CELESTE – Principe di un giorno

“Principe di un giorno” is the first and only album by Celeste, a Ligurian group born from the ashes of Il Sistema, a band with a considerable potential that, however, never managed to release a proper LP. Recorded between 1974 and the following year, “Principe di un giorno” was only published in ’76, kept in the drawer by a label that kept saying they were waiting for the right time to release it, just to put it in the stores at the wrong moment!

The almost non-existent consideration ensued at the time, anyway, does not affect at all the beauty of what is considered an essential release of Italian prog music. The result of exhausting rehearsal sessions, musical research, continuous improvement of every single sound and arrangement, “Principe di un giorno” still retains today an incredible ‘suspended’ atmosphere outside of time and space, thanks to a perfect balance between the parts: acoustic guitar arpeggios, soft Mellotron music backgrounds, classical scores, flute and saxophone-based sections, delicate and ethereal voices, essential and never intrusive percussions.

It is no coincidence that “Principe di un giorno” is one of the most requested titles in the AMS Records catalog: already published on vinyl and in two different versions of a precious 4 CD box (The Complete Recordings 1969-1977) fulfilled of unreleased tracks – all of which went soon soldout -, it is here proposed on papersleeve CD version, with the addition of three bonus tracks; two of those (“Prince of one day”, “Far white halo”) come from the recordings of the English version of “Principe…” with Nikki Barton’s female voice. Once again: extremely essential!

Tracklist:

1.Principe di un Giorno
2.Favole Antiche
3.Eftus
4.Giochi nella Notte
5.La Grande Isola
6.La Danza del Fato
7.L’imbroglio

Bonus tracks:
8.Far White Halo
9.Prince of One Day
10.Fireflies in the Grass