Delirium - Dolce Acqua (1971)

Delirium came from Genova, from a previous beat band called I Sagittari, and formed in 1970, releasing their first single a year later. Canto di Osanna, presented at first Viareggio pop festival was a successful single and gave the band an immediate notoriety. They had also won a Radio Montecarlo rock contest in 1971.

First album, Dolce acqua, also from 1971 contains a good and original mix of prog, jazz and some tuneful melodies, the leading role of singer Ivano Fossati is evident, with his furious flute soloing being one of the band's most distinctive elements. The album, housed in a nice triple gatefold cover, is structured in various movements like a classical suite, but here and there some parts seem a little incoherent with the whole LP. It was not a great success, as demonstrated by the fact that no less than three tracks from it appeared on singles a year later.
In 1972 their memorable TV presence at Sanremo music festival gave them their best success ever with the hit single Jesahel, soon followed by a similar song, Haum!
Always during their career Delirium mixed the commercial side of their singles with the more difficult approach of their albums, and this is particularly evident in this first phase.
Ivano Fossati left the band during 1972 to pursue a solo career that's still successful today, even with a lighter (but always full of jazzy and ethnic influences) kind of music.His replacement was englishman Martin Frederick Grice (from Boomerang) who, along with the ever present flute, was also a brilliant sax player.
Second album Lo scemo e il villaggio still has some jazz influences and a stronger use of sax by the new member Grice, with the evident lack of a role singer in the band, all members taking the lead singer role. The track La mia pazzia is the closest to first album's style.
Third (and last) album follows in 1974, called Delirium III (Viaggio negli arcipelaghi del tempo) and judged by many as their most mature work. La battaglia degli eterni piani contains a dark-inspired atmosphere never heard in their previous releases, the flute has again a prominent role and the sax is only present in Viaggio n.2. This is also the first album to feature electric guitar, as Mimmo Di Martino only played the acoustic in previous albums.