SIEGFRIED, IL DRAGO E ALTRE STORIE

ERRATA CORRIGE's "Siegfried, Il Drago E Altre Storie" is a brilliant work of art and has received many great reviews to which I would like to add my support. ERRATA CORRIGE are a 4-piece quartet who deliver a very symphonic classically influenced progressive rock at times reminding me of LDF and PFM. CORRIGE blend piano, synthesizer, flute and soft organ with floating guitar and bass lines surrounded by intricate percussion. "Siegfried..." never gets too loud staying in control and in fact really explores the soft side of symphonic progressive rock with the odd burst of speed. Vinyl Magic have done a great job in re-recording this lost classic and sound recording is quite good with some real tasty instrumental passages. Vocals are solid and full of multi layering and harmonies creating dream-like atmospheres. The real nice touch is the addition of Cello which provides a real foreboding sound which mixes perfectly with the gentle atmospheres ERRATA CORRIGE create. The Cello (although used sparingly) adds an unfamiliar but pleasant twist to the mid range and will please all prog heads out there. "Siegfreid..." contains some absolutely amazing acoustic guitar and sounds reproduction seems so clear which enhances the warm feeling this album emotes. Vocals are in Italian except for the final track which is sung very well in English and has little accent drag.

A beautiful pastoral work, characterized by a great versatility, within an interesting blend of progressive folk rock, jazz and in some moments such a classical oriented music too... instruments like their analogical synthesizers, piano, cello and moreover some various guitars well supported by the flute, enrich their harmony very well. Their vocal harmonies in Italian are very sweet and rightly complimentary to their music; and moreover, talking about their inspiration concerning the vocals, it doesn't remind me of the folk progressive stuff by groups like GRYPHON but rather the folk material by the ensemble of America or SIMON & GARFUNKEL. Finally a good effort and remarkable album as well, even though it is not a masterpiece!

This record has a pastoral feel, comparable to Trespass by Genesis, though without the soulful vocals by Peter Gabriel: the vocals are just as pastoral as the instrumental music. The music is most of the times more uptempo than Trespass, too. All comparisons aside, this record is one of those records that helps you doze off on a warm, sleepy summer afternoon. No unsettling notes, the music flows like a river. This album is not for the people who prefer music with a " bite". But if your taste allows you to go for a more dreamy experience, than this may be just a record for you. The dragons and Siegfried have fought their battle already. This music is about their siesta. Enjoy!

Here's another fine example of the wonderful Italian progrock from the Seventies. To my pleasant surprise the distinctive string-ensemble has been used very frequently, I love that soaring sound. The six compositions are very melodic and changes from folky and classical to symphonic, very beautiful. At some moments the music reminds me of early Barclay James Harvest because of the lush and compelling keyboards but in general this is original prog featuring lots of mellow shifting moods with strong Italian vocals, flute, piano and cello. This is a bit dreamy album but absolutely not boring! If prefer this one above their later LP "Mappamondo".

One of the fine lesser known Italian albums

In early 1974, the proper line-up of Errata Corrige came to be with the addition of guitarist Mike Abate. After playing live around Torino for a spell they settled into a friend's studio and recorded the material for this album, which had been written and performed by the group for some time. Their intention was to pursue a Genesis-like direction but admit the results didn't turn out like that, their album sounding more like the pastoral Italian albums of Era di Acquario or the second Procession album. By the time the small 500 count pressing hit the streets the band had pretty much split though it would partially reform for work on the '77 album. According to Abate the original line-up would remain friends and get together once a year to jam for fun.

But to write off "Siegfried" as simply one of those soft acoustic albums that can be dismissed is to not give it due credit. While on the mellower side for the most part, the album has depth from its complex arrangements, varied instruments, and good performances. The vocals may not be the band's greatest asset as others have mentioned but they are certainly acceptable. The album builds a luxurious pastoral prog sound through layers of acoustic guitar, flutes, cello, organ, piano, synth, bass, and drums. Vocal harmonies and occasional rocking lead electric guitar add more layers to the cake. The album seems to forge its own blend of rock, jazz, and folk elements for a unique sound. They are very thoughtful at creating perfect atmosphere with little melodic bursts here and there that are just right, there seems to be a great deal of compositional control at play-perhaps the result of working with this material live for a long time. The five-part mini suite has many such moments that make the album irresistible. One such moment is an injected second acoustic part at 5:55 of the suite that is like a ray of sunshine breaking through. I guess the point is that these guys were adherents to the "attention to detail" philosophy. On "Siegfried leggenda" they run the board from achingly beautiful and light to a downright blistering solo at the end. For me the album is nearly a highlight from beginning to end of its short running time. It is not groundbreaking by any means and for that reason perhaps I should round down but I'm too much a sucker for such romantic themes.

