L'UOVO DI COLOMBO

If you are into Italian Prog from the 70's, this is a great one, not as great as Museo or the first 3 Premiatas, but still highly recommended. The beginning may sound too jazzy, but relax and you will see how truly prog (even symphonic) they can get...

Incredibly good keyboard driven progressive from Italy. Another one-shot band that would have deserved much more attention. An album with no fillers and an excellent technical level. Highly recommended.

Not quite the Italian prog monster some make it out to be, in fact I find this album a bit overrated. The group released this one and only album in 1973 on the EMI/Columbia label (some pressings are on the EMI/Odeon label, which was simply an alternate print, since they both use the same catalog number, with only the "Odeon" logo pasted over the "Columbia" logo on the Odeon versions). The band consisted of Enzo Volpini on keyboards and guitars, Elio Volpini on bass and guitar, Roggero Stefani on drums, and Toni Gionta on vocals. A certain T. Tartarini (as well as the band members) is credited to writing the material to this album. I presume this was Tony Tartarini, future vocalist for CHERRY FIVE.

L'UOVO DI COLOMBO is an ELP-influenced prog band, while many other ELP-influenced bands get a lot of mileage off "Tarkus", this band seems to get their mileage off their debut, specifically "Knife Edge". A perfect example of that "Knife Edge" vibe is "Vox Dei". The first two pieces "L'Indecisione" and "Io" is typical for L'UOVO DI COLOMBO, not exactly the most complex prog out there, simply grooving on the Hammond organ in that ELP fashion, but you wished the music would take off. "Anja" is one of the few detours where the band ends up sounding like SEMIRAMIS (complete with Eminent, a string organ) or NEW TROLLS circa N.T. ATOMIC SYSTEM. "Turba" is a totally killer instrumental piece with guitar work that just totally blows me away, with the keyboards trying to catch up. No doubt the highlight for me. "Consiglio" is another one of those "Knife-Edge" like songs, while "Visione Della Morte" attempts for a PFM-style, but falls flat on its face, no doubt helped by that useless drum solo, places where the music didn't reach an intense climax.

In conclusion, the album is a bit too uneven for my liking, and I've heard a lot better Italian prog albums. Don't overspend (I didn't, despite that I own the Odeon vinyl - you're better off finding the CD reissue than the original LP).

Excellent work in the italian 70s panorama, even if not surely the best. Very good organ sounds, with in fact a strong similarity to Emerson, and in general strong personality and full-sound music, a great drums work, and very good technical passages. Like many other cases in italian groups of the 70s, only a little use of classical and electric guitars. Vocals are very good, and are from a singer (?) later identified as Tartarini of Cherry Five.

***1/2

The only album by this group is Hammond driven symphonic progressive. This is an Italian album that I have not completely warmed to even though some consider it a minor classic of that particular scene. It might be the ELP resemblance that puts me off a bit. I can't but think that Emerson has been an influence for the keyboardist. Even though the keyboard heavy music is good it lacks the refinement that a group like Le Orme has in their Hammond driven Collage album. The rhythm section is tight and actually the best part of this group but of course the keyboardist is skilled as well. The singer doesn't compare to the many great singers from other Italian groups. I'm rather negative but this album does actually deserve an extra half star, at least because of the powerful rhythm section. The drummer Ruggero Stefani was later also in the group Samadhi.

The most appealing tracks for me are "Io", "Vox Dei" and especially "Turba". I find the rest of the tracks good but nothing special. People who really like an organ dominated sound might appreciate this album more.

Conclusion: Not a bad album but it just doesn't compare to the many much better Italian progressive albums.

Highly recommended if you like ELP or LE ORME. Especially "Turba" (very goog guitar work), "Vox Dei", "L'Indecisione" and "Visione Della Morte" (PFM style). An album with an excellent technical level, especially keyboards, bass and drums. Vocals are not bad.

"I won't save you, you only can. I always listen to you and know you never pray, so now what do you want from me?"

L'Uovo di Colombo's unique release has his own place in the Olympus of the classic italian prog. As usual in the seventies, there were hundreds of talentuous bands. Only the best or the most lucky managed to survive after the decline of the first great prog wave. Meanwhile, many bands graced us with excellent albums, often inspired by ELP, as the one I'm reviewing. The main national references are Metamorfosi and Rustichelli e Bordini, in my opinion, even if L'Uovo are different for the addition of (very good) electric and acoustic guitar.

