MAXOPHONE

The opener "Un ciclone sul Pacifico" (A typhoon on the Pacific) starts by a classical inspired first part, decadent and melodic, where an emotional typhoon begins to build up from a sea of dissatisfaction and disenchantment. Then words turn into water and wind, the rhythm rises and the music becomes more complex and frenzied. When the rage storms out, nobody can say what's true any more, nobody can say what can break the wall... Nonetheless, those raging, forbidden words are the words of the future!

Next comes "Perdo il colore blu" (I'm loosing the blue colour) that every now and again reminds me of PFM. It begins with a frenzied rhythm and describes the feelings of a man who dives into a busy life as an antidote to the poisonous consequences of a broken relationship, a man who works to forget...

"Il passo delle ore" (The pace of hours) is a melodic piece that underlines the importance of finding the right partner to share your time and your decisions. Those who have the bad chance to be lonely like stones are condemned to climb an endless stairway to the moon...

Then it's the turn of "La fabbrica delle nuvole" (The factory of the clouds), a magnificent instrumental track that starts with the pace of a gentle giant in a glass house. Try to imagine a factory producing dreams and expectations through words and notes and listen to the sound of its cogs and wheels...

"La luna e la lepre" (The moon and the hare) is a beautiful track with a medieval atmosphere and excellent harmony vocals. It tells the story of a hare that was charged by the moon to bring a message to humanity... Unfortunately, the hare forgot the words of the moon and delivered a wrong message provoking sadness, shadows and ice...

The bitter-sweet "Estate '41" (Summer '41) evokes the image of two lives on the border. Dreams falls down and a magma of memories throws stones into a fragile heart... And yet, there's still time to listen to strange sounds, the beating of the drums seems like the voice of screaming giants. The war is raging outside, it's a difficult time for two lovers but their kisses are able sweep off all the words and the sense of distress...

The following "Nel fiume dei giorni i tuoi capelli" (In the river of days your hair) opens softly. It's as if the arms of a clock would start to go back in time seeking for the memories of lost summer days, as in a hypnotic trance. Then the music becomes bolder and Gentle Giant could come to mind again while the notes begin to play hide and seek over a sea of a thousand words...

"Il matto e l'aquilone" (The madman and the kite) starts by a classical guitar intro, then the music goes through many changes in mood and rhythm while the lyrics conjure up the image of a madman in love who lives inside his desires and dreams to take off like a kite in the midst of a thousand colours and powerful sounds of thunders and bells. For him, life is just a flight beyond the sun, in total freedom...

The closer "Le parole che non vi ho detto" (The words I haven't told you) is a melancholic song led by piano and violin where regrets pour down like rain on a man who's thinking of the words he would say to his parents if he could meet them again...

On the whole, an excellent blend of poetry and challenging music and a great album that grows spin after spin.

The voice is soothing and fits greatly for an Italian Prog band sung in Italian. Italian prog puts strong emphasis on keyboards and also here we have multiple instrumentalists capable to playing some "key" instruments, which results in keyboard layers and fine sound. Highly recommended as it stands on its own in the vast RPI set of albums.

Opener C'e Un Paese Al Mondo is a good impression of what they are up to-dense arrangements that echo Genesis. circa 73, with their distinctive touch. Second song, the instrumental Fase, guitarist Roberto Giuliani lays down a very convincing and convoluted Steve Howe run, but the song quickly veers into horn dominated Crimson stylings. (the highly inventive band can veer from section to section very quickly). Vibraphone, a rarely heard instrument in prog, is used to great effect here. Third song Al Mancato Compleanno Di Una Farfalla starts with a classical guitar and flute figure straight off early PFM repertoire.