Recommended for Italian genre fans and a modest pick to anyone who loves melodic 70s pastoral prog with lots of acoustic guitar and good ambiance. It can safely be avoided by those seeking hard rock however. The Vinyl Magic remaster sounds decent for the period and includes 20 minutes of bonus music and the rare chance to hear them live.although that track has the expected sound quality issues.

Lesser known, doesn´t mean to be less good!

Some people may argue why is there a separate genre for the Italian prog rock (symphonic), an easy answer would be because the RPI movement is unique, and not comparable with any other, so you better go and listen to some of these endless gems, and don't worry about labelling.

Errata Corrige was a band created in the mid seventies and inspired by their countrymates such as PFM or Le Orme, to say just a couple of examples, and created a couple of albums, the first is the one i will review in a few seconds, released in 1976 and their only succesful album, they later released another called Mappamondo which to be honest i haven´t listened to.

My knowledge about this band is actually very limited, but i know they were another oe of those Italian bands that created one great album and later couldn't make it any better, so they disbanded.

Siegfred, Il Drago e Altre Storie saw the light back in 1976 and it is another lost treasure from the Italian prog realm, i actually knew about it recently, and it is just awesome to see that so many great albums exist and we don't know.

The album consists on 6 songs and a total lenght of 38 minutes, the opener is Viaggio di Saggezza, since the very beginning we will notice their tendency to acoustic music, in a symphonic vein but without forgetting their folkish influences, this is a short song where guitars and a beautiful pastoral flute sound mark the road of the song. Del Cavaliere Citadel e del Drago della Foresta di Lucanor is without a doubt the best song of the album, with a start reminding me a bit to QVL, and then it has several changes in the same song which is divided in 5 parts if i'm not mistaken, the vocals are very melodic and pleasant to my ears, as well as the flute sound, this song shows their talent as musicians and of course their creativity, there are some nice keyboards here and there which produce a soft symphonic sound, the different parts of this epic are easily noticeable, as the change is obvious, there are some great strings at the middle of the epic, and the vocals remain clean an beautiful, the ending is very pastoral which sometimes reminds me to some Celeste moments. Siegfried (Leggenda) continues with the same acoustic and pastoral line, the acoustic guitars are often accompanied with a soft and delicate synth background, the song is progressing always, and then it suddenly fades out, but it is just to return with those melodic vocals, guitars and flute, but wait, it finishes with a surprising heavy ending, bellissimo! Siegfried (Mito) features a delicate cello sound along with some nice drumming and a music that is very Italian, i hope you understand what i mean pretty cool song. The next one is Dal Libro di Bordo Dell Adventure another beautiful song with piano, flute and guitars, along with that great voice, which is not superb or something, but it just makes this album better. After 2 minutes the song becomes a bit heavier, we can notice it by the bass sound, but anyway it returns to their soft and delicate sound the last minute is just beautiful instrumental music. The original released album, finishes here, but then in a new eddition the sixth track called Saturday, Il Cavaliere was added, and actually it perfectly fits with the original album, the acoustic guitars are still the leading instrument, but this time the vocals are sung in English, which may be the only weak point of the re-released album, the vocals remind me a bit to PFM´s english works or soft Bornermann´s vocals. After two minutes the song gathers all the instuments and with the drums create a sort of funeral song, and some minutes later changes again, nice closing song.

Well, a worth listening and discovering without a doubt, no weak moments in this album, an example of why the progressive rock from Italy is so much loved in this site. Highly recommended specially if you like RPI, 4 stars.