Lead vocalis is Toni Gionta, next to be Cherry Five's singer Tony Tartarini.

The songs' structure and arrangements are a little bit less complex than those of the other italian bands above mentioned but all the instruments are played powerfully. The result is so great that deserves to be remembered. This band's debut was very promising, imagine what they could have create if they continued to exist. A modern italian band that clearly took ispiration from them is Nuova Era. The references are evident in all the titles here, most evident in the track "Consiglio". No epic, though, neither longer song. All the eight tunes are under the 5 minutes. Their success could have been solid...

I strongly recommend this album to all the symphonic prog lovers.

VOX DEI.. INDECISION...

L'Uovo Di Colombo is a band with great potential. But with a controversial final debut. For me the research of catchy melody to all costs penalizes this band. In this album only "Vox Dei" is in possess of power and magic. Not for all the organ isn't used for solo moments or for the power of melody but only for the research of a diverse sound. PFM, Delirium, Dalton and Genesis are good similar bands that have (in certain sense) the melody in first plan. But in my opinion These bands are better. Great the voice of Toni Gionta but the research of west coast style vocal lines, even if very effective and attractive, mortifies its great voice (too much helped, unfortunately, from a heavy use of the echo). In definitive this album is normal today but remain, in every case, a good example of Italian Prog.

There is no doubt that 1973 were an important year in the sphere of the Italian Progressive rock, since on a par of which they were continued making festivals massive outdoors (they open to air festivals), the many groups removed skillful works, in which one demonstrated that the Italian groups were on a par of their English contemporaries, (whom were seen like the rivals win) unfortunately these groups who removed to works excels and greatest, only lasted just a short time, until specially sometimes single one a year.

Reasons there are many but main I believe that it was the lack of diffusion and the general support on the part of the companies, the case of the group and the disc that I am going to review he is characteristic of it and she serves to us like a good example, a group that had exceeded faculties to have been more lasting is L'UOVO I DI COLOMBO that was integrated by Toni GIONTA (vocal), Enzo VOLPINI (keyboards, acoustic guitar, vowels), Elio VOLPINI (Bass, guitar, vowels) and Ruggero STEFANI (drums, percussions, vowels). Group in where their members are of the city of Rome and which they are very talented in his instruments. This grouping left us as bequeathed an illustrious work, really a delight for those fans to the sound of the Hammond organ and to the extensive use and obtained well at form, rate and melodic, the art of L'UOVO DI COLOMBO if it does not affect, it always pleases, with a sound seemed, but nonequal to QUATERMASS, EMERSON, LAKE AND PALMER (ELP) and Le ORME, their sound has much of the mentioned groups, but with a Mediterranean touch of freshness, that is evident throughout the disc. Also the interaction and cohesion of the group are demonstrated through the compositions that the work contains, and that are constructed with clarity and much force, and he is doubtless the classic and jazz predominance of cut that the work (e.g. L'Indecisione, Io) as well as the influence in the call reign in "Canto Novo" that reigned in Italy in those years and certain influence of groups like URIAH HEEP with some vocalizations affluent obtained (e.g. Consiglio), also within the disc we found a brief episode acoustic that they remember the fact by groups like JUMBO or BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO, (e.g Visione Della Morte), but that they preferred to continue with the musical line of the predominance of the keyboards. With musical pieces that are worth by their flexible melodies and the harmonic counterpoint and the amplitude of their melodic lines and that go of the exuberant, to the simple thing, of the mysterious theme to the pleasant theme, of reflective to the dynamic theme, it is the most interesting work and a perfect reflection of which it is Progressive music in Italy. By the previous thing I allow myself to affirm mainly that this work represents one of highest summits of the Italian Progressive rock, in the aspect of the groups that touched with predominance in the keyboards and that was sadly not appreciated at its time, and that with its only album guaranteed one to them of the highest positions within the legendary pantheon of the great groups of all the times and that also give in this work the foundations to us of their musical aesthetic individual. Who calls the attention is the excellent work of the keyboard of Enzo VOLPINI, that demonstrates to us that she is an author and executor of pieces of tight polyphonic or obtained style, and that through the disc prescribes a series to us of notes of incomparable wealth, and without being tired or tedious by the sound of the Hammond organ, it is in its execution refinement, brightness and cadence that deserves to consider it like an expert of the keyboard. Its multiplicity in the art to obtain musical scales with strong origin in classic music and the jazz, the concise handling of the counterpoint, the wealth of resource in the several keyboards that uses also deserves that a synthesis of the form and the feeling of polyphonies is considered and the harmony. By another part also is to emphasize the work del brother of Enzo, Elio that with his under untiring, very or laid the foundations in the forms del jazz rock delights to us with a series of meticulous notes, or constructed, with much relief and variety, thus like the search of new harmonies and a searched carefully rate, there is no doubt that is one of the bears with greater elegance inside of rock and better execution, a penetrating and powerful sound, that one finishes tired before the ability to all lights virtuous of this musician. The work of Ruggero is very interesting since its skilful and colorful style, with a very clear sense by poli rate and with its freedom and flexibility of the expression, and an enviable effectiveness, causes that this disc is considered of the best ones in the department of the percussions, without discrediting the frank rate, but holding melodies of very intelligent way and removing an amazing party from the note multiplicity that is spilled in all the work, to overwhelm with new energy the musical horizons that are high rated songs like (and g. L'Indecisione, Anja and Consiglio) cause that we consider to this great musician like a magnificent executants. Finally the work of the vocalist Tony is very good, maintaining a dramatic line in its voice that to me Michael CHAPMAN remembers in some songs to the vocalist of FAMILY, by the tone of his voice, its timbre and its musical execution, but without reaching its rank of vocalization, also maintains a discreet but effective activity throughout all the musical pieces, but without a doubt it made a very good work. The production of the disc is of the best ones than they are possible to be found in the Progressive discography of the Italian, a work of engineering of crystalline, interesting and standing out uniformly to all the instruments, without opaque to no, really remarkable sound.

