LIVE... SOMEWHERE IN THE SEVENTIES

With this interesting recent live record lovers of italian classic prog scene and aficionados of jazz rock can really satisfy their choosy ears. The cd collects some live performances of the group at the end of the seventies (1979). Venegoni & Co ideally close the Rock Progressivo Italiano era with the tribute live concert in memory of Demetrio Stratos of Area.

Musicians are all capable and dinamic while sound's quality is unespectetly excellent. Yes, this recently re-discovered work really can be considered as a little live gem! One of the few of so high standard.

Venegoni & Co were formed by guitarist Luigi "Gigi" Venegoni after the famous group Arti & Mestieri's split. The musical behaviour and direction of his band is more jazzy oriented than any of classic albums like Tilt or Giro di Valzer per Domani. We have not another Beppe Crovella here. Well, Silvano Borgatta is a fine keyboardist too but his electric piano cannot be compared with that memorable mellotron drenched jazz rock!

By the way, I think this album can surely please many and is a strong evidence of how varied and complex Rock Progressivo Italiano was then but, at the very same time, how much of importance has melodic' structure in the italian way of life!

Nine elegant performances based mainly on a powerful electric guitar fading out sometimes to leave all the other stuff take the scene: bass, drums, percussions and keyboards, sometimes also whistling.

Highly recommended.

Extreme good live, recorded in 1977 (if not remember badly). In this live the Jazz Rock of Venegoni & Co. are all in its fashion and feelings. Aren't because the songs are simply but extreme good that in my opinion this is a good live. But because this live is a great party. From musicians to public. I don't have particular love song but in my opinion the two "Mezzogiorno", the three "Sarabanda" and Coesione" have a high glamour. In this sense the songs succeed to be very positive. I don't think that Venegoni & Co. are fundamentals. But this live yes.

With this live (published in 2003 but recorded in 1977) RPI is at his last great 70's gems. Certainly if you think that Venegoni & Co. plays JR you are in the road but certainly this band plays also RPI because the arrangements are RPI. Because RPI is in Venegoni & Co. matrix is impossible that an RPI fan do not please Venegoni & Co. that in this 'Live... Somewhere In The Seventies...' plays RPI due to arrangements and spirit. Ok, with Arti+ (E) Mestieri Gigi Venegoni plays a great JR with RPI moments but with his band Gigi plays a great mix between JR and RPI, quite biased towards the RPI to please fans of the RPI more that Arti+ (E) Mestieri. In my opinion, Therefore, venegoni & Co. are more a RPI band that a JR band, also if Arti+ (E) Mestieri are more considered RPI for the masses.

More that technical in the musical explosion of this 'Live... Somewhere In The Seventies...' is the feeling that explode. Not for this fact the technique is absent. Only that the technique not transpires, as if what is desired. In other words Venegoni & Co. are pure stage animals. And this is the winning element of this CD.

It is strange to not see in this live the pure fire of technique, at the same time, because the good plays is evident. In my opinion this is the second plan of the victory of this album. Great is the naturality of power in this album with so technical songs. Probably is the fact that the tranformation of different superstructures of the songs into something playable on stage has an enormous weight. And this is a great merit. So is impossible to speak song for song in this album, proper because the mind is focused more in the power of the song that in the technique.

In conclusion... With my love for this CD I think that if you love (or simply please) RPI this is another pure gem for you.