Review Summary: Another great work from Area. They didn't disappoint on their last album of the 70’s.
“1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!” is the fifth studio album of Area that was released in 1978. The line on the album is Demetrio Stratos, Ares Tavolazzi, Patrizio Fariselli and Giulio Capiozzo. The album had also the participation of Clito.
Area was a unique band in the history of the progressive rock music. Their compositions were rich in all elements of contemporary music, including rock, electronica, jazz, avant-garde and free experimentation. In the second half of the 70’s, when Italy was going through troubled times, Area was involved in the workers’ struggle, performing concerts in factories, union assemblies and popular festivals. Unlike the biggest famous prog bands of the time, which played for millions, Area was the band that played for the people, living up to their name, Area - International POPular Group.
This is certainly the most discussed, poorly digested and criticized album of the band. It definitely marked a change in the band. The first turning point is, undoubtedly, the abandonment of Paolo Tofani. With his departure, Area doesn’t lose only a guitarist but all that experimental research of sounds that had distinguished the band in their previous albums. The second turning point was, unfortunately, the untimely death of Demetrio Stratos. The group, under the same name, will produce two more studio albums, one a year later and another in 1996. But, both albums are distanced from what the band had produced in the years of activity with Stratos. It was fatal for Area after his tragic departure.
In general, this is a fairly “acoustic” album. Even the bass is used several times as a double bass. Keyboards, drums and bass form the backbone of the music on this album, which was the last to feature their singer Stratos, who died in 1979. The guitar only comes to the fore as an acoustic instrument in a few places. And the saxophone that dominates many Area productions is completely missing here. But there can be no talk of a “deficiency”. The strong participation of the keyboard instruments doesn’t lead to an artificial sound, nor does the music of the band lose speed or intensity.
“1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!” has nine tracks. “Il Bandito Del Deserto” has a complex structure, opening the album with a usual Mediterranean atmosphere. Its structure isn’t complex. It’s full of ideas and precious virtuosities. The text is loosely based on the writing by Shanfara, an Arab pre-Islamic poet. “Interno Con Figure E Luci” is structured between instrumental parts and moments when Stratos creates every kind of sound from his throat. It’s an instrumental that shows the contrast between sung and instrumental parts. “Return From Workuta” opens with a great vocal work of Stratos. We can hear a synth carpet with a heavy and suffered contrabass accompanying the melancholic vocalization of Stratos. “Guardati Dal Mese Vicino All’Aprile” is the freest track on the album. It hasn’t structure or discipline. It’s an instrumental about the regret of having passed ten years after the revolution of 1968 and the things just have only changed a bit. “Hommage A Violette Nozieres” is a ballad with a typical Mediterranean atmosphere. We find harmonious choices and rhythmic solutions of great refinement and complexity. It’s one of the tracks in which Stratos reaches the apex of the vibrato, which is particularly evident on the end of it. “Ici On Dance!” is a piece with a crazy work from the rhythm section. The Mediterranean influence is predominant. The text is minimalist and hermetic. The title resumes a writing attached to a post, during the Bastille’s taking in Paris. “Acrostico In Memoria Di Laio” is a funky Mediterranean jazz piece that runs almost entirely around the text, interpreted by Stratos with a kind of spoken voice. Stratos changes the voice and intonation, giving the impression there are several singers recording the piece. “FFF (Festa, Farina E Forca)” is an instrumental piece, starting from a single drum that later flows into an almost ambient relaxing part to culminate in another jazz style. Fariselli shows his piano skills. “Vodka Cola” is the lengthiest track on the album and doesn’t have a well defined structure. It has a continuous progression of parts full of all kinds.
Conclusion: “1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano!”, like all studio albums of Area, isn’t easy to assimilate. But, it’s certainly “easy listening” compared to all their previous albums. If Stratos hadn’t passed away, probably we would talk about this album as an adjustment to a new music path for Area. But, unfortunately, we have to label it as the “swan song” of one of the best vocalists ever in the universe of the progressive rock music. Although we certainly can’t define this as their best album. But, this is undoubtedly another great album produced by this unique band. It’s a less avant-garde release, but if you appreciate the genre, this album will undoubtedly please you. Maybe it’s true that there’s no unification in the whole album, but it remains, for me, an impressive work too. So, this album remains a great piece and justifies why I consider Area the most original and creative Italian prog rock band ever.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
