Claudio Rocchi ‎– Il Miele Dei Pianeti Le Isole Le Api (1974, LP, Italy)

After a series of albums that were quite similar in their general style, one can sense something is afoot with this one. This would be a transitional album, however it would be the next one where Rocchi really started to throw a 'U-turn' at his fans, to use his own words. Here Rocchi, helped by members of the band Aktuala, would begin to pull the mystical, improvisational drone-folk back from the edges of space and reassert a more deliberate song structure here and there. We still have the rhythmic and trance catalyst in 'Lila' with strummed acoustics, tablas, some nice flute, and even the participation of Grace the dog. And 'La Rana' seems to recall an even simpler, uneventful folk music. But other tracks like the opener introduce a different flavor from the previous few albums. These moments are loose and off-kilter semi-rock parts with prominent bass and a vibe that floats closer to something like 'Friends' from Zeppelin 3. The sax and strings accompanying them add more richness. Maybe a transitional album but the move was exciting and well worth the risk. btf

A1. Il miele delle api (7:24)
A2. Lila (6:09)
A3. La rana (5:02)
B1. Adesso (5:39)
B2. Ogni strada (3:19)
B3. Le isole e i pianeti (8:13)

Claudio Rocchi: vocals, guitar, songwriting, harmonium, Hammond organ

Lucio Fabbri: violin, bass, guitar, piano, organ

Daniele Cavallanti: soprano saxophone

Walter Maioli: harmonica

Lorenzo Vassallo: percussion

Susan Stukey: chorus

Trilok Gurtu: tabla