The disc begins by L Indecisione Subject that demonstrates the capacity of the members to touch complex pieces and that can be considered like a virtuosity piece and exuberance that classifies it between masterpieces of progressive music, begins with energetic notes in charge of Enzo, touched in its Hammond organ in the best tradition of ELP or of some passages of Le ORME in its album Collage with rare mysterious elegance, the vocalist Tony sings without no pretension to dominate the average subject and until somehow marginal, trying space to him to the musical instruments, that really shine by its quality, Progressive aesthetic bass player Elio maintaining melodic rhythm and contrapunting notes generated by the Hammond organ with a very concrete skill. The drums taking a rhythmic rate and until franc, but I practice, nevertheless what it excels is the skillful note cascade that the keyboards of Enzo are weaving through the song. As of minute approximately 2:50 patent becomes a change of rate in where the influences of classic cut are authenticated, by means of a low interval accompanying skillfully by the ductile one and with a meticulous style in the STEFANI drums, later to give a polyphonic turn us of high flights and with a pair of pressed notes hurriedly, to begin a full variation of vitality and it shows of the use of mini moog and the synthesizer the best style of bands like LE ORME and METAMORFOSI, creating a complexity of musical scenes, with the perpetual rate of the drums and probably the best song of the disc, by its complexity and its shades and in the best Progressive tradition of the Italian.

The following song Io this Founded on a worried rate of jazz, with elegant scales of under Elio and a battery that follows the patterns the imposed by but great drummers of the jazz like Elvin JONES or Jimmy COBB, is marking an interesting compass and that many groups of Progressive Italian have not touched of this form, the keyboard of Enzo blunts in the song by its force and by its variety of created harmonies and which also they demonstrate a deep knowledge in the fine variations of generating jazziest, the GIONTA voice, without being very acute nor very rough is pleasant and encounter similarities between its style to sing with of other vocalist of nonProgressive the Italian scene as Luccio Dalla (he began by those years), and clear references to the Italian folksong that played in the years 60's and principles of 70's, and with a moderate dramatic quality. Also in minute 2:15 and until minute 2:49, a series of dissonances created by the bass and the drums is listened to, and that with greater attention and raising the volume of my apparatus, is appraised the note creation maintained with low tenuous and a simple big drum and with a keyboard that is listened to the distant spot, it stops after this intermezzo, it becomes to the jazzíst rate, one melody founded and made well.