Side two begins with Mercanti Di Pazzie, a hint of early Starcastle, and they quickly take it to another level. Second song Mercanti di Pazzie begins with harp (it also credits a HIndemith sonata as the source). Vibraphone helps creates a baroque Genesis flavor. It is one of the few placid moments on the album. Final song Antiche Conclusioni Negre is a nine minute tour de force, combining Yes styled runs with French horn and sax before calming to a piano and vocal interlude. Fans of Chocolate Kings might begin to notice some similarities to that PFM album here. The song and album finishes with a wistful sing along of all the members accompanied by only the organ. Great stuff from opening notes to final fade out, with no bad moments at all in the whole experience.

Two bonus tracks are listed on the inner gatefold of the reissue vinyl lp, but sadly they aren't included.

If there are any weaknesses to this record, perhaps it is the vocals, but that would be looking really hard to find something to complain about. The band is so versatile in so many ways-able to seamlessly slip from ELP to Yes to Genesis to Crimson to jazz to PFM in a single song, and still somehow make it their own. An astonishingly high level of musicianship is on display. Fans of UK prog with not much RPI in their collections would do well to check this album out., as they do lean somewhat towards the traditional English stylings. RPI fans though? You'll find plenty of Italian flavour in here. Absolutely essential for Italian prog fans, and highly recommended for UK symphonic prog fans. And if you can find the English version? A great intro to RPI for beginners.

4.75 stars

Despite fitting snugly into the Italian symphonic prog tag that found the usual elements of symphonic prog, classical, operatic vocals and off-kilter time signatures with rock elements, MAXOPHONE went above and beyond the call of duty in creating one of the most diverse albums of the entire 70s Italian scene and although it didn't get their just dessert in the initial four year run that lasted from 1973-77, the musicians on board proved that they were in it for the art and not the fame and fortune (you know how profitable prog is!). The band which consisted of six members (and a fair number of sessions musicians) took many years to craft their one and only album which was the alchemic amalgamation of two different pools of musical experience brought together and teased out into a perfect balance of talent by outstanding multi-instrumentalists.

The band consisted of Sergio Lattuada (keyboards), Roberto Giuliani (guitar, piano), Leonardo Schiavone (clarinet), flute and saxophones), Maurizio Bianchini (vibraphone, horn and trombone), Alberto Ravasini (bass, acoustic guitar and flute) and Sandro Lorenzetti (drums), plus some guests on the harp, violin, cello and double bass. Half of the members were graduates of classical training whereas the others were heavily experienced in various rock bands. The result was an interesting blend of all the experience of the members involved and the band took years to craft their modernly deemed magnum opus into a true musical gem. While MAXOPHONE pumped out a mere six tracks on their sole album of the era, the running time goes for the gusto and tackles not only the usual fusion of classical and rock but also has a stealthy supply of jazz, folk, Neopolitan traditional music along with avant-garde touches.

Like almost all of Italian prog of the era, MAXOPHONE began their journey with strong melodic developments but once established, deviated into some of the most complex journeys within the history of Italian prog with off-kilter time signatures, unexpected dynamic shifts, dense atmospheric drifting and an uncanny attention to detail which allowed the band to effortlessly shift gears from soft pastoral moods to heavy guitar or keyboard dominated frenetic attacks. The various musical textures delivered is uncanny and MAXOPHONE was one of the rare bands within the whole Italian prog scene to add clarinet, vibraphone and harp. Having hit the tail end of the whole scene and attempting to copy the marketing skills of other bands like PFM, this album was released with both Italian lyrics (1975) and then in English the following year (1976). Italian experiencing this in English.

MAXOPHONE, despite their best efforts, was doomed in their initial run. The prog scene was winding down and the bigwigs of the day already had the gaze of those who were paying attention. The label Produttori Associati was not accustomed to signing prog acts but rather focused on soundtracks and jazz. MAXOPHONE probably slipped through the label's cracks due to the fact that they implemented more jazz elements than the ordinary symphonic prog act not only in the sultry sax solos that occur sporadically but also in the rather unorthodox jazzy compositional constructs that add an extra layer of complexity to the already breathtaking classically driven rock sequences.

