Delirium - Lo Scemo e Il Villaggio
Delirium - 3: Viaggio Negli Arcipelaghi

1972 & 1974 Italy

Notes originally published in the Outer Music Diary on September 2, 2005. Edited on September 17, 2007.

Delirium are one of those unique Italian bands that have a way of getting better each listen. They inch up slowly, gradually entering your sub-conscious over the course of many years until the point where they actually become the music you want to hear. Their debut "Dolce Aqua" will always have the most catching up to do, as it precedes the Italian prog rock movement by a year, and still maintains some psych, beat and singer-songwriter influences. Still some of the melodies are so gorgeous, it's enough to make you buy a villa in Tuscany. By "Lo Scemo e Il Villaggio", songwriter, flautist, vocalist and leader Ivano Fossati had moved on to greener, and more successful, commercial pastures. In his stead, the group threw away the rule book and did what most Italians were doing in 1972: Whatever the hell they felt like, whenever the hell they felt like. An all over the map excursion, that is so distinctly Italian, it practically defines the genre. Sax, flute, vocals, guitar (mainly acoustic), bass and drums. I still scratch my head at the odd review that states it as "melodic, poppy prog". Must have a different album than me! For "3: Viaggio Negli Arcipelaghi" the band added an orchestra and a bit of structure, without ever losing their first album's ability to write stunning melodies. Jaw droppingly beautiful at times, while viciously heavy at others. Delirium's last two works are breathtaking masterpieces and why they both have a place on the list of greatest underground albums ever.

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