The Italian Prog Appreciation den |
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Andrea Cortese
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^^^
I have the follow up Fiaba (the vinyl magic edition), Not particoluraly impressive and so I avoided the debut.
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Andrea Cortese
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^^^
I have the follow up Fiaba (the vinyl magic edition), Not particularly impressive and so I avoided the debut.
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
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^^^
I have the follow up Fiaba (the vinyl magic edition), Not particularly impressive and so I avoided the debut.
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
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... what the...?
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Todd
Special Collaborator RPI / Heavy Prog Team Joined: December 19 2007 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 3472 |
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^ You must feel very strongly about that!
I like Frontiera a good bit better than Fiaba. The debut is more guitar oriented with some mellotron. It's much more melodic and better written. I do like Fiaba, but it doesn't grab me like Frontiera. It's a completely different band lineup, and if it weren't for Gianfranco Gaza's vocals (which I personally love!) you'd never think they were the same band.
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
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^ I like them both, quite different of course but I'm hard pushed to pick a favourite.
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Finnforest
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 03 2007 Location: The Heartland Status: Online Points: 16913 |
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I also think they did a wonderful job with the recent re-recorded combination album.
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Andrea Cortese
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Didn't hear that one neither.
But I'm enjoying Ivan Graziani's Ballata a lot...
...thanks to your words I will give another chance to Frontiera... Edited by Andrea Cortese - September 02 2010 at 15:18 |
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Todd
Special Collaborator RPI / Heavy Prog Team Joined: December 19 2007 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 3472 |
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^ Andrea, that sounds intriguing. I'll have to look into it.
Incidentally, "Modra Rijeka" is one of my favorite albums. I have really enjoyed getting into ex-Yugo and Czech Republic bands like Indexi, Korni Grupa, Leb i Sol, Smak, Blue Effect, Progres 2, Synkopy, Bohemia, Ota Petrina . . . I see similarities between these Eastern European bands and many Italian bands from the 1970s. There's a lot of emotion, combination of local elements, strong melodies, mildly complex compositions, raw but excellent musicianship, lack of support/professional production, etc. I also think the Eastern European prog scene is even less well-known than the Italian scene. It seems to me that many if not most RPI fans would really love a lot of these bands. What do you think?
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Andrea Cortese
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^^^
It's a singer-songwriter album, Todd, so not a pure RPI record. All in all very similar sound and atmosphere, though. Sometimes you hear the Orme's baroque and light sound of the late seventies, some other, Osanna or Perigeo.
But all in a pop souce and format (short tracks).
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Andrea Cortese
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If you listen to the great Sta Bi Dao Da Si Na Mom Mjestu, the wonderful 1975's Bijelo Dugme album it's easy to notice that Goran Bregovic stayed in Italy (Neaples) some years before forming the band... the closer seems build up on a neapolitan aria...
Lots of emotion, indeed.
But yugoslavian prog is more jazzy and dry than the italian. Not everybody's cup of tea.
Some bands looked then at the italian musical scene and also came to record (Korny Groupa for instance). Edited by Andrea Cortese - September 02 2010 at 15:37 |
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Todd
Special Collaborator RPI / Heavy Prog Team Joined: December 19 2007 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 3472 |
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^ I really love those singer-songwriter albums, many of which may not be quite prog, as you describe. One of my favorites in that vein is Ciro Dammicco's album "Mittente." So I'd love to investigate Graziani's "Ballatta."
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Andrea Cortese
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sure you'd like.
it's not his most famous album, though. But it has to be the one with stronger RPI appeal. Agnese, Pigro and Lupi are their best selling. I will check them deeper.
Graziani made 10 albums and died at 51. Edited by Andrea Cortese - September 02 2010 at 15:41 |
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Todd
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Well, sometimes that's a plus! Gian Pieretti's album that we just added is probably his least well-known.
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Todd
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Yes, that's true, there is a much stronger overall jazz feel to those bands. Even the more symphonic ones like Synkopy definitely have jazz stylings.
Bijelo Dugme is probably the biggest Yugo band I haven't heard yet.
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Finnforest
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 03 2007 Location: The Heartland Status: Online Points: 16913 |
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Nice job with this one Andrea!