Despite this album having been released and utterly ignored, the rediscovery of the prog scene has been quite generous and has ranked this amongst the best of the best. This is definitely one of the more demanding examples of the Italian prog scene. Despite the strong melodic deliveries strewn about, the variations that change frequently dictate a dedication of multiple listens for this to have sink in. While usually i require a mere single listen to the max five for an album to sink in, MAXOPHONE's eponymous album has taken well over ten. While at first i was unfazed, after many, many listens this has at long last revealed its secrets as if i've broken the code that allows premium access into the world that was constructed so many decades ago. In that regard MAXOPHONE is a real trip. There are many segments of this album that are instantly addictive but the whole enchilada doesn't necessarily gel until it's penetrated on a deeper level, however after the album has sunk in, it's undoubtedly the case that this is indeed one of the highlights of the entire Italian prog scene with a magnanimity that has rarely been matched.

Never boring, Maxophone's one-and-only 70s album stands as one of the classics of the era, shifting between sonic timbres and moods. Although released in 1975, its sound is more like 1971. The drum, electric guitar, and organ sounds in particular avoid the more slick recording quality that dominated the UK and US rock scenes in the mid-to-late 70s. The guitars can sound quite harsh at times, actually, which is somewhat refreshing, and contrast nicely with the sometimes very sweet Italian singing (I have the Italian language version, which I much prefer). The album begins with some amazing piano playing before shifting into one of the better tracks on the album ("C'è Un Paese Al Mondo"). The second track breaks with this sound, instead building around an electric guitar riff (ala 'In-a-gadda-da-vida'). This is to my ears the weakest track on the album, but I still listen to it. The third track is very mixed, moving between styles, including hints of Canterbury-esque time signatures, medieval flute passages, and quirky horn parts. My favourite track is the fourth track ("Elzeviro"), very musical, with an electric mix of styles (from beautiful flute soloing, to sweet Italian singing, to harsh moody guitar). The fifth track is an eclectic mix of harmony vocals, slowish classical music, and a touch of cheese, but with some very interesting and musical chord changes in places. The closing track brings back the horns, mixing more of a rock feel, a great sax solo (and even a synthesizer) and some really interesting changes and quasi-sentimental singing. The song/album closes with a mass- like organ and choir soul ending. While not my favourite RPI album, I still put this on every once in a while. Even the parts that aren't so musical are easy to take, as no section lasts very long, and there are a lot of nice cool sections that follow. I give this 8.1 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to four PA stars.

"Un Ciclone Sul Pacifico" opens with a violin melody before it kicks into a real good groove. Man I like this part. Piano joins in then vocals. A catchy chorus follows then a guitar solo. Violin only like the intro after 2 minutes then it builds with keys and more. The vocals sound different after 3 minutes and we get a heavier sound.

"Perdo Il Colore Blu" starts with the drums and guitar standing out as keys and bass join in. A good driving sound here before it settles back with vocals. Contrasts continue. Piano only before 1 1/2 minutes as processed vocals join in. Not a fan of this. The heaviness comes and goes. A prolonged instrumental follows including some excellent guitar.

"Il Passo Delle Ore" is my favourite because it has such a classic RPI flavour to it. Great sounding vocals here and one of the rare times I feel emotion from the music, especially on the chorus.

"La Fabbrica Delle Nuvole" sounds so interesting with the percussion and sounds that come and go before some organ arrives. It turns heavy with GARDEN WALL-like guitars which I'm not into. The drumming is killer then after 2 minutes it changes and soon it's piano only before drums and more join in. An instrumental GENTLE GIANT vibe before 2 1/2 minutes. Synths lead later on trading off with the guitar. The bass and drums shine on this one.

"La Luna E La Lepre" is the other song I really like. Intricate guitar and percussion early on. Vocals just before a minute with strummed guitar. Love his singing here. Bass and organ join in as well. Nice guitar solo then back to that earlier sound. Great sound after 3 1/2 minutes as the vocals return. A feel good vibe with that guitar after 4 minutes.

