All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

— First review of this album —

This live album was released in 2003 and I must say I was disappointed. This is due to the fact that they have been used too many adjustments in the studio during the mix. I refer to the applause of the public who look the same as those of many television broadcasts because thunderous applause during the songs come in very specific moments. In fact this is a great live revival of I Dik Dik songs, Lucio Battisti song (I Dik Dik and Formula 3 are two backing band of Lucio Battisti, for I Dik Dik only in studio) with a medley of different songs of the 70's ('Hotel California', 'My Sweet Lord', Whole Lotta Love', 'Another Brick In The Wall' and 'Smike On The Water') which makes it even more interesting.

Yet uil final result... It seems to hear one of those bands (bands) ranging from village to village, discoteque to discoteque to play... But in this case are the Dik Dik that to play, do not forget that.

Musically, it is to say, nothing of new. I Dik Dik remained three musicians (the first core), all singers and guitarists. The other musicians are live sessionman in this case! So even where the songs are pretty Prog... They reduce everything to the POP. But in the medley already mentioned the tension is beautiful and the guitar/ organ duel in 'Smoke On The Water' is really beautiful.

The disappointment must be referring to the fact that I was expecting another album. But I must say that the end is not so bad. And I have to say, 'Long live I Dik Dik'!

Here we have an album by one of Italy's most beloved Pop-groups, New Trolls. This album is actually a compilation of early 7 inch singles, much in the same way as Le Orme's 'L'Aurora Delle Orme' was prepared for the market-place. Not so much Prog-rock, but some well-crafted melodies and Proto-prog ideas abound, as demonstrated in quite a few songs. Opening tune 'Una Miniera' is a well performed and constructed song with a lovely melody and guitarist Nico Di Palo's (or is it Vittorio De Scalzi's ?) distinctive vocals, which shows-off at being a fine 'Hard-Rock' oriented voice. Backed by a somewhat syrupy string arrangement, it's understandable how it became a popular hit in their homeland. 'Cosa Pensiamo Dell'Amore', is firmly in the Psychedelic vein with it's bouncy 10/8 rhythm, cool organ play and blistering guitaring - this is such a great piece of music. 'Lei Mi Diceva' is rocking as anything, energetic rhythms with the fiesty guitar play actually steers this song towards the heavier end of late 60's Pop/Rock. 'Quella Musica' is a melancholic ballad, pleasant, but not really distinguishable from the many other bands churning out songs of this nature, where-ever they were from. 'Corro Da Te' starts off with some fuzzy guitar, and kicks in with an 'underground' sounding rhythm, rumbling bass and startling lead guitar breaks. Another fine track. 'Sensazioni' finishes up the first side with a song that reminds me of 'Gloria', although the mid-section features some shimmering organ and clever multi-part vocalising. 'Una Nuvola Bianca' is a surprisingly dazzling track, alternating between harder sounding verses awash with acid-guitars, to a catchy chorus. The introduction to 'Annalisa' has some strange organ and guitar sounds leading briefly into a heavier section, and simmers down into a fine pop-tune - again it's the organ and guitars providing the interesting musical colour here. 'Un'Ora' is a bit dull, though contains some Spanish guitar touches. 'Io Che Ho Te' is a rather generic late 60's pop song which just passes by. The 'beat' oriented 'Visioni' reminds me of something the Mamas and Pappas came up with in the West-Coast Psychedelic boom. I can't say I'm a big fan of this. 'Davanti Agli Occhi Miei' is up-tempo pop, with a cheerful melody and some tastefully played organ. Overall, from a Progressive viewpoint, this is by no means a guitar or organ driven music, the emphasis is really on the vocals, with the music providing the melody for the vocal lines. Of course, this was common practice for many groups at the time, although in some cases here, New Trolls offers up some inspired moments and creativity, making it a decent purchase, though perhaps for those wishing to trace back their origins.

— First review of this album —

I Pooh debut LP is not a simple Beat/ POP album. Certainly 'Per Quelli Come Noi' is not a Prog album. Then the cover is not related to experimental or psychedelic songs. Yet I find 'Per Quelli Come Noi' a very interesting album for Progsters. In fact is the use of arrangements to make a difference. They are discreet but present and essential. Unfortunately, the production is adequate to Italian 1966 and therefore is very poor (but the Vedette Record budget was high at those years because his had a great catalog).

What can we say about the songs? Except for the cover (also good), the original songs are good (excellent 'Brennero '66', very sad song in the lyrics theme) and can be listed as Proto RPI, also if very forcefully. 'Per Quelli Come Noi' remain a POP album. But also today sound good.

