FOGLIE DI VETRO

Please listen to the first and third tracks, and you can get pleased.

FOGLIE DI VETRO's eponymous album can be thought as one of "out of ears, out of mind" stuffs in the Rock Progressive Italiano scene but might not be forgotten, let me say. This obscure quintet has released only one album and disappeared without any notice, and such a mysterious story might add another beautiful colour to the album, I imagine. From the beginning we can feel full of Italian symphonic flavour with heavy but catchy rock aroma, based upon sensitive Italian words. Yes all essence should be condensed in the first track "La Moltitudine" (just like the title!), exactly their masterpiece. Tragic keyboard sounds, hard and swift guitar plays, delicate and subtle piano touches, and active and vivid sentences ... colourful, theatrical variation we can hear, and no useless phrase nor tone is in the stuff. Another neat progressive one ... the third self-titled track has fragile bluesy atmosphere with powerful, intensive moments. "Foglie Di Vetro" means "Leaves of glass" in English, and this makes sense really. Although their play / instrumental technique is not so good and their chord progression is not perfect, the audience would come in touch with their strong intention for kinda enthusiastic rock theatre.

Sadly other tracks cannot remind us of RPI but of Crossover, like "Prendi La Mia Anima (Il Viaggio)", an acid-folk-ish storytelling seasoned with hard-edged guitar spice, or "Immagini Di Un Miraggio" or "Io ... Partir", quite acceptable and danceable, featuring delightful flute plays. "Ars Nova" is sorta hard rock, their Italian words are somewhat beautiful though. The last "Eclisse (Ripresa De La Moltitudine)" is exactly instrumental jazz rock with no surprise. Sounds like they could not have kept potential until the end of the album ... it's a pity, but fine for us to pick some tracks up. Various opinions might be launched I guess, but this album is my love.

Very little known about this infamous band from the region of Romagna, however their only release is highly praised among progressive rock fans.FOGLIE DI VETRO were Danielle Bronzetti on vocals/drums,Matteo Benvenuti on guitars,Carlo Pari on piano/keyboards and Marco Marcheti on bass.Initially they recorded a four-track demo and all of these tracks found the way into the debut of the band.1996 was the year when FOGLIE DI VETRO officially entered the progressive rock scene with their self-titled debut.

A good effort of recaptured 70's spirit with modern aesthetics,''Foglie di vetro'' contains eight track of melodic Symphonic Rock with intense lyrical approach and obvious influences by PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI and BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO.What is trully memorable from this release is the heavy piano textures of Carlo Pari,who offers smooth yet rich slighlty Classical passages, which really dominate the album.The interplays with the guitar of Benvenuti are also of first class,however the band is very far from trying to sound bombastic or complex.Benvenuti presents also a good amount of inspired solos as well as a few acoustic-driven passages,at times in collaboration with Bronzetti's flute, where the 70's spirit seems trully alive and strong.Bronzetti is also responsible for the vocal work of the album...a warm and expressive voice,suitable in the atmospheric mood of the album.FOGLIE DI VETRO did not manage to go further than a single album yet this comes strongly recommended to those who search for good and melodic Symphonic Rock in the classic tradition of the 70's giants...Good but definitely not essential...3 stars...

It is now a trade mark for the Italian genre: one band, one album! And yet again, a very good work from this band form the nineties although it sounds as if this album was recorded some twenty years earlier.

Influences are the great Italian dinosaurs at times combined with a Crimson (from the early days) light touch. Vocals are as usual a good asset: melodic and in perfect conjunction with the beautiful music displayed. Symphonic, acoustic but also powerful from time to time (when the guitar soars like during "Prendi La Mia Anima").

The long title track is another musical jewel: complex and diverse, it introduces the sax play on this album. Not the powerful play à la Jackson, but a more symphonic one which is à l'unisson with the delicate keys and guitar. This song is full of tenderness (as most of this album actually). A highlight.

Pastoral and intimate feel for the light "Immagini" contrasts with the mighty "Ars Nova" which leans more on "Hogweed" or "The Knife" in terms of power. Solid electric guitar attack in the instrumental intro and very present bass play after this. It offers another facet of their talents even if the band returns to a more conventional and symphonic style (good saw as well to close) later in the song.

One of the most romantic pieces from this offering is the very melodic and peaceful "Io ? Partir". All the beauty of the acoustic guitar, flute and sweet but firm vocals are included in this enjoyable song. Quite well achieved my prog friends!

Some medieval theme with Merlin The Wizard ("Mago Merlino") offers again an excellent combination of acoustic passages (to start) which evolve into splendid and strong guitar work for an explosive finale. This is a very good album which I rate with four stars. To Italian symph lovers (but not only), this album is highly recommended.

