^ One of my least favourite PFM albums. Don't like its modern electronic stuff.

Finny, Coral Caves Mitopoesi I've heard again and again, and I think this is MY masterpiece.

Finnforest wrote: YEAH!!   I love this album!  Good going, Todd.   Storie Di Uomini E Non by ROCKY'S FILJ (Italian Symphonic Prog) Review Todd The epitome of an obscure gem! I love this album. Over the last year I've purchased over 200 RPI CDs, as I've been absolutely enchanted by this stunning genre. Nearly all of them are good, many of them are great, and a few, like this one, just hit me like a ton of bricks. It's not as symphonic as many of the classic bands and yet doesn't venture as far as Area does into Jazz (there is no free form soloing--it's crazy, no doubt, but all within a well-defined and very enjoyable structure). I love the description on the band bio (and also included in Finnforest's review) regarding the sax and guitar doubling themes. I would add that there is great interplay between sax, guitar, bass, and sometimes flute. Often the doubling changes into harmonizing, sometimes as thirds or just complementary sounds. Many times the themes are taken up by the other instruments, helping the different sections flow nicely, even though there is at times great variation in tempo and feel. Note that there are no keyboards. But the use of the sax is so imaginative that I had to double back and listen to a section of Martino again (about 2.5 minutes in) because I swear there was mellotron. But no--it's saxophone! I actually love the use of the sax and flute here--they provide great coloring and depth. The moods can sometimes vary within songs, especially Io Robot. The mood also varies between songs (the energetic L'Ultima Spiaggia, then the more atmospheric Il Soldato, then the fiery E). The sparse vocals are good and certainly don't detract from the fabulous music. I refer you to Finnforest's excellent review for historical notes about the band and his always enjoyable comments. My own take is that this album is one of the best of the RPI subgenre, and the RPI subgenre is essential to a prog library. Hence the 5 star rating. You can't go wrong with this one!

Thanks Mandy.

This is my last review that I post in this place for promotion:

Franco Battiato is a genius also in this case:

*have taken the 'admin-less' ability to move posts to where they belong hahha*

Alberto Muñoz wrote: Mandrakeroot wrote: inrainbows wrote: [quote]If you want to start the study of Franco Battiato, genius artist, I recommended this compilation for EMI's Avant Garde POP period and for the 70's 'Gli Anni Settanta'  I would say   "Fetus", "Pollution" and "Sulle corde di Aries", as a start , and Battiatos' highest moments.(IMO)   All true. But it is better to start with a compilation like 'Gli Anno 70' to understand Franco Battiato in the 70's, in my opinion. A direct approach with his 70's albums can be traumatic for many minds. By Franco Battiato is better to go step by step. Then everyone is free to take a personal approach with Franco battiato. But for me what I have described is the best approach.

not sure about you all... but I have a hate/hate relationship with compilations.  Especially with prog...

the compilations are just that... snapshots in time from various times.  What we have on this site is a resource... through reviews.. the simple matter of asking... you can find members here who can tell you about albums or have reviewed them.  Prog is not pop music...  so much of this music works within the context of an album.  ie..  I think it has to be heard as an album to really get the gist of the music. 

specific to Battiato...  a 5 second search and read will tell you that his work spans all kinds of colours and textures.  Yes.. some of them as Mandy says can be a bit hard on the head...  but take something like 'Cafe-Table Musik'...  that precious gem of music would not come across well in ANY kind of complilation.. but if you listen to it in the context of the Battiato album... it really hits the spot. 

just my two cents...  as to where to start with Battiato...  pfff... there is no place proper place to start but the beginning.. to hear how an artist progresses from album to album.  A lesson many artists could learn a lesson from...

Hello, folks.

DE ANDRE, FABRIZIO — Peccati di gioventù
Review by Mandrakeroot (Andrea Salvador)

— First review of this album —

Great compilation by Faber. The songs are good, logically. I must say that I will not dwell much on this CD, because I just want to say that is a great CD with great songs. But I explain something.

First of all: The song themes.

Faber generally speaks of common people, of those people who populate his Genoa or updated themes of history as in 'Carlo Martello (Ritorna Dalla Battaglia Di poitiers)'('Carlo Martello (Back From of Poitiers' Battle)'). When he speaks of his Genoa he speaks of the prostitutes of Old Town, of the sailors,of the poor people and of desperate peoples. The lyrics are often direct, pungent, deliberately at the edge of censorship, so as to reach the minds of the people, without which we can create misunderstandings. He often (too often) is forced to sing even where it should recite, to avoid problems with censorship.

Second point: The music.

Faber plays the classical (or acoustic) guitar. Yet often we find accordion, string instruments, various kinds of brass... All with rhythms of waltz, tango, cha cha cha etc... He uses reflective rhythmic, often sad, resulting in a Folk a la Leonhard Cohen... That is never banal. In this compilation is lacks the Rock, but is present in some songs a kind of swing Rock or Be Bop Rock that of the two musical genres are only the construction of the music but not the rest. The song are simply and direct (as in all moment of his career). the sound is essential because in some moments plays only an instrument (I think at the accordion).

Third point: Evergreen of Italian Music.

