“Arbeit Macht Frei by Area"(1973)

"Arbeit Macht Frei" (released in 1973) is the name of the debut album produced by the Italian band, Area. The group embodied and assumed one of the most daring, challenging and creative directions of the Italian progressive tradition, carrying forward an undeniable and non-negotiable experimental spirit: its bizarre combination of jazz rock in the style of Mahavishnu, the psychedelic of King Crimson, jazz textures In a free jazz style, some snippets of the Canterbury scene, as well as random elements received from avant-garde music, all covered with ingredients taken from Eastern European and Muslim folklore. All this sound mixture builds a proposal that already requires the listener's full attention and total commitment, if he wants to become an accomplice of Area's complex musical journey ... This amalgam does not translate into a mere exercise of erudition, cold and exhibitionist: passion is present in a direct way, not only in the energy exhibited by the musicians, but also and particularly notoriously, in the visceral singing of Stratos, who shows off his delusional and peculiar charisma through his vocal nooks and crannies. The instrumental parts are the majority in the repertoire of Area, but the vocal interventions are not simple pretexts to introduce lyrics, but a fundamental part of the colorful instrumental of the band .... =)

Album, released in 1973

Tracks:

1. Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero) (4:27)
2. Arbeit Macht Frei (7:56)
3. Consapevolezza (6:06)
4. Le Labbra Del Tempo (6:00)
5. 240 Chilometri Da Smirne (5:10)
6. L'Abbattimento Dello Zeppelin (6:45)

Total Time: 36:24

Musicians:

• Demetrio Stratos / lead vocals, organ, steel drums
• Gianpaolo Tofani / lead guitar, VCS-3 synth
• Patrizio Fariselli / piano, electric piano
• Victor Edouard ('Eddie') Busnello / sax, bass clarinet, flute
• Patrick Djivas / bass, double bass
• Giulio Capiozzo / drums, percussion

With:

• Anonymous ("pirate" recording in Cairo) / Arabic speaking (1)

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