DIK DIK- I GIGANTI: DUE GRUPPI UN'EPOCA

When in Italy we mention I Dik Dik and I Giganti we mention two of the most famous and important Beat bands of the 60's. What is forgotten (mostly because of the music critics) is the fact that in the 70's both these bands produced albums of true Progressive Rock. And it is not considered, in the case of I Dik Dik that with the cover of "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Procol Harum, re-titled (and sung in Italian with the title "Senza Luce" in 1967) was the first true expression of Progressive Rock in Italy. Generalizing the style of I Dik Dik is similar to that of Procol Harum or The Moody Blues, although remaining more POP and with a non-Progressive Rock approach (but, on closer inspection, Progressive Rock is always, at the end of the analysis). As for I Giganti... Aside from the album "Terra in bocca" (an awkward concept album in terms of theme and, for this reason, rejected by critics and audiences) we can't talk about Progressives but only about good (or honest?) Beat Rock (or POP, to put it as it is used today).

This compilation is very interesting, therefore, as far as the I Dik Dik section is concerned, because if you like Procol Harum, you will find good music (even if limited to "Il Primo Giorno Di Primavera", "Senza Luce", "ll Vento" and "Vendo Casa"). I Giganti section does not feature anything Progressive, although the music is interesting (Like Beat Rock).

In conclusion, I don't recommend this compilation to anyone looking to discover the origins of Italian Progressive Rock. Rather make yours the first 2 albums of Le Orme, the first two albums of New Trolls or one of the many compilations of I Dik Dik (where, however, you find a lot of Beat and Progressive in a slightly misleading mix).