Circus 2000 is an Italian progressive psychedelic rock band that released two albums with English vocals starting with their self-titled debut in 1970 and another one two years later in 1972. This one came into my suggestions from Apple Music after listening to The Wizards from Kansas the other night, so I’m quite excited to give this one a listen tonight. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever really listened to an Italian rock band before, even with English vocals. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music in this one.
“I Can’t Believe” starts out with some gentle rolling cymbals and some delicate acoustic guitar. Oh wow, the vocalist’s voice is absolutely enchanting. I feel like I can hear a bit of her accent in her singing, only further adding to a layer of mystery to her voice. Oh wow, this tune really gets grooving really nicely. It’s got a really nice gradual build up to the very end of the song, really getting intense for a moment.
Oh wow, “Try to Live” starts out really strange in almost a Les Claypool sort of way with the strong bass tone and the strange chromatic melody from the guitars. The drums have a really pulsating feel that is only further brought out by the bass. The vocalist is absolutely both strange and nearly mesmerizing at the same time as she bounces around vocal lines. Oh wow, this guitar solo is pretty sweet and really drips with a certain psychedelic wetness. The tune really gets out there at the end in terms of having strayed from the main section of the tune. The bass is super interesting at the end of the tune in the way it sounds in the soundscape.
Oh wow, “Must Walk Forever” starts out with a super groovy dripping psychedelic guitar that gradually builds and lifts the song up as other instruments are introduced. The band seems to go around in circles for a moment before nearly shifting into the opposite direction. There’s a certain desperado in the desert sort of sound to the build up. I really dig the grooving shuffle between the conga/other percussion instrument and the swirling chords played by the guitar. Oh wow, the guitars really pull the song out nicely with the different psychedelic effects. Really sweet tune.
“The Sun Will Shine” has a really strange introduction right at the beginning between the strange bass line and the mystifying vocals of the singer. It really reminds me a lot of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, though almost delivered in more of a garage rock format. Really interesting tune.
“I Just Can’t Say” has a really gentle intro, like you’re slowly being beckoned into some sort of countryside field before the band really gets grooving around you. The vocals have this great descending melody to them that sounds like something I’ve heard from later groups. The flute in this one keeps the tune nearly grounded to some enchanted woodland while the guitar gently stirs things around with some psychedelia-laced arpeggios and the bass serves as a very steady backbone for the song to stand on.
Oh wow, “I Am the Witch” starts out with some lyrics I can’t necessarily understand either due to the effects or possibly the language, but the song drops into place with something that sounds as if it is conjuring up potions or spirits or possibly something else. I really dig the guitar work in this one as the simple chordal lines seem to dig deep into the song and pull the tune back up. The drums get some really great kick drums and quick fills that serve the song very well. I really dig the shifting sound of both the guitar and vocals in this one too. The bass line almost serves as both an ominous presence and something that moves the song forward quite well.
“Magic Bean” has a very mystic sound to it with the guitar and what sounds to be a sitar, all along with some more eastern sounding drums like a tabla or something of the sort. All while the vocal lines seem to descend while further beckoning you along to a higher place, which the interesting electric guitar carries you to quite well, especially in conjunction with the different rhythm instruments. Really sweet song.
“While You’re Sleeping” hits some really great notes right away that have seemingly been teased throughout at least the last couple of tracks without my realizing it. Oh wow, the gradual lifting done by the pulse-like drums and bass along with the nearly folk-like acoustic guitar work is awesome, all while the electric slide guitar comes on and seems to take the song in a completely different direction. Holy smokes, the feedback from the electric guitar is awesome at the end. Really nice tune.
“Try All Day” has a really sweet, caressing feel to it between the simple percussion and the jangling acoustic guitar that gets accompanied by some really pleasant electric guitar. The vocalist is different in this one and provides a really great contrast to the rest of the album with the different, deeper pitch and slightly rougher timbre of his voice. I really dig the electric guitar’s effects on this one. Really great song.
“The Lord He Has No Hands” jumps right into things with the strong bass line accompanied by some grooving electric guitar chords and some really tight conga hits. The female vocalist gets nearly guttural with certain parts. Oh wow, the electric guitar really goes in with some tasty soloing for a few different moments where the band really takes the song pretty far out and drapes the tune in heavy psychedelia – really awesome. Oh wow, the jam on this one just keeps on going and keeps on giving. The band almost feels like they’re one collective train conductor pulling this album into the station at the end of this one, purposely taking the train off and back onto the tracks on a couple different occasions before coming to a really sweet crescendo at the very end. Really groovy tune.
This album was really sweet. That female vocalist’s voice was absolutely mesmerizing throughout the whole album whenever it was on, while the band played some very well orchestrated psychedelic parts in each tune, with some super sweet jams thrown in throughout. Each instrument and band member all served the songs on the album very well, and really did a lot of work with only four members. All in all, this was definitely an interesting album and got me really into their jams at many different points during their playing. If you dig psychedelic rock from the early 1970s this might be one to consider checking out. I’m now curious to listen to more Italian rock from that time period to see if there are different elements I’d recognize from this album. Regardless, if you do decide to give this one a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A