Forse le lucciole non si amano più (Locanda delle Fate, 1977)

The title track of "Forse le lucciole non si amano più" (something like "Perhaps the fireflies don't love themselves anymore" in English) is one of the most romantic and atmospheric tracks in the entire Italian prog discography, IMHO. Leonardo Sasso's strong voice shines over the mellow musical background and some dreaming instrumental interludes enrich the song. The piano and the flute kind of draw the fireflies' aerial paths in a nocturnal sky, while the rest of the band set up some fluid tempo changes and more picturesque sketches.

 

The band came back in 1999 after more than 20 years of silence. 

But their debut album still stands as an Italian prog masterpiece.

Really, this is a song carrying the listener into a nostalgy dimension, a fairy world outside time and space. Such a pity this beautiful album had no success in its era. The prog world discovered it some twenty years later. Well, never too late, I suppose.

A volte un istante di quiete (Locanda delle fate, 1977)

This instrumental track is taken from "Forse le lucciole non si amano più", the only album (before a recent reunion) of an Italian band that came a little too late to their first official LP. Such a pity, because it's a real masterpiece and this opening track is so packed of emotions and ideas that I can't help listening to it again and again.

 

The original line-up of the "Locanda".

 

I was immediately smitten by the brilliant sound, full and warm, deep and glorious. The classical inspiration is clear, especially for the piano and keyboards plots, but the rythm is nonetheless enthralling, while the unpredictable changes of mood, tempo and instrument give a sparkling feature to the song. In short, this is a treat for every italian prog lover, one of the last diamonds of the '70s.