All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

A very nice prog pop obscure RPI gem!

There are so many wonderful RPI bands out there, many of which--like this one--were one shot forays in the prog arena. So many Italian artists decided to try prog during the early 1970's, many staying with it and others abandoning the experiment.

This particular band is fairly obscure--the only information I could find comes from italianprog.com. Basically Gigi Pascal (real name Giancarlo D'Auria) was a good pop singer from Naples who was active from the late 1960's. He formed a band he called Pop Compagnia Meccanica, the musicians of which we only know the first names, except the drummer Fulvio Marzocchella, who did some session work later. Pascal then went on without this band to perform more singles, some under different names.

Their only album, Debut, is a very nice, albeit short, example of pop with prog leanings. I was reminded to some degree of Capricorn College, Hunka Munka, and I Dik Dik, though those bands have slightly different emphases and strengths. The common features that I hear are a knack for memorable melodies generally in the garb of straightforward pop (simple chord changes, 4/4 rhythm, etc), with the occasional burst of complexity and variety. The album is short--26 minutes--and consists of 8 songs, many of which flow together nicely. The vocals are good, with some nice harmonies and minimal drama. The music is largely organ-driven, with some very enjoyable interplay between organ and guitar featured in many songs (especially the largely instrumental Fuga en Si Menore and Debut). The solos are not too flashy and don't draw too much attention to themselves, apparently for the good of the overall piece. There are occasional short drum solos as well.

My favorite songs are Ormai, Fuga en Si Menore, and Crescente, all of which flow easily into each other. Fuga's only vocals include some la-la's, with the piece overall being a nice departure from the more straightforward songs. The drums, although still in 4/4, are varied and quite good. There is even a slower section which is played over the sounds of flowing water--very nice!

All in all, this is another in a long line of wonderful RPI bands who show that there is so much depth in Italian progressive rock of the 1970's that even in the third and fourth tier you can find some really good music. Three stars.

Angelo Branduardi, the Lombardy-born 'minstrel' of Italian music, released his fourth album, La pulce d'acqua, when the great tide of Italian prog was already ebbing away. In spite of that, this album is probably one of his most progressive efforts, combining Branduardi's usual blend of folk and medieval influences with more ambitious songwriting and more complex instrumentation. Too often lumped together with the myriad of 'cantautori' that have graced the Italian music scene for the past forty years, Branduardi has always been much more than a simple singer-songwriter - a highly trained musician, with a solid theoretical background (I heard him speak at a conference, and was really impressed by his knowledge), as well as a passionate researcher into the various manifestations of world music. This would be reason enough to have him included in the PA database - as a matter of fact, a lot of his material shares the same sources as the music produced by many renowned British and European folk-rock outfits.

La pulce d'acqua sees Branduardi accompanied by a number of excellent musicians, some playing unusual instruments like the Pan pipes, the bouzouki, and the distinctively-sounding launeddas, the Sardinian bagpipes. This unique instrument, evocative of the Mediterranean island's stark landscape, features prominently in the album's opening track, Ballo in fa diesis minore, inspired by a Baroque dance, where Death speaks and declares itself everyone's lord and master. Il ciliegio is instead based on a famous English folk ballad, The Cherry Tree Carol, also performed by The Pentangle on their Solomon's Seal album (though with a different music - Branduardi's version is definitely more upbeat). The sprightly title-track features a rich orchestral arrangement, as well as the perky sound of the piccolo and other woodwind instruments.

On the whole, the album is consistently well-performed, with all the participating musicians on top form. The majority of the tracks are not particularly experimental, and keep within the song form. However, what I consider to be the highlights of the album are nothing short of stunning. Besides the aforementioned Ballo in fa diesis minore, the haunting ballad La sposa rubata (inspired by an ancient Breton folk song called Satan's Bride, based on the motif of the bride kidnapped by a supernatural being on her wedding day) sees a particularly inspired vocal performance by Branduardi, who also plays the Pan pipes; while album closer La bella dama senza pietà is an authentically progressive offering, dark and sinister with its plodding beat. And no surprise... The song is based on one of the most genuinely disturbing pieces of poetry I know, John Keats' La Belle Dame Sans Merci (of which the song's lyrics are an excellent translation), the story of a knight ensorceled by the titular 'beautiful lady without mercy', and condemned to a lingering life-in-death. The song's haunting beauty is further enhanced by the exotic sound of the sitar, particularly effective in the coda. Branduardi's vocals go from measured, almost whispered, to passionate and emotionally-charged; a grandiose string section completes the picture.

