A masterpiece of Italian progressive rock, Area's 1973 album Arbeit Macht Frei (Il Lavoro Rende Liberi) (Work Makes You Free)
A magnificent debut album, a milestone in Italian progressive and avant-garde music, characterized by musical radicalism and a strong political and social commitment.
The song structure departs significantly from traditional song form, offering extended instrumental parts that blend different styles to create a unique sound. The lyrics focus on cultural revolution and hope for a new world, reflecting the spirit of the '68 movement.
It encompasses rock, free jazz, electronic music, and avant-garde music, and has even been classified as "radical music."
A magnificent lineup featuring the immense Demetrio Stratos (a singer of Greek origin and perhaps the most powerful, innovative, and avant-garde voice in the history of Italian music), the great drummer Giulio Capiozzo, bassist Patrick Djivas (later with PFM), saxophonist Victor Edouard Busnello, Paolo Tofani on guitar, and pianist Patrizio Fariselli.
A work that begins with progressive rock but takes on its own specific direction thanks to the fusion of diverse musical experiences.
Some notes:
- "Arbeit macht frei" was the motto posted at the entrance to numerous concentration camps before and during World War II.
- The cover features a photograph of a sculpture by Edoardo Sivelli, a small wooden statue chained to the ground holding the key to his liberation, linked to the title track and becoming a symbol of Area.
An absolutely unique album in the history of Area and rock. Wonderful.
Some tracks:
- Luglio, agosto, settembre (nero) (July, August, September (Black))" is probably Area's most famous song, featuring a pirate recording made in a Cairo museum in Arabic. Here, Stratos, accompanied by the organ, sings harsh and provocative lyrics, a song with Arabic-inspired melodies, improvisations, rapid tempo changes, and harmonic progressions. Top.
- The title track, after a long drum introduction with verses and noises, opens into a jazz-rock fugue, followed by a beautiful bass and guitar riff and the sax playing solos during Stratos's singing. A great song.
- Le labbra del tempo (The Lips of Time) features a beautiful melody and jazz-style improvisations, with simultaneous solos, and at the end of the second sung part, a decisive "Io Ho!" uttered by Stratos, truly chilling.
- l'abbattimento dello Zeppelin (The Falling of the Zeppelin) is a beautiful experimental piece featuring instrumental fugues, dark atmospheres, and Stratos's syncopated singing.
A difficult-to-listen album that didn't sell well, but has rightly been re-evaluated over time as a key album for Italian and international progressive rock.
A provocative, disruptive, and musically exceptional album that catapulted Area to a level of greatness that endures to this day and continues to retain an innovative and modern edge.
Tracklist
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)
Duration 36:24
LineUp
- Demetrio Stratos - lead vocals, organ, steel drum
- Gianpaolo Tofani - lead guitar, VCS3 synthesizer
- Patrizio Fariselli - piano, electric piano
- Victor Edouard ('Eddie') Busnello - saxophone, bass clarinet, flute
- Patrick Djivas - bass, double bass
- Giulio Capiozzo - drums and percussion
With:
- Anonymous (pirate recording in Cairo) - in Arabic (1)
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page
.jpeg "Maledetti (maudits) by Area")