Formula 3 - Sognando E Risognando (Reissue) (1972/1993)

This band from Milano was very popular in the 70's, mainly because its representing trio was in full collaboration with grand Italian Pop/Rock master Lucio Battisti.Found in 1969 by Alberto Radius (guitar, vocals), Gabriele Lorenzi (keyboards, vocals) and Tony Cicco (drums, vocals), they recorded two early-70's Psych/Pop/Proto-Prog albums, ''Dies Irae'' and ''Formula tre'', both on Numero Uno, before launching a much more proggy effort, ''Sognando e risognando'' (1972, Numero Uno).This one features four long tracks, three of them divided in shorter movements, all of them offer a completely genuine Prog Rock with less links to Italian Prog and settling more into the Teutonic Prog stylings, let's say close to Shaa Khan and Ramses for example.Of course the warm Italian vocals and the folky acoustic passages have still a strong Mediterrenean taste, while the harder parts with the powerful organ and the sharp electric leads belong to the Italian Hard Prog school.However there are many unusual music themes with spacey synthesizers and lovely symphonic overtones in a predating, almost late-70's Prog style, which make Formula Tre sound pretty distinctive.The compositions are mostly very good with delicate electric melodies, followed by more intense passages and flavored by great, mellow keyboard washes.No doubt, this was the artistic highlight of Formula Tre's long and impressive career.~apps79