This album is exhilarative music. FOGLIE DI VETRO I don't know their name meaning. maybe I just think of FOG for the album cover is covered with fog, red fog. And their music is very much alike to Italian band COOPERATIVE DEL LETTE. The two are alike with their covers too! So I just don't know which one is better than which one. anyway this kind of music is very enjoyable. I just give 4 stars. but one thing is regretable that this CD is too sound weaking. So when I hear I turned volum up. In fact I moved this music from CDs to casette tapes for tape is much portable(movable) and easy to listen in my car. I think this is absolutely Rock Italiano! thank you.

The machine translation for Foglie di Vetro is "Leaves of Glass", which is lovely and poetic even in English, and befits this romantic Italian symphonic one-off.

While this album does contain some harder rocking sections, the emphasis is more on melodic keyboard/guitar interactions (as well as some smoky sax) and the emotive vocals in Italian of Daniele Bronzetti. For instance, after an ethereal intro, the first song "La Moltitudine" contains alternating somewhat acidic lead guitar and gentle piano and vocals, before they merge in the last couple of minutes. This seemingly incompatible interplay is brilliantly executed and does not feel forced. The 11-minute title track, that is the song "Foglie di Vetro", follows a similar pattern but has time to stretch out in several different themes including one from the sax of Valerio Barbieri.

"Ars Nova" is more guitar dominated but features layered vocals in a manner that reminds me of some old Moody Blues songs. The rhythm guitar style is indeed fuzzy here and in much of the album, but in support of ultimately gentle melodies. The lead guitar sections almost sound supported by the rhythm guitar but I think it is just some impressive technique on the part of Matteo Benvenuti. After a particularly expressive vocal finale, the sax again picks up the feeling. "Mago Merlino" starts off as one of the softer and most unabashedly tender tracks on the album, but even here the level is ratchetted up a notch about halfway through. The instrumental "Eclisse" provides a mellow jazzy ending to the proceedings.

While the musicians of Foglie di Vetro are all accomplished, the strength of this album is in the arrangements of the vocals and melodies. It is sad that they did not produce a follow up, as this effort can be compared favourably to classics of the Italian scene.

Incredible, this wonderful album by the Italian one-shot band Foglie Di Vetro has only four ratings and one review.. Listening to this eponymous debut CD I am delighted about the tension between the mellow parts (acoustic guitar and piano) and the powerful parts (strong vocals and fiery guitar with often blistering soli), the inventive twists and turns, the tasteful interplay and the blend of instruments like the flute and een tablas. And let's not forget about the Italian trademark, the keyboards: beautiful pianowork (from tender to sparkling), a lush strings-sound and bombastic synthesizer layers. Another good point are the passionate vocals so I would like to recommend this 24-carat symphonic prog gem!

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One hit prog wonder from Italy, Foglie di Vetro (Tears of Glass) put out one of the finest Italian Prog classic albums and promptly vanished! I guess some strange circumstances mysteriously surround their disappearance because this debut is an absolute cracker!

From the opening notes of "La Moltitudine" , we are in for some enjoyable musical proceedings. As always with the Italian School of Prog, the maestro performances are front and center, with truly gifted playing by all members. The keyboards in particular rekindle fond memories of past icons (PFM, Le Orme, Banco, Goblin etc...) , Carlo Pari's piano playing is truly breathtaking , both delicate, passionate and melancholic. Where this band really throws one for a loop is the distinctive and original fret work from Matteo Benvenuti , expressive, gritty, almost "dirty" at times, a grungier version of Mary Newsletter's equally rambunctous Davide Pisi. As the second track "Prende La Mia Anima" unfolds, it confirms it's status as an absolute prog masterpiece. Another strong suite from the Italian bands is long tradition of great vocalists (especially in their native tongue) and this recording is full of beautiful vocal expressionism , surprisingly handled by virtuoso drummer Daniele Bronzetti. The tradition lives on! I am a total sucker for melody, mood and atmosphere , as opposed to gratuitous technique that show a lot of chops but no "suey" !

The title cut is another suave piece of grandiose musicianship, a drop dead gorgeous hymn elevated to great heights thanks to a brief vocal passage, elevating the angst to agutwrenching level, cradled once again by that "slutty" guitar tone described earlier. The subsequent pieces are equally impressive, without any waste or filler, spiced with liberal use of flute and glorious sax (an unfortunately underused prog instrument that deserves way more exposure) .The CD ends with a reworked reprise of the opener, in the finest prog tradition .

Why they vanished is not known (I have tried a varity of Net searches, without a hit) but at least the musicians can take comfort in knowing that their one shot was a bulls eye. This is a record that I revisit fondly and with trepidation every year at least once since its release in 1996. It remains one of my desert island classic must haves ! It should warrant your immediate interest.

5 glass leaves