Corte Aulica is an Italian prog band from Brescia that was formed in 2006 on the initiative of drummer, keyboardist and composer Gustavo Pasini (Lithos, Notabene). The line up features Gustavo Pasini (drums, percussion, piano, vocals), Nicola Gasperi (keyboards, backing vocals), Luca Saccenti (guitar) and Emanuele Jaforte (bass) but on the album there’s also the collaboration of Anna Paderni on flute credited as a special guest. Corte Aulica’s debut album “Il temporale e l’arcobaleno” (The Storm And The Rainbow) was released by Mellow Records in 2007 and contains seven instrumental tracks plus two “bonus tracks” sung by Gustavo Pasini.

The main sources of inspiration here come from the “Canterbury scene” (especially Camel) and the Italian prog scene of the Seventies but the band managed to express their own original ideas without being too derivative... The result is excellent and all along the album you can listen to beautiful melodies soaring from complex rhythm patterns. In my opinion are especially good the title track where the “stormy” guitar work and dreamy and colourful piano passages produce a very interesting contrast and “Corte aulica”, complex and melodic in the meantime. Anyway the level of all the tracks is absolutely good and there are no weak moments. The last two tracks are credited as “bonus” ones because they are older compositions by Gustavo Pasini... “The voice whispers looking for a reason / A smile shines new emotions / Without fears you are spellbound / Autumn makes you change your way...”... Gustavo Pasini’s vocals on the bonus tracks are very far from flawless, but according to an interview with the musician these songs were “too personal” to be sung by a another person and the choice to sing them in an “imperfect way” was made to keep all their emotional content.

On the whole “Il temporale a l’arcobaleno” is an excellent work and even if the last two tracks are not flawless, they do not waste the final result.

New Trolls in 1992 participating to 'Festival Di San Remo' with the song 'Quelli Come Noi' and decide to publish an album with any theur POP successes recorded for the occasion with new arrangements (but 'Quella Carezza Della Sera' and 'Aldebaran' come from the original master).

Claudio Baglioni's cover 'Poster' is a good song, with great phatos (ruined with these arrangements) but in every case is one of the best POP song recorded by New Trolls. 'Una Miniera' is an evergreen of New Trolls (as 'Signore, Io Sono Irish' and 'Aldebaran') and good also in this version. 'Signore, Io Sono Irish' (with lyrics by De André and Mannerini and music by De André and G.P. Reverberi) is, of course, impossible to ruin. Unfotunately 'Hey, Lassù' (should be the side B of the single 'Quelli Come Noi') is just disgusting!

If you are not fans of New Trolls, I would say to avoid this album.

— First review of this album —

Italian Prog, the Stones, jazzyfunk, and space excursions? Hmmm.

Libra is another unusual story in a genre filled with such stories. Most bizarre is that they must be the only Italian Prog group to have had a 10-album deal with American label Motown Records. They never did complete that contract and from a prog perspective it is this debut that would be most important. Formed in Rome in 1973 with musicians from Logan Dwight, Reale Accademia, and Buon Vecchio Charlie they had some line-up shuffles before recording this album in the autumn of 1974 in Milan. A very busy 1975 followed. Early in the year the debut album was released followed by a spring tour with Banco. The band rehearsed all summer and spent the fall touring America with the likes of Frank Zappa, Tubes, Chicago and Steppenwolf. They went back to Italy in December and that line-up crumbled but a second and more commercial album would follow in 1976. That album didn’t do much and a third soundtrack album was released before the band completely ceased. Libra’s aspirations of success as a band never were fully realized but guitarist Nicola Di Staso remembers those days fondly, telling Augusto Croce “I have many fond memories of that time, because it was so authentic!! We wanted to conquer the world, at least the musical one, there was so much positive energy in the air, and it seemed to us in Libra that we had touched the sky with a finger, being able to play in the USA!”