"Estate '41" sounds different to begin with then these emotional vocals arrive before 1 1/2 minutes. Lots of intricate sounds. I like the atmosphere late to end it with violin.

"Nel Fiume Del Giorni I Tuo Capelli" sounds really good until the tempo picks up and this modern feel arrives. Suddenly before 2 minutes we get a GENTLE GIANT section both vocally and instrumentally. You should hear this! GENTLE GIANT all the way, a nice tribute then the guitars turn heavy which seems out of place. Back to the GG vibe as contrasts continue. Piano and violin ends it.

"Il Matto E L'Aquilone" opens with picked guitar then violin before a minute along with bass as relaxed vocals join in. Thankfully it changes after 2 1/2 minutes to a more uptempo and heavier sound that I actually like. Organ, drums and guitar stand out here. A calm after 4 minutes then it kicks in again. "Le Parole Che Non Vi Ho Detto" ends it and it's a short 2 1/2 minute track. Vocals, violin and more in this mellow closer.

Lots to like here but there's lots of sections that I don't like as well. A mixed bag you could say but I'm glad I got to spend some time with it. I'll stick with their classic seventies album in the future though.

Unpredictable and cool rocker `Un Ciclone sul Pacifico' opens the LP around teases of orchestration and cool slinking grooves from electric piano, with heavier punchy bursts kicking in and out around slick backing harmonies, and Alberto Ravasini's voice has remained in fine raspy and charismatic form (with all the vocals performed in Italian, no two versions including English offered this time around, thank you very much!). `Perdo il Colore Blu' is book-ended with twisting/turning up-tempo sprints, and there's a light jazziness to the Hammond organ and cheerful swagger of the piece with brief rollicking PFM-like trilling synth runs, and `Il Passo delle Ore', one of the loveliest tunes of the album, is a gentler romantic moment with a catchy clever chorus, soft violin and crisp electric guitar themes.

The title track `La Fabbrica delle Nuvole' is the first big `wow' moment of the disc, a fully-instrumental crossover of whimsical keyboard prettiness, light jazz-fusion guitar grooves and colourful symphonic themes (Marco Croci's slinking thick bass is a real highlight here too) all in under six minutes, and in parts it doesn't sound unlike Italian discs of the last few years like Progenesi's `Ulisse l'Alfiere Nero', Moogg's `Italian Luxury Style' or the last F.E.M album `Sulla Bolla di Sapone'. Folk aromas permeate intricate rocker `La Luna e la Lepre' with a dancing Baroque fanciness of madrigal-flavoured Gryphon and Gentle Giant-like sophistication and whimsy, plenty of ravishing acoustic guitars and intricate multi-part group harmonies, and dreamy synths, silken acoustic guitars and ruminative sax throughout the tasteful and classy `Estate '41' could almost have hailed from a Steve Hackett solo disc.

`Nel Fiume dei Giorni i Tuoi Capelli' is busily schizophrenic for a track that doesn't even run four minutes, bouncing through everything from dream-like careful soft rock with elegant violin and sparkling electric piano tiptoes to delicate folk and frantic contorting guitar races, ultimately sounding closer to something like the modern version of Swedish symphonic proggers Kaipa. Those baroque and chamber prog flavours pop up again throughout `Il Matto e l'Aquilone' thanks to warm folk-flecked acoustic guitars and prancing violin whilst alternating back and forth with snappy jazz-fusion turns and infectious keyboard-driven symphonic prog sprints, and `Le Parole Che non vi Ho Detto' is a short and giddy violin/piano closer.

While it can't possibly live up to the status that the popular 1975 debut enjoys, `La Fabbrica delle Nuvole's strength lies in the fact that it's a real grower that impresses more and more with every listen. It's an eclectic, colourful and tastefully performed comeback with plenty to recommend about it, and another example that no country delivers better and more rewarding modern prog albums from older acts than Italy. Lovers of Maxophone and Italian prog fans in general should end up having a terrific time with this unexpectedly vital, highly surprising and greatly inspired work.

Four stars.