(Being a pup to this site, I had this post elsewhere... in the wrong place. Permit me to begin anew...)
Hello all,
I'm amazed and saddened how, in the field of Rock Progressivo Italiano, there are so many great bands that were short lived. I'd like to get people's opinions on the greatest Italian Prog groups that were one-offs, i.e. they made one studio album in the 70's and that was it. You could just list the bands, or, better yet, give the album(s) and your reasons for adoring it (them).
I struggle with the idea of making it a "top (pick a #)". I guess we could say top 3, but feel free to branch out.
BTW, I think for the sake of this list groups like Museo Rosenbach and Locanda Delle Fate should count; let's include their seminal effort if a band ended up making another record, but so much later (and, as is often the case, of such lower quality) that perhaps we can discount it for these purposes. A band like Balletto di Bronzo can I think be included; before "Ys" was an album by a quite different band.
I'll start (there's an entirely different set of 3 I could put in (including the great Ys!), but I'll hold it until later; why should I take all the fun):
Reale Accademia di Musica - Reale Accademia di Musica
This album fascinates me. There may be better records, it's not particularly challenging, but I love it for the way each song builds upon the last, until you reach the wonder of 'Lavoro in citta', only to be topped by the inexpressible grandeur and downright Rock of 'Vertigine'; they truly earn that last number.
Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra
The title track album side is an amazing epic tour de force. But unlike with Tarkus, side two does not disappoint. 'Della Natura' includes some of the best composition I've heard in rock; truncation of the chord progression the second time through on the vocals pleases me every time. Great album through and through!
Maxophone - Maxophone (Italian version)
I'm not a huge fan of jazz per se, and there is that influence here. But I kept realizing that, when I got a hold of a number of Italian Prog albums and listened to them over time, and songs by different bands began to blend together in my head to where I'd lose track of who did what, this would inevitably be the album that I'd cycle back to and find myself saying, "wow, so that's the song that had that section in it!" From the opening piano arpeggios (a first-inversion C# soon overlaid by a second-inversion D minor) to the gospel strains at the close of 'Antiche Conclusioni Negre', the album bubbles with precision and musical wit, great composition. It may however be too anthemic at times for some, but I can forgive this myself. Oh, and my rating is predicated on ignoring the bonus tracks on the CD; they add nothing, they even detract.
OK, I'm getting long winded, and I'm really trying to get us all talking and learn what the rest of you think. I could certainly review other acts, but I'll hold off and not spoil anyone else's fun!
One last thing. My knowledge of the Italian language is pretty much limited to the words found in music notation. If your opinion is based in lyrical understanding please say so, and school the rest of us!
Regards,
AmK
|