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Finnforest View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2011 at 18:15
Thank you Guld, I really appreciate that.  At the end of the day, I just hope to help turn a few people on to this scene.  I've lost interest in the arguments about the sub-genre's validity, people can dispute it and it's their opinion, fine.  They're entitled.  I'll just keep documenting what I experience with the unique music that is RPI, and hope that we make some converts as they hear band after band...Smile.  In my view not only is the sub valid, it is one of the most exciting and inspiring collections of music I've experienced.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2011 at 18:24
Originally posted by 1967/ 1976 1967/ 1976 wrote:

I have bought this album:
Good album, if Capricorn College or Gianni D'Errico please you.

I enjoy the album as well--although not as much as Sacrificio.  And there are a few songs that are certainly proggier than anything Capricorn College did, or most of Gianni D'Errico did (and I like those artists very much).

I'm trying to get hold of Casa Mia, which is mostly pop but has some more interesting songs toward the end.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2011 at 18:25
Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

Thank you Guld, I really appreciate that.  At the end of the day, I just hope to help turn a few people on to this scene.  I've lost interest in the arguments about the sub-genre's validity, people can dispute it and it's their opinion, fine.  They're entitled.  I'll just keep documenting what I experience with the unique music that is RPI, and hope that we make some converts as they hear band after band...Smile.  In my view not only is the sub valid, it is one of the most exciting and inspiring collections of music I've experienced.  

ClapClap

And I agree with Guld.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2011 at 18:29
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Hey there you guys! I was just thinking about getting my hands on the Poa album by Blocco Mentale. I hear it is bordering pop, but then again I really love Battisti´s Anima Latina pop or not - is it anything like it?

Poa is probably in my top 25 RPI albums--I love love love it!!  There are two versions out there.  The Mellow version has two bonus tracks, but the sound quality is inferior.  The Vinyl Magic version has better sound.  Frankly, the bonus tracks aren't worth it, and there is a difference in the sound quality.  So if you can, get the VM version.  But if you can only find the Mellow, don't hesitate.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2011 at 18:34
Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

Thank you Guld, I really appreciate that.  At the end of the day, I just hope to help turn a few people on to this scene.  I've lost interest in the arguments about the sub-genre's validity, people can dispute it and it's their opinion, fine.  They're entitled.  I'll just keep documenting what I experience with the unique music that is RPI, and hope that we make some converts as they hear band after band...Smile.  In my view not only is the sub valid, it is one of the most exciting and inspiring collections of music I've experienced.  



You and me both - genres are faceless. RPI as a tag is also very very wide and you wouldn´t have any sort of clue to what kind of music you´re about to face, if somebody just says it´s RPI. - Pretty long way between PFM and Battiato... 

I have been wondering whether the RPI scene and the Kraut might not share some of the same stepping stones/ foundations to their approach to making music - regarding both the fascism and closed mindedness prevailing in both countries happening just before - inspiring those in music and the cultural frontiers to seek new and altogether different pastures from what came before.    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 27 2011 at 12:38
Originally posted by Todd Todd wrote:

Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Hey there you guys! I was just thinking about getting my hands on the Poa album by Blocco Mentale. I hear it is bordering pop, but then again I really love Battisti´s Anima Latina pop or not - is it anything like it?

Poa is probably in my top 25 RPI albums--I love love love it!!  There are two versions out there.  The Mellow version has two bonus tracks, but the sound quality is inferior.  The Vinyl Magic version has better sound.  Frankly, the bonus tracks aren't worth it, and there is a difference in the sound quality.  So if you can, get the VM version.  But if you can only find the Mellow, don't hesitate.


Damn - looks like one more album I need to buyLOL
Great avatar Todd - I really like that album. It has a distinctive sound with that killer saxophone.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 27 2011 at 19:04
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

Originally posted by Finnforest Finnforest wrote:

Thank you Guld, I really appreciate that.  At the end of the day, I just hope to help turn a few people on to this scene.  I've lost interest in the arguments about the sub-genre's validity, people can dispute it and it's their opinion, fine.  They're entitled.  I'll just keep documenting what I experience with the unique music that is RPI, and hope that we make some converts as they hear band after band...Smile.  In my view not only is the sub valid, it is one of the most exciting and inspiring collections of music I've experienced.  



You and me both - genres are faceless. RPI as a tag is also very very wide and you wouldn´t have any sort of clue to what kind of music you´re about to face, if somebody just says it´s RPI. - Pretty long way between PFM and Battiato... 

I have been wondering whether the RPI scene and the Kraut might not share some of the same stepping stones/ foundations to their approach to making music - regarding both the fascism and closed mindedness prevailing in both countries happening just before - inspiring those in music and the cultural frontiers to seek new and altogether different pastures from what came before.    


