Area "Arbeit Macht Frei" 1973*****

Two weeks ago I visited Italy for the first time, specifically the beautiful Verona and even more wonderful Venice. Next to the magnificent architecture, I greatly enjoyed the cuisine and I'm not talking about any gourmet restaurants either. I had the best pizza of my life at Verona's unassuming pizzeria Salvatore (tip: If you're ever there, don't order from the English menu - the Italian one has at least twice the variety). As for the best (fresh) pasta, it was actually served in a box (like the Chinese ones) on a street corner in Venice. My Italian musical escapades included Don Giovanni in the Arena di Verona and Ute Lemper's Last Tango in Berlin performance in the fabulous Teatro la Fenice in Venice. Maybe I'll get the chance to describe them in a relevant post. Now, in the weeks prior to my visit, my homeland Greece was always in the news due to its economic suffocation and arduous negotiations with the EU and ECB to loosen the financial noose around its neck. The negotiations ended with the Greek government succumbing to Germany's demands for even more cruel austerity rules for the country's poor in return for another bank rescue and the dubious honour of staying in the monetary union. I know I've mentioned these events before, but I repeat myself in order to thank the Italian people for their spontaneous manifestations of support again and again, upon hearing of our nationality - Premier Tsipras and his fight against German-imposed austerity rules in the EU are apparently very popular in Italy. Coincidentally, while waiting in Verona for the train to Venice, I was killing time in a bookstore hosting a public presentation of a pro-SyRizA book and a conversation of the author with a sizable and deeply absorbed audience. Not speaking the language I didn't understand a word, but I nevertheless stayed in the store, spent some time in its small music department and came away with a few interesting Italian rock CD's, of which I'll now present one.

I have gradually developed a lot of respect for the Italian progressive rock scene of the 70's. It took me a long time to familiarise myself with it as it's marginalised, probably because of the language. Once I did, I discovered a treasure trove of beautiful and original music, often incorporating jazz or symphonic elements. Next to the more "famous" PFM and Le Orme, Area were one of the greatest and more wildly innovative groups of that generation. I've had a compilation of their music for years (issued with the Greek "Jazz and Τζαζ" magazine) which I've always found a challenging but rewarding listen, so in that Verona bookstore I jumped at the chance of adding their debut album in my collection. Area's music can be described as progressive rock or jazz-rock fusion. One dominant element is the saxophone, which is probably why the bands that they mostly remind me of are Soft Machine and Van Der Graaf Generator. But what sets them apart is their singer. Greek-born Demetrio Stratos possesses one of rock's most extraordinary voices, which he bends and stretches at will, using it as an instrument. The only parallel I can think of is Lorca-era Tim Buckley. The lyrics are in Italian and often politically charged: the early 70's in Italy were a time of political instability and extremes, with the terrorist activity of Brigate Rosse on the left and of (lesser known but even deadlier) neo-fascist organisations on the right. Area's position was very clearly on the left: posing on the record's back cover with a hammer and sickle (not the flag, but the actual tools) should give some idea of their allegiance, the fact that one of them is wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, another. The stunning opener "Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)" directly addresses the Palestinian struggle: The title references Black September (either the organisation or the 1970 incidents in Jordan). It opens with an emotive female voice in Arabic pleading for peace, to which singer chillingly answers "It's not my fault if your reality forces me to fight your conspiracy of silence...It's not my fault if your reality forces me to make war with humanity". A very risqué lyric, that could be interpreted as justifying terrorism. I see it as a cry for justice as a requisite for peace. The music lives up to the lyrics, very intense with a recurrent theme inspired by Greek folk music and a chaotic free jazz middle section, out of which order re-emerges slowly with the players working harmoniously together once again. The next song title is once again a shocker: "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work makes you free) was a nazi slogan that hang above the entrance of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. Area make the connection between their inmates and modern working class. The music is jazzy and experimental, starting off with a drum solo and letting the sax dominate afterwards. Halfway through, the vocals appear and song settles into a funky groove. "Consapavolezza" is a prog/jazz track with many tempo changes, acrobatic vocals and and a beautiful pastoral mid-section. "Le labbra del tempo" is another complex track with many changes. Electronic keyboard and bells distinguish it a bit from the other tracks, but my favorite part is the heavier sound employed in the last minute. "240 Chilometri Da Smirne" is a great jazz instrumental. I take the title to be an oblique reference to the plight of the Greek and Armenian refugees who survived the 1922 massacre at Smyrna/Izmir. My grandmother fled the burning city as a child, with nothing but the clothes on her back (several of her family were not so lucky). Maybe Stratos had a similar family history and 240km was the distance his family had to cross to get to safety. Closing track "L'abbattimento dello Zeppelin" is wildly experimental but some people (not me) cite it as the favorite. The song's roots lie in an incident during which Area were compelled by a club owner to play Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". They responded with their own variation of the song, upon which they were shown the (exit) door. There is some nice electric guitar and organ, but any other similarities to "Whole Lotta Love" are probably limited to its chaotic middle section. If you like prog rock and jazz fusion you'd do well to discover Area, one of the most interesting groups of the 70's and Stratos, a unique vocalist.

***** for  Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero)

**** for Arbeit Macht Frei, Consapevolezza, 240 Chilometri Da Smirne

*** for Le Labbra Del Tempo, L'Abbattimento Dello Zeppelin