Ok, I love Italian progressive rock, specially the older bands. Only 10 options above, but they are just examples. There are many, really many excellent Italian albums since 70s to the present time. My favorites:

Zarathustra (Museo Rosenbach)

Inferno (Metamorfosi)

Io Sono Murple (Murple)

Il Passo del Soldato (Nuova Era)

In Torno Alla Mia Cattiva Educazione (Alusa Fallax)

Felona E Sorona (Le Orme)

Darwin (Banco)

La Torre Dell'Alquimista (Idem)

I Giganti (Terra In Bocca)

Uomo Di Pezza (Le Orme)

Papillon (Latte E Miele)

Dedicato A Frazz (Semiramis)   

Gonghobbit wrote: Wow, here's an area of prog I'm totally unfamiliar with; I think I get kinda distracted by vocals I can't understand, that's probably a factor in my not exploring it at all.

Yes, unfortunately I am really unfamiliar with this scene.

Dang.

My favorite is Area's Arbeit Mach Feri.

Alexander wrote: My favorite is Area's Arbeit Mach Feri.

Arbeit macht frei  (i. e. 'work makes you free' in german, unfortunately this slogan is quoted from the nazis )

I voted for Le Orme, 'Felona e Serona', a fantastic album and their best. What about this list :

-Locanda delle fate : 'forse le lucciole non si amano piu'

-Quella veccia locanda : 'il tempo della gioia'

-Le Orme : 'Felona e Serona'

-Celeste : 'Principe di un giorno'

-Banco del mutuo soccorso : 'Darwin'

lucas wrote: Alexander wrote: My favorite is Area's Arbeit Mach Feri. Arbeit macht frei  (i. e. 'work makes you free' in german, unfortunately this slogan is quoted from the nazis )

Exactly...(Thanks for the correction by the way)

Marcelo:

I agree re Balleto di Bronzo (see my review of Ys).  However, I consider DeM among the best prog-rock bands of our era.  Try listening to De Republica (it's available as a download).  Also, their newest album, Cinque.  (I have never heard Gladium Caeli, and hope Max will download it, if he has it...)

I understand your "problem" with Piras (the lead singer).  It took me a couple of listens to "get past" his crazy approach.  But if you can do so, you will find that, in every respect, DeM is a superb prog-rock band.

Peace.

maani wrote: Marcelo: I agree re Balleto di Bronzo (see my review of Ys).  However, I consider DeM among the best prog-rock bands of our era.  Try listening to De Republica (it's available as a download).  Also, their newest album, Cinque.  (I have never heard Gladium Caeli, and hope Max will download it, if he has it...) I understand your "problem" with Piras (the lead singer).  It took me a couple of listens to "get past" his crazy approach.  But if you can do so, you will find that, in every respect, DeM is a superb prog-rock band. Peace.

Yes, it's true 'De Republica' is a great album and Piras' voice is not as annoying as on the last album.

Marcelo. La Torre dell'Alchimista was recorded by Barrock,not Banco...

and what about Biglietto per L'inferno, Garybaldi, Pholas Dactylus, Franco Battiato, Teoremi, De De Lind, Capsicum Red, Celeste, Ezra Winston.... 

i choose " Terra In Bocca " ( maybe i would chose pfm' s " Storia di un minuto "..but it's not in the list ) .

I voted for Felona e Serona, but if you intended to post a poll upon Finisterre, I would've recomended "In Ogni Luogo" instead. Great selection by the way

MMMMMMHHH...

1- Garybaldi - Nuda

2- Biglietto per L'Inferno: Biglietto per l'Inferno

3- Pholas Dactylus: Concerto delle Menti

PICCHIO DAL POZZO

oliverstoned wrote: PICCHIO DAL POZZO

Indeed, a brilliant band, but with their jazz-rock/canterbury sound it's ok to leave them out of this poll. As with Stormy Six and Area. And Arti e Misteri.

Locanda delle fate on the other hand....

Hammar,

Sorry you don't appear to like Locanda Delle Fate; "one man's meat is another man's poison", as they say.

Although I like Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più very much indeed, I can understand perfectly why some people find it just too 'rich', soppy, cheesy or whatever. Someone I played it to the other day described it as "OK, but it sounds like elevator prog rock"!  We had a laugh and agreed to differ.