I'd guess you are on to something, although I'm no expert whatsoever on the Kraut scene.  Something I need to change someday!Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 27 2011 at 19:04
From the Vault: 
 Il Grande Labirinto by MASCHERA DI CERA, LA album cover Studio Album, 2003

Il Grande Labirinto
La Maschera Di Cera Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by Tarcisio Moura
Prog Reviewer

4 stars After getting to know this outstanding italian group through their latest CD, the brilliant Petale Di Fuoco, I started to look for their previous works to see what they had brought up before that modern masterpiece of prog. Going backwards on a band´s discography can be a frustating efford, since rarely we get the same thing as their latest arrival. Not so much in the case of Il Grande Labirinto (2003), their sophmore release. Surely this is no match for Petale Di Fuoco, but still it is very good.

All the basic elements are here: excellent musicanship, strong songwriting, tasteful arrangements, terrific singer in the person of Alessandro Corvaglia. He is definitly one of Italy´s best nowadays, at least prog wise: he has a fine voice, very good vocal technique and a very convincing and passionate delivering. However, it is also clear that the band was still a bit green and their writing still needed some ajustments. This is far less accessible than their last CD, but among all the tracks you´ll find very good melodies all around, specially on the strong hooks they have. This time the music is heavier, more obscure and less concise. And the King Crimson influences are much more evident too.

It took me much more time to fully enjoy this CD, but in the end I did. Even if all the experimentation and dark/heavy passages were not exactly my cup of tea, they already had developed a very strong sense of melody, their song structures were never lost to pointless jams or boring noodlings. There are a lot of vintage sounding keyboards (most notably the vast use of the mellotron) and also lots of flute. Not much guitar, though. Again the tracklist is very well balanced, with no real highlights, neither any weak stuff. All the songs have good and not so good parts, but mostly they are highly enjoyable.

Rating: something between 3.5 and 4 stars, really. But I´ll round up to four since their stuff is far superior than a lot of is being made today.

Conclusion: A very good CD from this terrific modern italian band.



Edited by Finnforest - March 27 2011 at 19:06
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote seventhsojourn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 28 2011 at 11:26
^ Nice one, Jim. I always enjoy Tarcisio's reviews which have led me to some great discoveries. Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 29 2011 at 20:00
Nice one Chris!  Free legal download everyone, be sure to check it out! 


 La Ballata Del Vecchio Marinaio by UNA VOLTA ERAVAMO IN SETTE album cover Studio Album, 2010

BUY
La Ballata Del Vecchio Marinaio
Una Volta Eravamo In Sette Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by seventhsojourn
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4 stars 'La Ballata del Vecchio Marinaio' is a concept album based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's chilling poem about an ancient mariner condemned to wander the earth and tell his strange tale whenever the impulse seizes him. The vivid imagery of the poem seems to lend itself to musical treatment and has inspired works by Iron Maiden and David Bedford among others. I would urge those who are unfamiliar with the poem to read it, as doing so will hopefully increase the listener's appreciation of the music. As with any concept album, the question for me is how well the idea works with the music. Well let me tell you, these guys pull the concept off big-time and you don't even need to understand Italian to get the gist of things.

The poem is concerned with the violation of nature, in the form of the albatross, and the resulting effects on the ship's crew. There are several important themes underneath the surface of the story but basically the mariner is psychologically shipwrecked after he kills the albatross and has to go through certain ordeals before he can return to society. He undergoes a process of sin and restoration, or a 'psychological crack up and recovery' in the words of Joseph Campbell. The band successfully represents this with changes in tempos and dynamics that reflect the transformation that occurs in the mariner over the course of events.

Supernatural elements play an important role in the poem and the spooky electronics during the opening part of 'Overture' immediately create an otherworldly atmosphere, although there is an apparent contradiction when these effects are replaced by the Eastern- sounding main theme. For a voyage that would probably have started in Bristol the music is strangely exotic, but this only adds to the mysterious atmosphere with the ship heading into the unknown. 'Dadi D'Ossa' (Dice With Bones) also centres on the spirit world as Death and Life-in-Death play their macabre game of chance for the souls of the crew. The album makes fairly sparse use of vocals - the mariner is alone for much of the time and the lack of human voices emphasises the sense of isolation - but this is the only fully instrumental track. It's a skittish piece constructed around several different riffs and syncopated beats as the skeleton and naked lady roll the bones, and there's a neat flute accelerando to finish as 'The souls did from their bodies fly'.

The albatross also represents the spirit world and 'L'Alabatro' is a carefree, dreamy track that reflects the temporary harmony between the spiritual/natural world and the crew of the ship. The albatross is the Hermes guide that leads the ship out of the rime but the mariner kills it on an impulse and the Polar Spirit punishes the whole crew for this misdemeanour. The ship is becalmed in uncharted waters and this is represented by the rather eerie, scant arrangement of 'Silenzio Del Mare' (Silence of the Sea) that centres on a hypnotic tempo of roomy drums and fuzzed-out guitars very much in the vein of Radiohead. The relaxed pace on this suggests the slow passage of time and the weariness of the mariner, and the overall predominance of haunting music is suggestive of the doomed voyage.