You can hear Libra often draw upon the collective experience of the Italian progressive bands of the early ‘70s but by late ’74 they perhaps realized things were going in a more commercial direction. Rather than making one of those crazy avant-garde albums that made the scene great in ’72 and ’73 Libra is taking only a part of that sound and rolling it into a rock album approach. You can hear the influence of American and British mid ‘70s rock here along with some lesser strains of space rock and folk in places. One of the bands I hear visited subtly on the Libra album are The Rolling Stones. While no one sings quite like Sir Mick, you can hear it in the pop sensibilities, in the background female vocals (a la Gimme Shelter) and in the playing. There is a live track on this album that has such a bar room feel that I’d swear I’m listening to The Ronnie Wood Band. Some moments toy with symphonic glories but more often than not it will veer towards fusion or a spacey rock jam. These guys play very well and the fusion flavored sections remind me of the Journey debut I just heard, where Neal Schon is wailing over a driving rhythm section and keys. Libra is to my taste a tale of two sides: Side one is of patchy quality that I would rate about 2-3 stars, but side two is a 4 star beauty. The 16-minute two-part opener “Nato Oggi” will add brisk acoustic guitars and melodic harmonies in and around these jams creating a decent, if somewhat unfocused mini epic. It is both the success and downfall of Libra’s debut; there are nice moments and good variety of sound, but it sometimes feels a bit unfocused, a bit all over the place. The next track is the “live” (some claim it is but audience applause overdubbed) funky jam that brings a Stones side project or Dr. John piano bar jam to mind. The second side of the album changes gears again starting with the short title track, a sentimental, soulful Italian pop-song that tacks on the female backing vocals to an LA session jam ending—it could have been a Steely Dan outtake from “Can’t Buy A Thrill.” I love Dino Cappa’s animated, funky bass popping through here and there--like some Little Feat or Doobie Brother’s jam. The last two long tracks total almost 22 minutes and changes back to a hybrid slurry of funky fusion and occasional space-rock dalliance. There are some really worthwhile moments here with “Pegno D’Amore” really cookin’ while the closer “Inquinamento” features spacey textures, strange bubbling sounds, peaceful mellotrons backing laid back guitar leads that ebb and flow in intensity. I’m almost reminded of the French spacers Carpe Diem on this track and that is surely a good thing. Love this one. It builds beautifully but with restraint and some uplifting melodies as a bonus. The second half of the track has great layered instrumentals where each member can be clearly heard and the delicacies of what they’re playing superb.

If these thoughts seemed to lack coherence I jokingly blame it on Libra who keep you off balance with this hard-to-label, playful garden of ‘70s sounds. It really does have the “positive energy” Di Staso speaks of above. My initial reaction to the album was luke-warm at best but of course Libra has won me over and I end up enjoying this more with each play. This album will not satisfy those looking for classically structured keyboard symphonic prog but it may very much please fans of ‘70s style jazzy rock altered with a playful variety of influences and love for spirited jamming. Our own site Bio describes them as a “unique, personal take on jazz rock, funky grooves, classical instrumental, psychedelic-prog rock and electronic weirdness.” The album is such that I think every person who hears it may have a slightly different take on its overall personality, which when you think about it not such a bad thing. I will understand those who find it a mess as much as those who find it a treasure. A definite “decide for yourself” piece of work but one that very much deserves to be rescued from oblivion and heard by prog fans. The 2003 reissue is a high-quality gatefold mini with thick cardboard and glossy finish, the inside reproducing the album’s photos and lyrics. There is however no secondary CD booklet or bio. Highlights: Side 2 without question—I don’t see how the last two long tracks would fail to please any progger.

Great 2nd work by Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso! Inspired by Charles Darwin, ELP and King Crimson 'Darwin!' is a personal tribute to the work of Charles Darwin.

It is very difficult for me to review this album, so I will be brief. Originally I wanted to compare the original version with the 1991 version. Then I desist because I discovered that I could not understand any of the two versions. But it is true that it is the fault of the original version as too complicated... Because this is a truly unique album. This is due not so much to the point, in itself complicated, but the fact that music is a mix between ELP and King Crimson. When I speak of incomprehensible albums from Italy I make reference to album of this type! And this is true 'Darwin!' is an album dominated by keyboards with rhythmic soli and dominated from the voice of Francesco Di Giacomo. In definitive in 'Darwin!' is absent the melody. And in 'Darwin!' are absent also the emotions!

To describe 'Darwin!' for me is impossible. We must listen to and assimilate. But you can assimilate an album so incomprehensible?

In conclusion I think that 'Darwin!' is a too complex album for my mind. But proper for this fact 'Darwin!' please me!

— First review of this album —

The basis of Italian progressove rock...really? :P

Immediately the songs fades into me from the windblow. From the strong windblow, softer mellotron and softer guitar sound come and bewilder us a bit, perhaps. :) No, not bewildering...whispering vocal and light guitar sound are very comfortable. 60s' psychedelic and avantgarde flavour, fuzzy and lazy keyboard and vocal...in the album we can feel enough well! But trust me we can easily understand their melody and beats...in that period did RPI have such an atomosphere? Each member took lead vocal on each song, that is, there's no lead vocalist in the group. (Oh, sounds like The Beatles' style!) I can't help chucklin' with listening to this work always. Exactly this sound and style would be one of the bases of Italian progressive rock I guess. The 6th track 325 is just like New Trolls in the era of SENZA ORARIO SENZA BANDIERA. Furthermore, the last track I can feel...wow, let's rock and roll! Not progressive!

Only the first track Alpha Rapha Boulevard has great progressive flavour. The other songs have exactly Italian atmosphere but not progressive, I feel. Bluesy and lazy, early 70s' comfort if you love, I should recommend this work RIGOROUSLY. ;)