic lines defying the gravity force flying high over
jazzy patterns... I think that it's a very introduction for a
wonderful album!
"Dune"
is a beautiful instrumental with Oriental flavours that leads to
"Pacha Mama" where we can hear for the first time on this
work Iano Nicolò's vocals. The lyrics deal with environmental
issues. In fact, the title refers to the goddess of fertility revered
by the indigenous people of the Andes. Mother Earth here is depicted
as a dying entity, poisoned by the greediness of humankind. Men
driven by gold are sucking the divine maternal sap like vampires
while deserts of sand are rapidly replacing lakes and rivers...
Arti e Mestieri 2015
A
strong, melancholic wind of nostalgia blows through the notes of the
following "L’ultimo imperatore" (The last emperor). The
title seems to refer to the film of the same name directed in 1987 by
Bernardo Bertolucci about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of
China. The lyrics do not try to tell a story but draw evocative
images about parallel universes and fading memories where distorted
and manipulated revolutions are celebrated by godless priests in
doomy cathedrals that can't hide the pervasive sense of loss and
emptiness of a faithless ritual performed by rote...
"Finisterre"
and "Johann" are two charming instrumental pieces drenched
in a kind of dreamy romanticism that lead to the heartfelt "Restare
immobile" (Remaining motionless) where the music and lyrics
depict the eternal contrast between reality and dreams. You can pin
down a fragment of reality on a blank page and anaesthetize your
memories. Poetry and dreams can set you free and when your mind
begins to fly you're able to take off on a journey across far,
extraordinary worlds, even without moving your body!
The
melancholic instrumental "Borea" (Boreas) is full of
delicate autumnal colours and soaring folksy melodies with accordion
and violin in the forefront. The music draws evocative northern
landscapes while the title refers to the god of the north wind, one
of the four seasonal Anemoi in ancient Greek mythology... It leads to
the joyful "Pandora" where the music and lyrics conjure up
strange images and cheerful dances. Here the wind takes you onwards
and you set off on a magical journey to discover new moons and better
days...
Arti e Mestieri on stage
The
following "Linea d’ombra" (Shadow line) is darker and
tense. It's another beautiful instrumental that leads to the
pyrotechnic drum solo "Comunicazione primordiale"
(Primordial communication), full of savage energy and exotic
flavours. Next comes the instrumental "La luce in fondo al
tunnel" (The light at the end of the tunnel) that is more
relaxed and shines for his perfect mix of jazz and classical
influences.
The
last track "Nato" (Born) is credited as a "bonus
track" and features the special guest Lino Vairetti from Osanna
on vocals. It's a wonderful piece that deals with a strong sense of
nostalgia for a lost emotion that was born from a thought or maybe
from a kiss, or a lie, a tune, a sound, a poem, a sin, a shout or
just from a moment of madness that now your are trying to find again
between a smile and a tear, between the clouds and the stars, in an
image or in a deep, cold abyss inside you soul or... wherever you
want! It's just a magic moment that fled away and you're still
desperately running after it...
On
the whole, I think that this is wonderful album and a real must for
every Italianprog lover!
Arti e Mestieri are one of the best known Italian prog bands and have
been active since 1973. They come from Turin and were formed on the
initiative of Furio Chirico (former drummer of The Trip) who met with
keyboardist Beppe Crovella (former member of a band called The
Mystics) and four musicians from a jazz rock band called Il Sogno di
Archimede, Gigi Venegoni (guitar), Giovanni Vigliar (violin, vocals),
Marco Gallesi (bass) and Arturo Vitale (sax, vibraphone). In 1974
they released their debut album for the independent label Cramps,
“Tilt – Immagini per un orecchio” (Tilt – Images for an ear),
a brilliant mix of rock, jazz, classical, Mediterranean influences
and melodic passages. The art cover by Gianni Sassi, featuring a
flying funnel in a blue sky among white clouds, in some way describes
the overall sound of this work where many influences floating in the
air are caught and channelled through this conical utensil with a
narrow tube at its apex to be blended and conveyed on the tracks of
the album.
The
title of the instrumental opener “Gravità 9,81” (Gravity 9.81)
is inspired by the formula of the law of gravity. Ignoring air
resistance, an object falling freely near the Earth’s surface
increases its velocity at 9.81 m/s (32.2 ft/s or 22 mph)
for each second of its descent. As gravitation causes dispersed
matter to coalesce, on this track the creativity of the band
perfectly blends the Mediterranean touches of colour evoked by the
violin with a pulsing rhythm section and a jazzy sax solo. This piece
is now an authentic trademark of the band.
Next
comes “Strips”, where the dreamy, romantic mood of the music
contrasts with the bitter disenchantment of the lyrics condemning a
reality of empty conventions, of absurdities filling your head, of
languid songs and artists whispering useless words, of faded stories
about planets, wizards and gods...
“Corrosione”
(Corrosion) is a kind of short bridge leading to the beautiful
instrumental “Positivo/Negativo” (Positive/Negative) where an
initial solar, dreamy part, featuring acoustic guitar and violin,
gives way to a second part full of energy, featuring a great rhythm
section and good electric guitar work.
“In
cammino” (Walking) is another excellent instrumental that opens
with a melancholic sax introduction, then the rhythm takes off and
the melancholy melts into joyful passages where the members of the
band showcase their musicianship. On the original LP it was the last
track of side A.
Arti e Mestieri 1974
Next
comes the short instrumental “Farenheit”, where the rhythm goes
slowly up as the temperature of a thermometer introducing “le plat
de resistance” of the album, the long, complex suite
“Articolazione” (Articulation), a piece about the need to live
the present facing reality. There’s no time you can waste waiting
dreaming for better days while Death is leading to the grave all her
dear lovers... “It’s not because you think you have understood /
That your future is going to change / In the mirror you must see /
What is harder to see...”.
The
experimental “Tilt”, almost an example of “musique concrète”,
concludes an excellent album where the music flows away without weak
moments.