Anja East subject deepens more in the type of Progressive rock that they tried to establish, and also the style to sing of GIONTA is well-known, very taken root in the Italian song, that are expressed here of a very tragic and intense way, the work of the keyboards of Enzo is exquisite here and regal, with simple but very sentimental notes, it causes that melody is based on great musical lines next to the flexible harmony that the Italians dominate; an extensive use of moog at the end of the song in best tradition of Le ORME and ELP, undeniable (references), but without falling in sterile comparisons. There is no doubt which here the group finds its identity musical and that the musical piece bond by its feeling and the fantasy that shares, mainly that incredible execution of which it seems mellotron or a synthesizer in minute 2:16, transporting us to an enchanted world; under Elio it is touched with simple notes but of great musical invoice and the drums maintains a regularity rhythmic without newness maintaining the musical structure, there is no doubt that multiple forms of melodies present/display very expressive.

Vox Dei a song that excels in the disc by inflamed notes touched the principle of melodies, with agreed ones which they transmitted gigantism and that also remembers the influence of Bach in the members, when touching that note cataract of splendid way in the organ of Enzo, later to happen to a rhythmic rate, with bass superiority of which constructs the musical arrangement with elegance, brightness and sonorous shades that they transmit affability. From minute 3:20 things accelerate with elaboration fast of piano of Enzo, that demonstrates of step the musical technique to us that it has, when putting in notes of its organ with the contrapunting ones of the piano that conserves like main compass while the drums and the bass one make flexible the rate to give an urgency feeling that well is obtained, is no doubt that L' UOVO DI COLOMBO is characterized by a strong and enthusiastic temperament and that contains musical forms that leave surprised until most demanding. The work of Tony also is discreet but very accurate and the group leaves the necessary space him for its vocal interpretation that it is of a noble art.

Crowd This is purely instrumental a musical piece, that shows Elio touching the electrical guitar to us with little effect overdrive, and that is distinguished by the intelligent scale that uses and that is base of the song, the work of Enzo is shining, creating passages multicolors with the aid of the Hammond organ and moog, also low obstinate and the infallible one of the same Elio (which I believe that the guitar recorded it later) are of a worthy refinement of the great musicians of the Progressive one, the drums is touched with prudent rate and is giving to firmness and solidity to the series of melodies that are constructing and that him they give to vivacity and spontaneity to all the set, is one melody suggestive, made and touched well of exhaustive way, the best thing of the disc.

Consiglio Penultimate song of this work and that contains a structure similar to the made one in Vox Dei, with the best work of Tony to the vowels and which they transmit to feel deep, enthusiastic and an integration with the musical instruments that is the best one obtained in all the disc, the keyboards in charge of Enzo delights to us with I engage in a dialog at the same time of the voice and with the integration of bass and the drums in a superior, skillful art and that shows the valuation of the different sonorous planes, the games and the timbre to us of each instrument, as well as the interchange of times and rates and with a naturalness in the art of the counterpoint and with a grace and sense of greatness. I believe that this song must of have been more extensive, contains a deep, expressive subject and that it could have developed more and with doubtless elements of Mediterranean influence and the style to touch of Ken HENSLEY, but thus it even is of incontestable splendor and very determined, and on which the choirs of the musicians, are listened to ad hoc with the atmosphere which they try to spread in the listener.

The longest subject of all the disc is Visione Della Morte and the only one that Integrates acoustic guitar of a very expressive way, that remembers to me to groups like JUMBO, (its first disc) and GLEEMEN. The work of Tony in the vocals also is very good, without surpassing the fact in Consiglio, when finishing the placid acoustic passage, they give a musical critical moment us in which with polyphonic cadences of the piano of Enzo and the bass execution of delirious on the part of Elio and a partially dissonant rate that takes us to a single one of battery that, to tell the truth nontapeworm place is here, although just to say that it is made of own way to the percussive abilities of STEFANO.

Later Enzo illustrates to us with a passage similar to fact by Le ORME in discs as Felona and Sorona or Uomo I gave Pezza, later to show a series to us of you gloss where it express the variety of tonalities and limitless a musical verb, accompanied of one flute which I suppose is created by the synthesizer. Finally we have Scherzo an experiment of 22 seconds and that is listened to as reprise of the song Aria, interesting but nonessential.