Because this compilation is good? Simply because all these songs are evergreen of Italian music. And that says much about their goodness. I will not add anything to what has already been said.

Conclusions:

A perfect compilation of 60's Faber production. But, at the same time, a perfect Faber testament!

BALLETTO DI BRONZO, IL — Ys (original version)
Review by LinusW
Collaborator Italian Symphonic Prog Team

Finally, the mighty Ys stand trial. I expected nothing but the best of the best, and I surely got it in this fantastic album.

Holding a place in many RPI lovers’ hearts, this is an album that still splits its audience in two. It holds a reputation for being rough, uncompromising and aggressive – and while all that is true, it isn’t as frightening as it sounds. It’s mostly in comparison to other symphonic prog bands. However, if you’re in the mood for the twisted side of PFM’s and Le Orme’s sometimes pastoral beauty and “classic” classicism – this is where you line up for the ride.

Few records stun you with unfiltered and raw atmosphere of the kind you’ll encounter here. Every hint of emotion – emitted from all between a fragile and insecure singe note to relentless battles between keys and guitar – radiates from one single topic: death. And you can feel it. Regardless of the shifting musical sceneries you are still left with the mesmerizing mystery that surrounds the topic. It feels cold, barren and lonely at the same time as it’s painfully loaded with intense presence, neurosis and to some extent even fear.

Introduzione’s ethereal beginnings (otherworldly female voices, veiled by what can only be described as impending doom) are transformed into a wonderfully suspended background organ. Bleak funeral beauty with a simple phrase repeated over it again and again, introducing some more timbre breadth and frail beauty coming from one of those lovely keys at disposal here. The exposed voice of Gianni Leone will grab you, and with all the other combined effects, it paralyses you in a compressed, boundary-less void. Perfect control of the emotional impact of music.

After that you could say that the album takes off, that the adventure truly begins. Excellent, surprising and visceral drumming, with a feast for keyboard aficionados. Twitchy organ and synth lines, working together or growing out in different directions, ultimately surrounding you. A bass guitar at work deep down in the mix, brooding and unmistakably out-to-get-you. Sudden bizarre breaks, almost like realisations in a soul-searching journey through time and space – the most remarkable one being the return of the female vocals, this time in a distinctly darker way, spiralling down into a place deep down. My favourite part of the song, a slightly dissonant interplay between chaotic piano, organ and later even a blazing guitar solo comes next. Constantly getting louder, faster and more twisted it eventually returns back to the fleeting bonds to reality with a return of the vocals over some distant Mellotron strings. After some nightmarish Gothic ghost story music (spinet included) and pounding, churning bits of drums bass, downright scary guitar howls and other sort of convulsions…it’s over. The introduction, that is. However, Primo Incontro’s relentless shock effects continue in the vein of the last part of Introduzione, and make sure you understand that meeting this aspect of death isn’t nice at all. It’s first after the big rock ending and the subsequent spinet melody that the first track really ends.

Erratic is one word that could be used to describe Secondo Incontro, with random and fractured pieces of cataclysmic burst of pure rock mentality, with string-laden Mellotron and vocal aesthetically contrasting in the exposed way known from before. One of the high-points of the album waits in the amazing ending; a hard-hitting explosion of menacing flute, off-beat organ (might even be a horribly mistreated Mellotron) and piano over those action-packed drums and the bass. A collage of swirling, untouchable avant-symphonic attitude if there ever was one. Impressive.

Terzo Incontro marks the biggest shift in the sound up until now. With mutant-jazzy walking bass and a refreshingly abused organ suffering along with a more normal sounding one, which makes up for this evident lack of uniqueness (heh) by wandering aimlessly and rather unmelodious instead. Throw in some out-of-place humming zoning in and out for a while and add the angry instrumental punches and noodling background guitar to get the full picture. A commanding organ guides the listener gently over a section of weird synth effects and slightly contemplative (or perhaps just surprisingly rational) vocals and more of the brain-scrambling intensity of Introduzione.

Epilogo. It’s easy to feel that the whole album has been leading up to this. The speedy, rollicking piano/organ and powerful drum salutations oozes of conclusion. But you’ll have to wait for another eleven minutes to finally sit back and catch your breath. After some jumpy, confused instrumental dialogue it’s a dive right into ELP territory, with a great Emersonian keyboard tour de force providing just as much rhythm as melody. A long-winded interlude follows, bringing everything to a halt. Again a sense of suspended animation; repetitive bass line, taking on the characteristics of a ticking clock – time really is running out. Fractured piano trying to fight its way out of the gloom, weak shunning vocals. Psychedelic swirls and whirls shrouds it all in a bigger and bigger mystery as the volume increases, again with a feeling of conclusion. But it settles down again, becoming more and more stripped of any discernible musical life force, leaving room for echoing spaced-out tranquillity – and then, slashing through the apathy – back to a reprise of the tracks beginning, but with a menacing addition to it at the ending, with the now nothing but scary female voices drifting away into silence. They’re twisted, cruel and unavoidable.

Long review, which speaks volumes (ha!) about the album.

5 stars. Masterpiece.

//LinusW

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Edited by Mandrakeroot - January 22 2009 at 12:14