Two extra-musical features of the album also deserve a mention: the beautiful drawings by Mario Convertino (unfortunately, except for the cover, only visible in the vinyl version), and Luisa Zappa Branduardi's wonderful lyrics. Luisa is very gifted with words, and some of her compositions (including the lyrics to this album) have been translated into English by someone well-known to every prog fan, King Crimson and ELP lyricist Pete Sinfield.

This album will definitely appeal to anyone interested in medieval and folk music, even though it is not as dark and experimental as the likes of Comus. Anyway, if you are into Pentangle, Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention, you could do much worse than get to know Angelo Branduardi's fascinating musical world. Probably not easy to get hold of outside Europe (but to be found for very cheap in Italy), La pulce d'acqua makes nevertheless for a very rewarding listen. Four stars from this reviewer.

This album tells the tale of a penguin named Murple... and, not being able to understand Italian, that's all i've been able to gather about the story. Usually i don't mind lyrics in languages i can't comprehend, often i even prefer it... but on this album i can't help but feel i'm missing a big part of the picture.

The music itself is blithely expressive... it carries most of the typical 'RPI' characteristics, but Murple manage to create quite a singular and light-hearted sound. Classically inspired compositions are mixed sporadically with up-tempo Jazz Rock... the musicians are all very good, but there's nothing really mind-blowing here.

There are many great segments within the roughly 35 minute span of this opus... but there are some lesser, forgettable moments as well. The album takes a long time to get going... it's rather slow moving. The intro 'Antartide' is tedious, but the next movement 'Metamorfosi' thankfully picks up the pace with some nice uptempo Jazz-influenced drumming.

The first half of this suite is generally not as good as the second in my opinion. There are too many drawn-out quiet sections for my tastes. I like this band a lot when they let loose, as on the Canterbury-esque 'Murple Rock' section. I wish they would 'rock' a little more often.

The second half begins with a classical piano piece, 'Preludio e scherzo', which is pleasant and well written but doesn't really move me emotionally. What follows are the best moments on the album: 'Tra I Filí' is a beautiful ballad full of wonderful lead guitar hooks, which then leads into a fabulous controlled-chaos Jazz Rock section (drummer Duilio Sorrenti's shining moment).

This album is very short; i don't think there's enough substance to recommend this to anyone other than RPI aficionados. It's good for sure, but not very consistent... and ultimately not essential material. I have a feeling Italian-speaking Prog fans would appreciate this more.

One artist that does not get a lot of discussion in prog circles, even among fans of Italian prog is Naples's own Alan Sorrenti. Sorrenti of course released Aria in 1972 which was a landmark album in Italian prog. In addition to being known for that album he is also known as having left progressive rock behind and having a 'notorious' successful career chasing the almighty Lira, not to mention those of the female persuasion. He turned musically to the most dire and despicable forms of music known to prog fans... disco and music made to make the young ladies swoon. What a waste of musical talent beh. That changeover from the music of Aria to 'Non so che darei' hahaha (check that on youtube and you'll understand) was not an abrupt or immediate one however. After Aria he released two albums that did mark a downward progression away from progressive rock. This, a self titled album from 1974 was his last gasp of the pure progressive air before we got to see him shake his moneymaker to throngs of screaming girls. The inspiration to reviewing this album came from my better half.. who noticed that his subsequent album to this has a higher rating than this album does.. and in the scope of the prog universe, this site,.. there is something very wrong with that. Even if there are no blaring saxophones, tear inducing mellotrons that scream I AM PROG HEAR ME ROAR this album is a very good album with still very strong attachment to progressive rock, also to Neopolitan music which he would also leave far behind starting with his next album.

'Un viso d'inverno' leads off the album. Of course the star of any Sorrenti album is going to be the voice of Sorrenti. I find his voice to be very hypnotic and sensual. If his voice makes ME feel that way, you could imagine the lure ..the temptation to sing to scores of pre-pubescent chicks hahah. The song, the longest on the album at just under 8 minutes is a tranquil exercise in Sorrenti's vocal abilities where he doesn't as much sing as again use his voice as an instrument dancing around the main melody in pleasant journey through the puffy white clouds in our minds. Excellent music again, not for getting revved up for the hot date, but music for rainy Saturdays when you want to be taken away to a better.. more beautiful place than the one we currently have.

