“Hommage A Violete Nozi Res” by Area
From the 1978 album 1978 Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano

One area (pun intended, I guess) of prog I haven’t touched yet is the strange world of Italian prog. Italy produced a lively and enduring prog scene, with Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) being a particularly successful example. But my own favorite Italian prog band is Area, a jazz fusion group with a strange mix of virtuoso fusion jamming and avant garde experimentalism, and some of the strangest vocals this side of the yodeling mountain climber on The Price is Right.

This track is not — at all — what I would pick for a newcomer as an introduction to the band. But it’s what iTunes happened to serve up today on a random shuffle, and besides, this video is the most awesome thing on YouTube not produced by Sonseed.