Originally released on the Italian experimental label Cramps, this CD reissue is an album of notable curiosity to collectors of experimental and progressive music of the '70s.
Gusto Pio was the chief arranger for Italian progressive pop icon Franco Battiato during the decade, and filled his striking albums with avant-garde details.
In return, Battiato himself produced this collection of modern compositions, and his ear for the extraordinary laces these two long suits.
A composition for organ and violin sets the tone, which is purely avant-garde composition, and features the voice of singer Martin Kleist .
The effect is a powerful study of experimental narrative, while the later piece of the two, composed for piano, organ, and violin, features the composer on violin with Danilo Lorenzini and Michele Fedrigotti's subtle accompaniment.
This reissue should fill an important gap in '70s Italian music somewhere between progressive rock and avant-garde composition.
At the least it is an essential addition to the Franco Battiato canon.