Natural retribution is another recurring theme and when the mariner stops the wedding guest he begins by telling him how the ship was hit by a storm as it crossed the equator and was driven southwards into the rime. 'Nella Tempesta' (Into the Storm) starts with some rain effects and a tumult of drums and guitar, before organ and flute roar in to add to the general sense of turmoil. This contrasts with the impressionistic piano of 'E Quanto E'Immenso L'Oceano' (And How Vast the Ocean of Ice) that really captures the essence of the rime. It reflects its cold, desolate and disorienting nature and the intermittent chords seem to represent the 'mast-high' ice floating by the marooned ship. The closing section of this track simultaneously reminds me of Jethro Tull and Latte e Miele; the flute melody is a bit like the former's 'Bouree' while the spoken word vocals remind me of the ritornelli on the latter's 'Passio Secundum Mattheum'.

'La Ballata del Vecchio Marinaio' is a striking example of a successful union between concept and music. It's available as a free download but please guys, bring this out on CD!




Edited by Finnforest - March 29 2011 at 20:00
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Nightfly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 30 2011 at 10:53
^ Great review Chris. Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guldbamsen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 31 2011 at 05:15
That was indeed a great review Clap- it certainly made me appreciate the album more ( a bit rusty in the old Coleridge department these daysEmbarrassed). 
I felt the feel of the sea, the first time I listened to this - which is why this is going with me to the shore today. Going for a walk down by the oceanside to see if I can spot the lights from Sweden. -Thanks for reminding me of this record Chris.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote seventhsojourn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 31 2011 at 14:49
Many thanks guys! Smile And I know I'm labouring the point, but that album really deserves a CD release. If I remember correctly from torodd's interview, the next album is going to feature more electronics... looking forward to that one!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2011 at 08:26
Hi,
 
just received my latest order:
 
Euthymia -  L'ultima illusione (brilliant symphonic with strong female vocals) (thanks again for advice)
Labirinto di specchi - Hanblecheya  (Awesome)
Breznev Fun Club - L'onda vertebrata (really strong avantgarde like Isildur's Bane or La Desooorden)
Garamond - Quant'altro  (amazing RIO/Avant  somewhat like Opus Avantra - Donella del Monaco)
Maschera di cera - Maschera di cera (always forgot to order this, very good)
Nuova Idea - Clowns (no coment needed)
Cervello - Melos (dito)
 
What can I say all of them are brilliant!
 
Lastest two are from latest mini LP Sony/BMG releases. Packing is somewhat disappointing (very thin
cardboard covers, no real booklet, no inner sleeves), but the music really makes up for that (and I were looking for them for quite some time).
 
It is really amazing what fantastic music this country seems to spit out by the minute.
 
And my short list is again growing
 
Catafalchi del cyber
Gran turismo veloce
Le Orme' new one
etc.
 
Think I need a second job....  Smile
 
TheH
 
 
 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2011 at 09:11
Wow TheH, it's really great you are plunging into both old and new.  Both will reward you.  That new Gran Turismo is fantastic.  I'm working on their addition to the site, they will be here, and I think their new album will be one of my very favorite albums of 2011.  Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2011 at 11:53
Finnforest, I' ve been  into classic RPI for ages (now I'm feeling old Smile).
Mostly replacing older LP's for CD's here to save those treasures.
 
Also I think I've got several hundred albums (never counted) from Italy's 70ties,
there still a lot to discover.
 
The new italian Prog scene seems to be somewhat exploding at the moment,
if you look at the quantity of high qualtiy releases.
 
What if heared from Gran Tourismo so far sounded amazing, so it will be sure addition to my collection.
 
Euthymia I think is also still missing here, which is a shame, 'cause they are much more than just good.
 
TheH 
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Finnforest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 02 2011 at 12:31
Euthymia is also approved and will be added very soon!Big smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Todd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 06 2011 at 14:08
Hey, TheH, welcome!  So what are some of your favorites, both old and new?
 
 
Anyone out there know anything about Goad?  Recently heard their album "The Wood" for the first time, pretty interesting stuff.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TheH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 07 2011 at 11:54
Thank you Todd,
 
if it comes to classic RPI the list of my favorites would simply get too long Smile
 
Among many others (this list is also growing) I like these new bands the most at the moment:
 
La Torre del Alchimista
Il Tempio delle Clessidre
Deus Ex Machina
Ianva
DFA
Il Baccio della Medusa
Nichelodeon
Yugen
All of the Zuffanti Bands (this guy is busy)
etc. etc. etc.
(you can add all the new bands from my second last post)
 
The dark Prog approach fom Goad should be appealing to me, but their singers voice always makes me cringe.
He sounds has he has a very servere throat infection, which turned me off from buying one of their albums.
 
TheH
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toroddfuglesteg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 07 2011 at 12:11
Originally posted by Todd Todd wrote:

Hey, TheH, welcome!  So what are some of your favorites, both old and new?
 
 
Anyone out there know anything about Goad?  Recently heard their album "The Wood" for the first time, pretty interesting stuff.


Review and interview is upcoming.

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