Nuova
Era – Io e Il Tempo. 1992 Contempo (LP and CD)
As on the UMR site, I'm pulling albums from the collection I haven't heard in forever. We have plenty of new stuff to cover off on as well, and hopefully I can carve out some time to report on them.
Here's one that I bought on both LP and CD immediately upon release (and still own both). I was already a big fan of this band, and "Io e Il Tempo" did not disappoint. Unfortunately this one has been out of print so long, it's already become fodder for pirates to reissue.
Probably more than any other band, Nuova Era can be credited with
bringing back the classic early 70s Italian progressive rock sound...
kicking and screaming into the 90s. They started their career with the
rather tepid "L'Ultimo Viaggio", but by the time of "Io e Il Tempo",
their 3rd album, Nuova Era were firing on all cylinders. The basic
foundation of the classic Italo sound are here: Classically based
compositions, turn-on-a-dime rhythms, impassioned vocals (in Italian of
course), and expertly played instruments. And it's the usual palette of
sounds with organ / synthesizer, guitar, flute, bass and drums. Two long
suites with plenty of unexpected turns; ferocious rocked out parts are
offset by tranquil piano interludes which keeps this an exciting listen
throughout. The vocals are similar to Sithonia - another standout early
90's Italian band. Despite all of the parallels, there's no mistaking
Nuova Era as a purposefully retro band ala La Maschera di Cera. The
guitarist can fall prey to "rock star" ambition on occasion, and the
overly bright production screams early 90s. But the thoughtfulness and
density of the compositions is what makes albums like this stand the
test of time, the lack of an abundance of analog equipment
notwithstanding.
The LP features a beautiful gatefold cover, another trademark of the 1970s Italian heyday.
The LP features a beautiful gatefold cover, another trademark of the 1970s Italian heyday.
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