After recording this I magnify disc, the group dissolved, integral Elio VOLPINI to group ETNA and later FLEA, Ruggero STEFANI went with SAMADHI and Tony GIONTA to CHERRY FIVE, of the destiny of Enzo VOLPINI does not know anything, but it is of the best musicians than I have listened in the department of the keyboards. This disc is of a quality, energy and musical solidity of forward edge and does not have to lack its kind listening, without a doubt an exceptional work by its writing, its brightness and its expressive variety.

In March 1973 I was a 16y rockfan and went to Genova Italy to attend the Deep Purple concert presenting their Made in Japan stuff! The support group were UOVO DI COLOMBO ! I have vague memories of them playing just a few songs after been literally thrown out of the stage by people throwing bottles, fruits and other objects . At the time security was a still to come concept . I was pressed against the stage in pole position where I stood for the 6 previous hours. I could not remember wether they were good or bad, I went there to see the Deep Purple. NOW 35 years later, I came to collect and listen to the top 25 italian progressive groups ald all of their production and I was extremely surprised by the quality of this unique record which has skyrocketed the opinion I had of Uovo di Colombo. Considering their short career (only one record) I am considering one of the few lucky to have seen them live, although unable to appreciate them at the time because of age and circunstances. Possibly the same happend to some drunken sailor in Hamburg in the very early Sixties at the Star Club..+ Fiore Lupo

I decided to take a break from my series of Uriah Heep reviews by listening to one or two RPI albums and this one was sitting handily on the shelf next to the UK heavy rockers' discs. Strangely enough some of the organ registers on this disc remind me of Ken Hensley's Hammond playing. The other obvious reference point for this band is ELP, as highlighted in other PA reviews. There is something of a similarity with ELP but much of L'Uovo Di Colombo has a psychedelic pop orientation. It almost sounds like two different bands recorded this album. Just out of interest, the album title (in English: Columbus' Egg) is an anecdotal saying that is popular in some Southern European countries. It refers to Columbus' discovery of America, and how he challenged a group of Spanish nobles to stand an egg on its end in order to demonstrate that a discovery or challenge is only easy once it has already been achieved.

This album features in the Italian Prog website's top 20. Now I own all but one of these discs and I honestly don't know what L'Uovo Di Colombo is doing in such exalted company. I'm not criticising Augusto's selection in his top 20; I simply don't rate this album myself. I despaired for this album after listening to the first couple of tracks. L'Indecisione starts off in a psyche groove with organ, before piano takes up the melody quickly followed by some twanging guitar. After a couple of verses of the song there are organ solos employing different timbres. String synth introduces a mellow interlude before a nice drum fill leads into a fast-paced section with Emersonian organ and a bit of Moog. Ok, so far this isn't so bad but during the last few seconds I'll swear I can hear a didgeridoo! Check it out. The next track starts with some really cheesy organ and the song itself sounds like a Eurovision Song Contest entry. I don't know if non-Europeans will be familiar with this competition but hopefully they'll get my point. However track 3, Anja, is more like the real deal. It features lovely Italian vocals, soothing organ, a gentle touch of Moog and a graceful melody. I like this song! It's one of those songs where you immediately press the repeat button on your sound system. Nice. Vox Dei is another goody. It begins with heavy organ and stomping piano and there are definite shades of ELP here. Enzo Volpini's fingers make some nimble runs down the keyboard manual, matched by the rhythm section to good effect. Once the song gets under way with Toni Gionta's vocals it seems a tad too light and airy compared with the dramatic opening, but that's just me being picky. There's a fast jazzy section just before the end that adds further interest to the track.

Just when things were picking up we get the instrumental Turba, another track with tacky sonics. The first couple of minutes are just about bearable, but then there's this keyboard that sounds like a child's toy. Seriously, I think I can remember this thing that kid's played with in the '70s but I can't remember its name. I don't know if this is the band's idea of a musical joke but I ain't amused. The guitar is pretty lame as well; in fact this track is a complete cheese-fest. Consiglio has a melody very similar to Vox Dei and features some nice synth and psychedelic guitar. Visione Della Morte begins as a gorgeous acoustic ballad, similar in style to Le Orme's Frutto Acerbo. However, it quickly turns into a psyche jam complete with drum solo. The return of the main theme on synth then introduces a solo piano section, joined by flute-effects that bring the track to a close. This song contains some nice themes that could have been realised to greater effect. As it stands it's something of a hotchpotch of musical ideas. The final piece is the 22-second Scherzo, an odd end to an odd album.