Errata Corrige is one of those myriad of Italian prog bands that were a one-shoot deal back in the 70s (that is, until a second album was released on CD in the 90s). The style they deliver in the "Siegfried, il Drago et Altre Storie" album gives some notable preference to the pastoral side of the prog genre, not unlike first-album Delirium or first-album Pierrot Lunaire; the symphonic passages are seemingly inspired by "Per un Amico"-era PFM, mixed with the pompous side of "Passio"-era Latte e Miele. Though it would be totally fair to point out that this band doesn't get to match the special magic of the former two bands or the colorfulness of the latter two, it would indeed be fair that Errata Corrige is an important item for true Italian prog collectors. The opener 'Viaggio di Saggezza' is a light-spirited bucolic piece centered about the acoustic guitar strumming and the playful flute lines: a warm entry in this band's offering. The suite 'Del Cavaliere Citadel e del Drago della Foresta di Lucanor' is the album's highlight, with its well suited succession of motifs. The synthesizer layers and controlled solos bear a delicate majesty, which feels quite relevant every time they appear to take center stage. Definitely, Marco Cimino's multi-task duties on cello, flute and keyboards help the band to go beyond the simplistic pastoral drive of the material's compositional basis: the first two instruments are providers of extra textures and relevant ornaments; simultaneously, the keyboards' role is evidently focused on building up a genuine progressive stance. The softer passages in the aforesaid suite bear a pertinent contemplative mood, and ultimately, they feel a bit redundant during the suite's last part. 'Siegfried (Leggenda)' almost sounds like a continuation of the suite's last section. Eventually, the track gets a bit more ceremonious, even flirting with the sort of laid-back spacey atmospheres one has come to expect from 73-75 Pink Floyd and Eloy. The last passages state a brief reprise of the main motif and a short electric coda. This piece really has as much variation to it as the suite, but the development is much less fluid and the arranging process doesn't get as cohesive as it should have. 'Siegfried (Mito)' states a more powerful drive, generally speaking, but again there is the drawback that the band's overall sound is not properly delivered according to the epic undertones that apparently demand a tighter approach. All in all, the Mito is better as a musical piece than the Leggenda. 'Del Libro di Bordo dell "Adventure"' states a more simplistic compositional basis but it evolves quite nicely through calculated arrangements that ultimately lead to a closure with floating piano flourishes. The bonus 'Saturday Il Caviliere' manages to recapture most of the magic that had been portrayed in 'Del Caviliere Citadel' (why is it a bonus track anyway?). There are pompous passages that almost feel sinister, which adds an interesting novelty to the album's overall structure. This bonus really closes up the Errata Corrige experience with gusto. Not being a cornerstone of Italian prog and not even being some sort of minor classic, "Siegfried, il Drago et Altre Storie" has enough artistic value as to be regarded a very good item for any good prog collection.

A very hard to find nowadays LP,''Siegfried, il drago e altre storie'' is the only work by this obscure Italian band,who were formed in 1974 in Turin.Initally ERRATA CORRIGE started as a no-name trio,before becoming a quartet and record two tapes entitled ''Da mago a musicista'' and ''Saturday il cavaliere'' respectively.With the addition of guitarist Mike Abate they named themselves as ERRATA CORRIGE and recorded the presented LP in 1976.

A nice album containing dreamy and pastoral progressive rock surrounded by countless vocal harmonies.Lying somewhere between folk,jazz and classical rock with only a touch of pop,''Siegfried, il drago e altre storie'' is based mainly on the soft acoustic guitar playing,the light flutes presented from time to time and the slightly jazzy yet wonderful rhythm section with a psychedelic edge.Nice electric guitar melodies,sparse cello work and the careful use of piano and synthesizers fill this release with a tremendously unique colour,while additionally the album contains some light yet extremely beautiful instrumental interplays..All of the above elements of the musicianship are covered with superb,dreamy and ethereal vocal lines by almost the whole band,which gives the album an extra point of intensity and atmosphere and sometimes you'll be amazed,realizing that you are focusing more on the vocal arrangements than the musicianship.At the end,all tracks seem like a nice story unfolding through the listening (though I do not understand Italian) and are nicely connected to each other.''Siegfried, il drago e altre storie'' is a very good album indeed and could be appreciated from a simply decent work to a lost gem of the 70's,depending on your tastes...By my side ERRATA CORRIGE's debut is considered as a very nice and forgotten work from the 70's,heading mainly to fans of soft symphonic and folkish progressive rock.

Final rating: 3.5 stars.. ...

With its mellotron washes and frequent acoustic guitar backing, ERRATA CORRIGE's sole 1970s album evokes the classic by CELESTE, but it has a harder edge at times, and also lacks the simple melodic warmth, opting for a more subtle, jazz tinged feel, abetted by swirling flutes and well-placed piano work. Hence comparisons to PFM and other Italian giants are not out of place.

While the album only has one official "suite", even "Siegfried (Leggenda)" moves through a number of short seemingly disjointed phases. I find that these detract somewhat from the experience, resulting in a pleasant but only mildly satisfying album. "Siegfried (Mito)" and the bonus cut "Saturday Il Cavaliere" stand alone better as complete songs, as the variations are more in service of an overarching theme. The latter is actually sung in English and sports a more developed melody not without similarities to a mellow JETHRO TULL. The second bonus is a live version of the same song, of shockingly poor production quality, which is refreshingly spacey on first listen but best skipped afterwards.

With a mildly recommended debut album lacking in true highlights but brimming with potential, Errata Corrige is a group that wasn't given enough time to really make mistakes let alone correct them.