All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

MESSAGGIO 73

Una ragione per vivere

 SAF 044 Giallo Records

 Prog '70

One of many italian groups formed during the seventies that proposed religious-inspired lyrics over a soft rock background, Messaggio 73 have released, with their 1975 LP Una ragione per vivere one of the best examples of this style.

The group was formed near Lecco in 1973, as their name suggests, and had a long activity with their show E la luce fu, that has been performed all over Italy until 1984. The group was led by composer and violinist Giuseppe Mazzoleni (not credited as a group member), who wrote all the music for the LP.

Musically speaking the album contains a mix of soft rock tracks with religious lyrics and some classical inspired instrumental tracks like the opening Concerto pop and a reworking of the Adagio by Albinoni.

COME LE FOGLIE

Raccolta completa

SAF 027 Giallo Records

Prog '70

While most of the musical influences on italian artists during the late 60's and early 70's came from english groups, there were quite a few artists who were strongly attracted by the West Coast sound. 

Come Le Foglie, like later groups such as Stradaperta, Madrugada or Grosso Autunno, were particularly influenced by an US-sounding style based on acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies.
The trio has been formed in Milan around 1968, from the ashes of a rhythm and blues group, Formy Blues Band. Their early repertoire was full of covers by the likes of CSNY and Joni Mitchell, and the band had an intense live activity and a good following in the Milan area.

At the turn of the seventies, the group began creating their own sound, often helped by guest musicians, but still keeping their initial West Coast feeling. Among their helpers were horn players Riccardo Luppi and Renato Rivolta and percussionist Marco De Palma.
They were invited at many important open-air festivals in the North of Italy, and had the chance of supporting some of the top italian and foreign artists of the time, Osanna, PFM, Banco, Franco Battiato, Alan Sorrenti, Curved Air. Of course many record companies were interested in signing them, and they recorded many demo tapes, but unfortunately their uncompromising behaviour caused them to lose any chance of a recording deal.

In the summer of 1972 the band played some concerts in small venues in England, one of the very few italian bands to have such a chance, and could even support Magna Carta and had a broadcast on a local radio.

The band split in the mid 70's, sadly nothing has survived of all those studio recordings that never found their way to an LP. 
A CD, including good quality demo recordings from 1972 has been released some years ago on the Giallo label; it also includes a few live tracks, also from the same year, but having a worse quality, and this record can give you a good idea of what this group sounded like.

Of the band members only Attilio Zanchi has remained in the professional music biz, playing with Yu Kung and Maad and staying in the jazz circuit. 
Long time collaborators Riccardo Luppi and Renato Rivolta (also with Maad) have also had a good career as professional jazz musicians.

5° GRADO MERCALLI

Raccolta completa

SAF 011 Giallo Records

Prog '70

This band from Lombardia has had a long activity starting from 1972 until their split in 1989 and only one of the founding members, drummer Ugo Galliani, has stayed in the group until the end.

Their beginnings were as a cover band, specialized in rock music and with songs by foreign (Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin) and italian bands (New Trolls, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Rovescio della Medaglia). Only with a split in late 1976 and a new line-up since 1977, the group began playing original material..

During its long career, the band never managed to have a recording deal, their only posthumous CD collects tracks from the various line-ups. The most interesting tracks on the 5° Grado Mercalli - Raccolta completa CD are the first five cuts (more than 30 minutes) recorded by the late 70's-early 80's line-up, sung in italian and with some interesting moments, like in the 12-minute long opening Il cieco.
The rest of the compilation is taken by eight english-sung songs, more in a straight hard rock direction, though with a better sound quality.