Profondo Rosso O.S.T. Goblin Rock Progressivo Italiano
Review by
andrea
Murders, blood, mystery but also music and humour are some of the ingredients of this extraordinary thriller that tells the story of an English musician, Marcus Daly (interpreted by David Hemmings) who, after he witnessed the murder of a famous psychic, gets involved in the crime investigations teaming up with a female reporter. Actually, the soundtrack was initially commissioned to Italian jazz musician Giorgio Gaslini but he didn't fulfil his task (in that period he was involved in other projects) and the band managed to complete it with excellent results. The music perfectly fits the scenes on the screen adding tension and rhythm to dialogues and images. Both film and score were extremely successful and the name of the band became indelibly associated with this thriller and its strong colours. Both film and album begin with the notes of the dark and hypnotic title track, by far the best known Goblin's piece. The album is completely instrumental but images can be even stronger than words... If you haven't seen the film try to imagine a cradle tumbling down, a rag doll tortured with pins, some strange direful puppets, then marbles, knives and daggers, a single eye watching you... A face reflected in a pool of blood, deep red! "Sometimes what you really see and what you imagine mix up in your memory like a cocktail and you can't distinguish the different flavours anymore...". Next track "Death Dies" is more aggressive and in the film is associated with scenes of murders. Flashing blades and leather gloves in action, stains of blood and gloomy puppets come to mind while music flows nervous and tense... "Mad Puppet" could remind of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and it's a perfect background for the exploration of a villa haunted by ghosts and gloomy souvenirs or for the visit in a desert school in the middle of the night while a psychopathic murderer is lurking... "Wild Session" begins with sound effects and the wind blowing. There is a presence... "I feel like a blade entering in my flesh...". An evil thought is still hanging in the room when rhythm takes off on the notes of a haunting piano pattern... "Deep Shadows" is disquieting and dark. It features peculiar percussive patterns and many changes of rhythm. Stop and listen to, let your imagination drive you through a corridor full of mirrors and strange paintings... Then imagine to climb on the wall of a mysterious house looking for a missing window... It's dark, you risk to fall down, be cautious while moving like a clumsy acrobat, there's a threatening presence observing what you're doing... Last two tracks were composed by Giorgio Gaslini and feature orchestral arrangements. "School At Night" is a nursery rhyme that in the film is linked to the perverted mind of a serial killer. "Gianna" is light and romantic and in the film is associated to the character of female journalist Gianna Brizzi. A good way to conclude a 30 minutes ride on the edge of folly. Goblin's debut album was not only successful but also very influential on the whole Italian music scene... A must for every Italianprog lover! By the way, the re-release on CD features unreleased tracks coming out from the film score and from the sessions... |
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Andrea Cortese
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 05 2005 Status: Offline Points: 4411 |
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^^^
a classic!
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Andrea Cortese
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I agree with andrea speaking of Mike Oldfield's sparse hints (Tubular Bells in particular) in the music of Goblin (Profondo Rosso in particular).
Same thoughts I had.
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Nightfly
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 01 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3659 |
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Vault Pick: One of my own......
Passaggi Filoritmia Rock Progressivo Italiano Review by Nightfly After a gap of nine years, Italian's Filoritmia have got round to releasing their second album Passaggi. Unfortunately I haven't heard their first album so can't make comparisons to musical development etc. However what I can say is I'm very impressed with this Milanese five piece; enough to consider tracking down a copy of their debut. Strong vocals sung in Italian are complimented by very competent musicianship from all players involved and mature songwriting.
From the powerful opening track, Colla e Gesso it would appear we're in for a heavy rock, seventies style album with its powerful guitar riffing, pleasing Hammond organ and solid rhythm section. It doesn't take long however to realise that Filoritmia have more up their sleeves as they move through varying themes while maintaining the overall power of the song. Senza Sale confirms this being a more diverse piece and while it contains a heavier mid section is overall a more reflective track over its eight and half minutes. The instrumental Non E Festa seems to be a nod to fellow countrymen PFM taking its cue from their song E Festa. L'uomo Che Torna is the most diverse track yet as it shifts from delicate light and shade into powerful riffing and an acoustic guitar driven finale overlaid with tastefully melodic soloing, the band proving they have the musical chops to deal with subtle textures as well as the heavier rocking moments. Godo continues the trend of shifting and inventive rhythms and starts as one of the heavier tracks until a piano led section shifts things down a couple of gears before moving into a lengthy guitar solo. Il Sogno Del Fotografo has them in a more playful mood with a lighter feel and complex rhythmic patterns that never sit still. Halfway the mood changes into a piano led section with a darker feel. Questo returns to heavy rock territory and while it's decent enough is not one of the best tracks. They save the longest for last with the ten minute Manifesto. Starting with the heaviest riff on the album it moves into an enthralling guitar dominated instrumental section and after a short return to vocals it's into more dynamic instrumental work. With Passaggi, Filoritmia have come up trumps with a pleasing album of heavy prog, and while they are placed in the RPI genre here on PA, their music transcends such barriers and is likely to have a broader appeal to prog fans who don't usually listen to Italian prog. |
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Finnforest
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 03 2007 Location: The Heartland Status: Online Points: 16913 |
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Nice review Paul, that's one I'd like to hear someday.
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