APPUNTI PER UN IDEA FISSA

From Treviso hailed this Italian band, actually started as a project by singer Bruno Canzian on the legendary Bla Bla label in 1970.A first single was recorded in 1971 with English lyrics and Canzian supported by studio musicians, promoted as a foreign group, while a second one followed the same year, recorded in London with the members of the band Stone the Crows.Both were in a commercial rock vein.1972 sees the release of Capsicum Red's sole full-length LP ''Appunti per un'idea fissa'', eventually as a regular band with Mauro Bolzan on keyboards, Paolo Steffan on bass/piano and Roberto Balocco on drums with Canzan handling the vocals and guitars.

By 1972 the style of the band had changed dramatically, incorporating elements from the emerging Progressive Rock wave and the album is highlighted by the 15-min. eponymous epic of side A.The track is very much structured as a Classical suite for rock instrumentation, drawing influences from early GENESIS and ELP, but lacking the passion and consistent composing of the English masters.Nice organ parts with a Classical edge, even nicer electric guitar chops, piano interludes and calm acoustic atmospheres complete a track of decent quality.The flipside contains four more tracks but the gears here are really down with structures being built almost entirely around Bolzan's organ and Steffan's piano with a very soft atmosphere, which lacks any kind of energy.The closing ''Corale'' contains some beautiful electric guitar parts and dominant organ, much in the likes of the opening suite.

Capsicum Red's career was condemned to end by this point with Canzian joining Osage Tribe for a while and I Pooh shortly after.The Vinyl Magic CD reissue features also all four tracks from the band's singles, yet their value is really poor, being in a straightforward rock style with mediocre songwriting.

Not among the better examples of early Italian Prog.A bit dated, a bit uneven and certainly inconsistent, still the sidelong suite will please fans of Italian Prog and light Classical Progressive Rock...2.5 stars.