Detailed Review [Cani Arrabbiati - 2010 - "Opening Themes"]

Analysis. The premise of this particular project is an intriguing one: opening themes from movies. A field that sports plentiful music that has become a part of the common cultural legacy by now. The bombastic fanfare from the first Star Wars movie back in 1977 and the haunting soundtracks from Peter Jackson's record-breaking movie edition of The Lord of the Rings being merely two examples of film scores that have made an impact well beyond the cinema audience. But in the case of Cani Arrabbiati we're not treated to renditions of such instant classics. Instead, it is scores from Italian movies that are highlighted, first and foremost ones made in the 70's and early 80's. Covering the well-known, such as scores by Ennio Morricone, as well as those more obscure where the music and movies alike have more of a cult following, lifted from western, suspense and horror movies. As is customary for any Colossus project, a detailed booklet informs the buyer of all details and then some about the movies and composers for all the material at hand. Transforming a musical score to a creation that can be enjoyed without being a part of a multimedia setting is a challenge. And while the art rock genre in general and the symphonic one in particular doesn't necessarily demand that cinematic details are transformed as such, most scores will need some additional elements to not come across as overly repetitive when they aren't utilized to supplement moving pictures. It is a task few will master, many will struggle with and quite a few will fail at. Thankfully, the artists represented on this first disc mostly avoid the latter. The most distinct artist represented is Marco Lo Musico. Covering tracks 13 through 16, these four pieces are all performed on pipe organ. And while I wasn't overly impressed as such, perhaps due to the excellent CD by Three Monks I took on a few months ago, those who have a soft spot for that instrument should find the 20 or so minutes of Marco Lo Musico's contributions to be well worth investigating. And to continue with the less impressive results, the Finnish act Kate didn't make too much of an impact either, their singular take on their chosen themes of a variety that will divide many listeners: the use of fairly original textures and repetitive themes with few variations being a hit and miss approach. But on Death Die they succeed very well, however, and as cult band Goblin is behind the original composition I'd wager a bet that this was the most memorable of the four tracks they chose to interpret as well. Spain’s Senogul and the Italian act Aurora Lunare convey fairly interesting takes on their chosen tracks, the latter the most interesting of those with an enticing rendition of Gamma as the highlight, but the most intriguing tracks on this disc are the first ones, the Samurai of Prog with their take on Cani Arrabbiati and Sweden’s Anima Morte who cover tracks 2 through 5. 70's-oriented symphonic progressive rock is the name of their particular game, with elegant use of vintage-sounding keyboards and organs and delightful melodic guitar soloing to boot – nothing fanciful or adventurous as such, but with a vintage charm and enough minor details to add a nice and effective tension to their chosen scores. The one exception comes in term of style rather than quality, as Anima Morte opts to venture into the psychedelic realms of the art rock universe for their version of Gin, which suits this particular track perfectly.

CD 2 (78:38)

PERFORMERS / TRACK LIST:

1.  Ozone Player: Nucleo Antirapina 4:31
2.  The Conspirators Of The Occult: Yell 3:47
3.  The Conspirators Of The Occult: Sweet Liza 4:05
4.  The Conspirators Of The Occult: La Lucertola 6:20
5.  The Conspirators Of The Occult: I Remember 1:21
6.  John La Forges: L'Ossessione 5:33
7.  John La Forges: Drug's Theme 5:34
8.  John La Forges: Indagine Su Un Cittadino 5:18
9.  John La Forges: Lo Chiamavano Trinita 6:37
10. Jaime Rosas: Il Buono 3:08
11. Jaime Rosas: Un Dollaro Bucato 3:04
12. Jaime Rosas: Il Grande Duello 3:56
13. Jaime Rosas: Tantacoli 3:49
14. Mist Seasons: Puppet on a Chain 4:35
15. Mist Seasons: Blow Out / Sally and Jake 5:40
16. Mist Seasons: Chaser 6:18
17. Mist Seasons: Manaos 5:02

Analysis. As is with most double CD features, the second chapter continues on in a manner pretty similar to where the first one left off. Different artists are featured obviously, but as this is a project that assembles reinterpretations made by different artists in the first place there's no novelty to discover there. One slight detail worth mentioning is that some of the most well-known Italian film scores of the time period covered are found on this second disc, and for those who have a hard time seeing the description well-known placed alongside Italian film music, the opening track should make them see the errors of their ways instantly. Finland’s Ozone Player may not be the most well-known band around, and Nucleo Antirapina isn't a track name that makes any major bells come out ringing, but I'd be surprised if anyone with an interest in movies hasn't encountered the guitar theme that is the foundation of this creation in a multitude of different variations over the years. In this case the movie score is given a nifty space rock arrangement that suits it perfectly. The honor of providing his rendition of the arguably best known Italian film score ever is given to the Chilean artist Jaime Rosas, however. Among the four tracks he has chosen, we find one called Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo, penned by Ennio Morricone. If the name itself doesn't ring any bells, mentioning that it is pulled from a western starring Clint Eastwood and Lee van Cleef should be all that's needed for any movie fan to know what composition we're dealing with, however, and the symphonic guise given it suits it rather well too. The original is still better though, but it was interesting to encounter this variation. Rosas’ three other renditions are interesting excursions as well, all of them being symphonic in expression and enticing in execution. Stepping back a bit to tracks 2 through 5, provided by the US act The Conspirators Of The Occult, we're dealing with another set of symphonic renditions. In this case slightly less impressive, however, the cold and somewhat sterile arrangements not managing to add much life to their chosen quartet of creations. But following this low point of the second disc the quality increases and stabilizes for the remaining tunes. Italy’s John La Forges has chosen 70's-tinged jazz rock for his foursome of tunes, crafting energetic landscapes from the initial notes of L'Ossessione to the final echoes of Lo Chiamavano Trinita. The latter a clear highlight on this production as a whole, where a slight touch of reggae adds a highly intriguing dimension to this sophisticated jazz rock effort. The following efforts courtesy of Jaime Rosas have been described, and for the final quartet of compositions that have been given alternative arrangements we're back in Finnish territories again with Mist Season, taking this second disc full circle as far as nationalities go. The band’s chosen style is an interesting one, with one foot placed relatively firmly inside symphonic art rock and the other in jazz rock, blending those two expressions in subtly different variations on each of the tracks they provide. Generally uplifting music, with saxophone soloing being a key feature alongside a subtle symphonic backdrop; energetic and spirited music that should have a strong appeal for retro-oriented art rock fans as well as those fond of material of a slightly more adventurous nature.

Conclusion. While more than two hours of Italian movie scores given an art rock treatment would appear to be an exercise aimed towards a small niche, "Cani Arrabbiati" does a good job of documenting otherwise. I would suspect most fans of instrumental art rock should find plenty of material to their satisfaction on this production, and in particular those fond of what one might describe as vintage-oriented arrangements. But the core audience of this double feature is most likely one less than stellar in size: Dedicated enthusiasts of older Italian movies or movie scores who prefer listening to progressive rock for their musical enjoyment.

OMB=Olav M Bjornsen: July 9 & 10, 2011
The Rating Room

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