[Edit: Just realised on rereading your post that perhaps I misunderstood you and you were disappointed LDF were not included. If so, even better!]

lucas,

Despite my not agreeing with you about ELP's Pirates in another thread, I have to agree with you 100% on your list in this one. All excellent.

I'm just listening to Celeste's Principe Di Un Giorno now, on headphones for the first time and I am picking up various subtleties I had not noticed previously. Looking at the liner notes, which gives the instruments played by each band member for each track, they are very talented musicians. I have never heard such a laid-back, mellow prog rock album. This has to be the album to play at the end a tough day. With this playing and a glass of good wine, it wouldn't take long to unwind.

Even though I always been a PFM fan, a couple years ago I found Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme, so today my favorites are:

1.- Darwin (Banco)

2.- Felona e Sorona (Le Orme)

3.- Per un Amico (PFM)

Iván

Having now heard four of Deus ex Machina's albums, I would have to say that Equilibrismo da Insofferenza is unequivocably the best.  Unbelievably incredible - though it treads that fine line into prog-jazz (or at least rock-jazz fusion).

And for anyone not familiar with Italian prog, you are missing something not only amazing musically, but extremely important vis-a-vis the history of prog.  Having now listened to a great number of the prog bands representing other-than-english-speaking countries (i.e, not counting England and the U.S.), there is no question in my mind that the Italian prog scene was - and continues to be - the single most important (to say nothing of productive and prolific) European prog.  Indeed, Italy was arguably the third country (after England and the U.S.) to have a thriving, influential prog scene (and it may even have pre-dated the U.S.)

At the very least, you need to hear Museo Rosenbach's "Zarathustra" (one of the earliest, most influential non-England/U.S. prog albums), and any albums by PFM (an early trendsetter in Italian prog), Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Quella Vecchia Locanda, Consorzia Acqua Potabile, Alusa Fallax, and Deus ex Machina (a newer entry, but, as noted, a superb one).

Peace.

HI, THIS IS CESAR INCA.

I've already cast my vote on BMS's 'Darwin!', since they are IMHO the most accomplished and consistent band in the Italian prog scene of all-time. Yet, as I much as I prefer 'Darwin!' over the rest of the other excelent albums listed above... my all-time Italian favourite Italian prog recording is 'Io Sono Nato Libero'. For things like this the term 'top-notch' was invented.

Regards.

I couldn't agree more with maani's comments on Italian prog, and would add some of the other bands mentioned in this thread to his list. The music itself, the musicianship and the range of instruments used by some of the Italian prog bands make the albums a joy to listen to. Most of the albums are timeless; the fact that they are still available 30 years later and appreciated so enthusiastically says a lot.

Fitzcarraldo wrote: Hammar, Sorry you don't appear to like Locanda Delle Fate; "one man's meat is another man's poison", as they say. Although I like Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più very much indeed, I can understand perfectly why some people find it just too 'rich', soppy, cheesy or whatever. Someone I played it to the other day described it as "OK, but it sounds like elevator prog rock"!  We had a laugh and agreed to differ. [Edit: Just realised on rereading your post that perhaps I misunderstood you and you were disappointed LDF were not included. If so, even better!]

Yep, I miss it on the list, but maybe they are, as you indicated, too soft...

Alexander wrote: lucas wrote: Alexander wrote: My favorite is Area's Arbeit Mach Feri. Arbeit macht frei  (i. e. 'work makes you free' in german, unfortunately this slogan is quoted from the nazis ) Exactly...(Thanks for the correction by the way)

sounded more itallian that way

Radioactive Toy wrote: My favorite is Area's Arbeit Mach Feri.

Arbeit macht frei  

[/QUOTE]

sounded more itallian that way

[/QUOTE]

 !!!!

1-pfm - photos of ghost

2-banco - 1975

3-rdm - contamination

4- il volo essere o non essere

Non of the mentioned albums are among my most favorite.

I would choose by one of these three:

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO (1972)

Premiata Forneria Marconi L'ISOLA DI NIENTE (1974)

Lucio Battisti ANIMA LATINA (1974)

Has anyone ever listened some of them?