Le Orme: Contrappunti (1974)
Le Orme is regarded as one of the greats of Italian prog. They initially started as a psychedelic pop group and released Ad Gloriam in 1969 (I have also reviewed that album right here on Hippyland). They quicky figured that psychedelic pop was no longer where it’s at, so they changed labels to Philips, and moved to the new prog rock sound, and succeeded with flying colors.
Collage (1971), although I hadn’t heard that one yet, is supposed to be their first true prog offering, although opinions are mixed on that one. My guess is Collage is to Le Orme what Trespass is to Genesis (and Genesis did also start off as a psychedelic pop band at the end of the ’60s).
Contrappunti, released in 1974, was their sixth album, and their fourth prog rock album. After the incredible Felona e Sorona, I found Contrappunti a bit more difficult to warm up to compared to their previous effort. The opening cut, which is the title track, is an all-instrumental, Hammond organ-dominated cut that sounds exactly like it should belong on an ELP or Triumvirat album. This cut alone was the reason people refer to Le Orme as the Italian ELP, but you’ll find out that’s mostly myth as you listen to the following songs.
The next song, “Frutto Acerbo” is an acoustic ballad, of the type Le Orme is known to do. Here is where you get to hear that unmistakable voice of Aldo Tagliapietra. After that, the band starts becoming more experimental.
“Aliante”, another instrumental shows the band being rather funky. Keyboardist Tony Pagliuca not only whips out his Moog synthesizer, but also a Hohner clavinet, a keyboard that seemed so popular when a band wanted to be funky (it seemed that every R&B, funk, disco, and even prog rock band in the mid 1970s used one).
“India” is basically Le Orme being weird for weird sake. There are these bizarre experimental passages played on synthesizers where Pagliuca attempts to imitate a sound of a sitar from a synthesizer. The next cut, “La Fabbricante D’Angeli” is a little bit more back to familiar Le Orme territory, but I have a problem with this song, as the synthesizers often sounded real cheesy to my ears.
“Notturno” is another instrumental piece, played mostly on piano (there is some pretty bizarre use of synthesizers in the middle part), it reminds me a little of Brian Eno’s ambient work. The last cut, “Maggio” is perhaps the best piece on this album. It starts off with several minutes of truly sinister sounding synthesizers, plus there’s the occasional ELP-like passages, before the vocals kick in. It’s also the longest cut on the album, at 8:50.
Contrappunti really does have it’s pluses and minuses. I felt Tony Pagliuca’s best keyboard work can be found on this album. I really like how the band was being more explorative. But I felt the album seemed a bit disjointed. I know it’s not a concept album like Felona e Sorona is, but even so. Plus the use of cheesy synths, as already mentioned, on one of the cuts wasn’t the best move for the band.
Many people regard Contrappunti as Le Orme’s last classic album. I have heard Verità Nascoste (1976), which found the band doing a more straightforward offering, not to mention Tony Pagliuca kept his keyboards more in the background on that one. That album wasn’t bad, but was lacking what made their earlier albums so great. Anyway, Contrappunti might not be the best place for newcomers to Le Orme to start (I suggest they start with Felona e Sorona), but if you’re a confirmed fan, then get this album.