I hate to be the dissenting voice where this album is concerned. It does contain some good songs but some truly awful ones counterbalance these. I would certainly advise newcomers to RPI to tread carefully here. This album is comparatively rare so you may have to shell out big bucks to buy a copy. It's not a complete turkey but there's so much better stuff out there. For anyone looking for some ELP-tinged RPI then Rustichelli & Bordini's excellent Opera Prima is well worth seeking out. For a more psychedelic sound I would suggest Panna Fredda's Uno.

I like this album a lot. It was released in 1973 and three of the members would go on to play in other well known bands.The singer to CHERRY FIVE, the bass player to FLEA and ETNA, and the drummer would play percussion on SAMADHI's album.

"L'indecisione" features pulsating organ with drums early on then the piano replaces the organ as the guitar joins in then vocals.The organ comes and goes.This is a catchy uptempo track until it settles 3 minutes in. It does pick back up. "Lo" is uptempo with drums, bass and organ. It settles when the vocals arrive. Contrasts continue. A calm 2 1/2 minutes in with sparse drums then it kicks back in. "Anja" is a top two for me. Very impressive with these fragile vocals that become passionate,the instrumental section also goes from mellow to full at the same time. I like the synths too which remind me of LE ORME.

"Vox Dei" opens with gusto as drums and piano lead.The organ comes in with attitude.The tempo shifts occassionaly. Vocals arrive before 2 minutes. "Turba" is uptempo with drums, organ and bass standing out. Guitar comes and goes. "Consiglio" is my other top two. Organ to start as drums and bass kick in then vocals. Great sound here. Guitar after 2 minutes.The tempo picks up before 3 minutes. Check out the organ ! "Visione Della Morte" features acoustic guitar and vocals early on. It kicks in before 2 minutes. Nice. Love the drumming. He ends up doing a solo. "Scherzo" is mainly piano melodies.

Andrea may be right in saying that NUOVA ERA had to be inspired by this album. No wonder I like it so much. And thanks Todd !

A charming but not exceptional "one album wonder" from the Italian prog boom of 1972-1973, L'Uovo di Colombo play a style of prog reminiscent of Collage-era Le Orme with a bit more Keith Emerson worship. Beginning with a wild organ-dominated track and concluding with a pastoral instrumental featuring piano accompanied by gentle flute, the album takes in a fair range of prog styles but ultimately doesn't quite produce anything especially original out of the mix, and whilst it's competently performed, it never quite manages to catch fire. On the whole, it's one of those obscure albums whose scarcity has amplified the hype surrounding it. Worthwhile if you absolutely love Italian prog from the boom years and simply can't get enough of it, but if you're just beginning to explore the genre there's plenty of better examples out there.

Great listen! Great representation of the evolution of RPI. Powerful and dynamic Sicilian based (yes) quartet, formed in Roma (like always), with distorted organ (without the Leslie) that harks Brian Auger, John Lord and Vincent Crane. I don't hear the ELP influence like everyone else. Great rhythm section and singing with lots of duel Piano/Organ assult, RMI piano, and ARP/Moog with lots of featured solos. Guitars, acoustic and electric, are introduced towards the second half was well as some nice flute and mellow piano. It's also nice to know Elio (bassist for Flea/Etna) helped his brother Enzo to do this album. You can not pass this up!! In my MP3 rotation! It is true... if you enjoy ELP, Cherry Five (there is a connection), and Metamorfosi's "Inferno", you will enjoy this. Pure organ power!!! Thanks L'Uovo Di Colombo!

A "supergroup" of sorts, L'Uovo di Colombo was born from the ashes of I Fholks and Flea, adding future Cherry Five singer Toni Tartarini to round out the band. This enjoyable 1973 record is just good enough to recommend, but not so good it's essential. The weak link is the lack of guitar, as both Enzo and Elio Volpini struggle to fill out the compositions with it; what limited guitar there is feels like an afterthought and actually detracts from what the band does well. The album gives me mixed feelings: On the one hand, I wish the group had more of an opportunity in live performance and label support to realize a second album; on the other, I am somewhat glad things didn't work out, as the band's dissolution led indirectly to Elio Volpini rejoining Flea/Etna and Toni Tartarini joining Cherry Five.

