Felona & Sorona

Le Orme's third album, Felona & Sorona, was a concept album: a sci-fi saga concerning two planets and their eventual destruction. An English-language version of the album, recorded at Charisma boss Tony Stratton-Smith's request, sports a translation by none other than Van der Graaf Generator's Peter Hammill, but still features the same production of Gian Piero Reverberi's original mix. The record combines gentle progressive music with Le Orme's highly original and Italian feel, and it's certainly one of the finest examples of rock progressivo Italiano. Tony Pagliuca's keyboards dominate, avoiding the English derivation of earlier works, and his use of layered synthesizer lines is unique. Aldo Tagliapietra's acoustic guitar lends a Mediterranean feel to tracks like "Felona" and "The Balance." His vocals are slightly accented, which only add to the album's charm. Drummer Michi Dei Rossi is particularly inventive and mixed to the foreground. The band toured the UK in support of the album; however, this would be their only English-language record. Next, Le Orme released two albums in 1974. First up was a rather poorly-recorded live album In Concert, its highlight being the (until then unreleased) two-part song "Truck of Fire." The studio album Contrappunti followed later in the year, capping the band's trajectory up to this point; perhaps even a little too much so. Le Orme would then change course, adding a guitarist, Tolo Marton, to their lineup and headed to Los Angeles to record the more rock-orientated Smogmagica, released in 1975. A US compilation, Beyond Leng, would appear the same year, compiling tracks from the trio era. Another similar album Verita Nascoste ("Secret Truths"), recorded in London's Nemo Studio, followed in 1976 with Germano Serafin now on guitar. In 1977, the band retired from touring to concentrate on a highly unconventional album, named after a cafe in Venice. Florian was a complete departure from progressive rock, instead offering an acoustic album of chamber music. Though critically acclaimed, it would be the last collaboration with Reverberi. Le Orme recorded two more albums; but by 1982, they had called it a day.