Collage, the transition to Progressive Rock by Le Orme

Collage, the second album by Le Orme, from 1971 which marked the band's transition to progressive rock.

Inspired by the Isle of Wight concert by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the band abandoned the pop genre of their beginnings to seek new paths and found them: after their debut with Ad Gloriam in 1969, with pop-rock sounds they released Collage, which is rightly considered one of the masterpieces of Italian progressive rock of the 1970s, with classical sounds, Pagliuca's keyboard virtuosity with heavy use of organs and synthesizers, and a great rhythm section. 

An album that is a fusion of baroque, classical, and psychedelic styles (with influences from the Pink Floyd) with progressive and experimental themes, complex tracks with tempo changes, improvisations, orchestral arrangements, and poetic and reflective lyrics, as in the moving track "Morte di un fiore". Also beautiful is Collage, an instrumental track that has now become a manifesto of Italian prog for its technical skill and the union between rock and classical music, or Sguardo verso il cielo, with an exceptional organ part, or Cemento armato, a powerful track that describes the oppression of the modern metropolis, and the aforementioned Morte di un fiore, a melancholic ballad that tells the tragic end of a young hippie due to drugs. 

For the sung parts, electronic effects give the voice a slightly metallic sound.

Unusual is the cover, a close-up photograph of Aldo Tagliapietra, Tony Pagliuca, and Michi Dei Rossi, shirtless and completely painted white, like classical statues or ghosts, with a cemetery in the background and architectural elements that recall classicism, a graphic project by Mario Convertino. 
 

It is the fundamental album in their career and marked their beginning in the world of Italian prog, artistically of the highest level, an unmissable classic for prog lovers, perfectly balancing virtuosity and song form. A sumptuous album.

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page

Tracklist

1. Collage (4:42)
2. Era Inverno (5:00)
3. Cemento Armato (8:08)
4. Sguardo Verso Il Cielo (4:12)
5. Evasione Totale (6:56)
6. Immagini (2:58)
7. Morte Di Un Fiore (3:00)

Duration 34:56

LineUp

- Aldo Tagliapietra - vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
- Antonio Pagliuca - Hammond, electric piano, audio generator
- Michi Dei Rossi - drums, percussion