What the band does well is summed up during the last two minutes of "L'indecisione." A multitude of styles is revealed in this brief amount of time, as the song fluidly transitions from classical prog, to jazz rock, to dissonant ELP-inspired mayhem. An overabundance of analog synth adds weight and carries the track through to its end. The jazz touches continue in "Io," and Tartarini delivers an assertive vocal performance. "Anja" begins with a nice dual-keyboard attack until the bass and drums join in...after a keyboard break the bare instrumentation leaves you wanting more. Some heavy guitar power chords or even a final lyrical verse would suit the song better, but instead we are treated to a fade out. A missed opportunity, if you ask me. "Vox Dei" is stagnant, as the band starts to set into a groove but never really does anything interesting with it.

"Turba" finally sees some electric guitar love, and this instrumental is actually quite a fun listen. The drum work in particular is genuinely funky. "Consiglio" reverts to the tone of the previous two songs, which is one-dimensional and lacking the progressive spirit. I wouldn't necessarily call it pop music , but the tendencies are there. "Visione della Morte," in comparison, sounds like a totally different group of musicians; Tartarini leads a delicate ensemble of plucked piano, acoustic guitar and tasteful bass accompaniment. Then the drums kick in and after a brief solo, drive the song home to a fulfilling conclusion. This segues into "Scherzo" quite nicely, and we again hear the classical prog influence show itself. There is even a touch of flute, ending the album on a gentle, albeit uncharacteristic, note. L'Uovo di Colombo has been in and out of print for many years, and tracking it down may be more trouble than it's worth. Italian Prog aficionados will want to hear it at some point, but this release is probably not essential for the casual listener.

You may call me an ELP sucker but nothing will change my eternal love for the keyboards and organ based songs. This obscure album is very creative and energetic. L'Uovo Di Colombo is another one shot, and this single album couldn't be wrong, a dynamic italian organ based symphonic progressive rock. If my words are making you think of this album as another Keith Emerson worship, this is it. But there's no shameless rip off, like some obvious Triumvirat tracks. All the tracks are enjoyable and it makes my mind. The album has some pleasant RPI (Rock Progressivo Italiano) typical passages, like the track Anja (Coscienza E Vanita).

All the eight tracks worth a check. Most of the tracks are great. The track Visione Della Morte reminds me of the Premiata Forneria Marconi songwriting style, but not so complex. This album doesn't work as a RPI standard album, though. The members of this band would play with other well known italian bands like Cherry Five (pre-Goblin).

I've noticed that while most Europeans are familiar with the fable of 'l'uovo di Colombo', no one in America knows the parable. Supposedly Columbus was sitting back home in a bar with Spanish captains grousing about a lesser sailor getting credit for discovering the new world, insinuating that Columbus didn't deserve credit they should have garnered. Columbus randomly challenged the captains to stand an egg on its end, either end, their choice. None could do it. They asked if anyone could ever do it. Columbus brought the hard boiled egg down, flattening one end so it could stand. "we could have done that!" the captains complained. 'Yeah, but you didn't" was Columbus' reply, whereafter he presumably had the captains buy him drinks for the rest of the night. Moral of the story-'I did it first'.

The point of that off topic preamble is that the cover, with its distinctive partially shattered egg is the illustration of this fable. Whether this refers to any challenge-two band members were from the well known top 40 pop band I Fholks, so maybe there is an industry inside joke in there.

I think of this band as a catchier and more sprightly version of Le Orme: better singer, better use of electric guitar (see Turba on side two). The ELP comparisons are easy to see, some either intentional or not synth nods to the first ELP album are on display. Tony Gionta, later Tartarini is one of the better vocalists in Italian rock. He later was the singer for Cherry Five, the obscure Goblin precursor. Drummer Ruggero Stefani is an underrated force on this record, but overall it's not about any individual members, This record succeeds because one can sense the absolute comfort the musicians have with each other. It is hard to believe that they only did this one album, but a special album it is-no mountainous highlight peaks, just consistently good organ driven prog rock from front to back, zero weak points.