'Dicitencello vuje' is next up. The song has a bit of story to it. For non-speakers of Italian the lyrical meaning of the song is lost but is a Neopolitan love song composed in 1930. It has been performed by the greatest of Opera stars in Italy like Enrico Caruso,and Pavarotti. Sorrenti's version of it on this album did not go down well and was not well received. Now from our vantage point as pure listeners who don't see the song as the equivalent of having 'The Star Spangled Banner' covered, thus mangled of course by young punks like Slayer, the song is not going to elicit the same response. What we are though, are prog fans, and I hate to say. As wonderful as Sorrenti's voice is, this song holds as much appeal to prog fans as Willie Nelson performing Jerusalem hahha.

Thankfully the next song up is a more interesting one for us. 'Ma tu mi ascolti' harkens back to the opening song in length, about seven and a half minutes, and in feel as well. A sedate song with a wonderful acoustic guitar melody and the rhythm held with simple percussion and a low in the mix electric bass. Using this sonic canvas Sorrenti takes off for the heavens again with his majestic voice taking the listener who feels as much as listens on another voyage of beauty of sound and inner mental wanderings. Wonderful music again for those rainy Saturday afternoons or a cuddle session with that special lady.

'Sulla cima del Mondo' follows next and is a more layered with synths and a more prominent bass guitar and drums. Here Sorrenti shows great range in vocal delivery shifting from strongly delivered lines to the soft and ethereal to using his voice as an instrument. Some notable yet not particularly wild shifts in tempo give the piece a nice feel with a nice synth and e-guitar section thrown in for good measure. Good song. 'Poco piu piano' is next up on the playlist. The most distinctive feature of this song is the use of violins in it which give the song a real interesting feel with some funky guitar playing. Good song.. but nothing I see the prog fan specifically will find all that interesting.

'Microfoni assassini' starts us down the homestretch of the album. Sorrenti's instrumental voice starts it going over a strong snare drum and piano melody before shifting to lyrical verse. Again.. I can't stress that even though the song may not be progressive as many see progressive that in itself does not mean the music can not be uniformly excellent. There really isn't much here again for the prog fan, but if you are looking for good music. We have another one to satisfy you. The album is brought to a close with a song very.. very close to my heart. 'Incrociando Il Sole'. Raff will hear of this when she reads this for the first time but I always took this album with me when I went to see her in Rome (as I have been saying..this is a great album). I never failed to play this song when I was flying over the Atlantic on my way back home after spending such precious time with her. I coined a term in reference to another album, another artist soon to be added to the site. Sensual Prog. My god... listening to Sorrenti's sensual ethereal voice starting this song for a verse or two is enough to bring tears to my eyes thinking about when I would see her next. If that wasn't bad enough.. after a couple of verses we get a beautiful piano melody which takes us through to the end of the song. I jest not that I remember one time that I hit repeat on this song 11 times in a row. It is memorizing and again.. will take you on a voyage if you let it and get the stick out of your ass that good music has to have thundering charges of rhythm sections, moogs, and Rickenbacker basses.

Rating the album... as pointed out in the first paragraph, I reviewed this for a specific reason. To show the dividing line for this site regarding Sorrenti's work since this site lists all albums by an artist. The ratings can be, and are in this case deceiving. My rating will not change that of course without giving a rating far exceeding what the album deserves, but maybe the review itself will for show that for anyone exploring Sorrenti past Aria. Is the album 100% prog.. no it is not,. It again is a transition album between his first albums and the progressive ABYSS of his next album. It is an album that music fans may well adore as I do. For the site... 3 stars. If you liked Aria, this album may hold some real interest to you. For myself, 4 stars. I love his voice. Not just his voice.. but love what he does with his voice as an instrument which is a common theme in Italian prog. This review is dedicated to Scott who gave me some great advice regarding inspiration and reviewing.

*new Micky review feature alert*

next review..sticking with the RPI/AR mansion 'Naples' reviewing theme here of late.... St. Just-S/T

Michael (aka Micky)