On transparent blue vinyl currently if you look hard in gatefold cover.

This was one of the first 'off the radar' RPI purchases I made after decades of only owning a bunch of PFM and a smattering of whatever got released in the states-RDM, Perigeo, Le Orme. I was blown away at first, but then as the wave of Italian prog vinyl mysteriously kept showing up in my living room, it seemed as if I had overreacted. But listening later, this record does deserve the kudos it quietly has accrued. I honestly like this more than the whole Le Orme catalog barring Felona and Serona.

Reference points: ELP, some Wetton led UK. Definitely Le Orme.

Highly recommended

4.25 stars

The deeper one digs into the world of 70s Italian prog the more it becomes apparent that many bands were simply the result of the reshuffling of members from various other bands especially when it comes to the more obscure one album wonders of the era. Add to that very list the Rome based L'UOVO DI COLOMBO which translates into "The Egg of Columbus," a common phrase forged in the 16th century and used in the modern era to refer to a seemingly impossible task that becomes quite simple once it's comprehended. This short-lived band produced one self-titled release that emerged in 1973 with absolutely no support from its record label Columbia and as a result quickly folded and joined the growing ranks of Italian prog bands that were subjected to the obscurity bins for decades to come.

This band featured Enzo Volpini (bass, guitar, vocals) and Ruggero Stefani (drums, percussion, vocals) who had played together in the early prog band I Fholks along with Elio Volpini also having just left the band(s) Flea (On The Honey). Likewise the band featured singer Tony Gionta aka Tony Tartarini who would go on to sing with Cherry Five. Despite an admirable attempt to craft an accessible yet competently complex style of Italian prog based on the heavier psych elements of Flea with a more robust presence of virtuosic keyboard use, L'UOVO DI COLOMBO found little success with its singles and even less with its album in general despite a excellent delivery of strong vocals, well developed composiitons and a style that skirted the lines between a softer pastoral style of Le Orme and the more energetic drive of bands like Il Semiramis.

The band started out as one of the most promising new acts in the Italian prog scene having performed in Rome with Deep Purple as well as performing at the Viterbo Pop Festival along with artists such as Alan Sorrenti and such promise is evident on the band's sole self-titled release that followed in 1973 which unfortunately was a year that was glutted with similarly minded acts with just as much talent to match. Clearly there wasn't enough record company support or enough public bandwidth to accommodate every possible act especially when the bigwigs of the era such as PFM and Banco had pretty much cornered the market in terms of setting the bar so high that very few could match. Nevertheless L'UOVO DI COLOMBO demonstrated a high competency in its seven tracks (excluding the eighth short 22 second finale).

The album begins with the strong "L'Indecisione" which immediately establishes the album's dominant use of energetic keyboard runs as the primary focus along with a strong rhythm section of bass and drums with an equally competent use of guitar although emphasized much less than on Volpini's efforts with Flea. This musical competence continues throughout the album's run with Gionta's forceful yet brilliant vocals setting him apart from other Italian prog acts of the era however the band was less romantic and not operatic in the style that was popular during the day and didn't quite have the chops to deliver a deluge of avant-prog eccentricities in the vein of Area, Il Balletto di Bronzo or Osanna. With a clear reference to the keyboard virtuosity of Keith Emerson, the band adopted many British prog characteristics that unfortunately watered down the pure Italian sounds that were en vogue although like the majority of bands chose to sing in its native tongue.

The band's fortunes were really stacked against it in the fact that although invited to the prestigious Festival d'Avanguardia e Nuove Tendenze in Naples in 1973 the band had to refuse due to technical problems with its equipment presumably. Likewise no support from the record label in an oversaturated market led to a quick demise and the band members scattering to reform and go back to the drawing board. Although not the pinnacle of Italian prog of the 1970s, i find L'UOVO DI COLOMBO's one and only release to be quite a satisfying one with all the elements that make a great Italian prog album in abundance. Unfortunately this was a nation with an above average number of extremely excellent bands and therefore this one has been neglected however more modern reevaluations have revealed it to have been a veritable second tier band of the era. Certainly not a masterpiece of a definitive slice of excellent Italian prog without a doubt.