The Italian Prog Appreciation den

Wow! An original copy of the L'uovo Di Colombo album just went on ebay for £847!

toroddfuglesteg wrote: Nightfly wrote: Wow! An original copy of the L'uovo Di Colombo album just went on ebay for £847! I hope to do a review sometimes next month....

Vault Pick: This is a fantastic album.  Gets less attention than their first three, but in my opinion is of the same quality level.  Beautiful.  Pretty much secures Banco as my favorite of the big 3.

Jim, I'm with you.  That album is in my view as good as the first three, though not as accessible.  In my book, their first four are five star masterpieces.

Guldbamsen wrote: ^^I´ve been looking for that particular album myself Just got into Arti e Mestieri through The Trip. I thought the drummer was excellent, and I am such a sucker for meaty drummers, - and sure thing found out he had gone on to play for a fusion group. Got the one with the ballet shoes, and was totally blown away! Many fusion groups lack melody, but got loads of chops IMO - these guys got both. A jazzy version of PFM? BTW - Chris, I can´t believe you rated my favorite Battiato album 3*. Might have to fix up a doctor´s appointment for you...

seventhsojourn wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: ^^I´ve been looking for that particular album myself Just got into Arti e Mestieri through The Trip. I thought the drummer was excellent, and I am such a sucker for meaty drummers, - and sure thing found out he had gone on to play for a fusion group. Got the one with the ballet shoes, and was totally blown away! Many fusion groups lack melody, but got loads of chops IMO - these guys got both. A jazzy version of PFM? BTW - Chris, I can´t believe you rated my favorite Battiato album 3*. Might have to fix up a doctor´s appointment for you...   Sorry, there's no known cure for my bad taste! Just kidding, I know you're only pulling my chain.  I don't put too much emphasis on ratings these days (I guess you don't either) and I'd actually be happy to post reviews without ratings. I only gave the Cervello album 3* as well, and the L'Uovo di Colombo a mere 2*.

Guldbamsen wrote: seventhsojourn wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: ^^I´ve been looking for that particular album myself Just got into Arti e Mestieri through The Trip. I thought the drummer was excellent, and I am such a sucker for meaty drummers, - and sure thing found out he had gone on to play for a fusion group. Got the one with the ballet shoes, and was totally blown away! Many fusion groups lack melody, but got loads of chops IMO - these guys got both. A jazzy version of PFM? BTW - Chris, I can´t believe you rated my favorite Battiato album 3*. Might have to fix up a doctor´s appointment for you...   Sorry, there's no known cure for my bad taste! Just kidding, I know you're only pulling my chain.  I don't put too much emphasis on ratings these days (I guess you don't either) and I'd actually be happy to post reviews without ratings. I only gave the Cervello album 3* as well, and the L'Uovo di Colombo a mere 2*. I´m with you regarding the whole rating system. How could one ever put a price tag/value/currency on something you love so dearly? I´ve got a truckload of albums I´d probably rate 2*, but each of them contains one or two pieces of music that I would trade my life in for.  Melos is actually one of the few RPI albums, where I totally agree with Jim

Finnforest wrote: Nightfly wrote: Finnforest wrote: Thanks Guldbam.  I hope more people write about that one. Todd, I think its a 5 for me too.  I wish the sound were better though.  It's OK but sounds muffled to me.  If there's a Japan mini on that one, I might have to splurge.      Actually Jim, the sounds great on the Esoteric remaster. Only problem is you'll have to put up with the English version. Ha!  Not a chance.  English vocals totally kill the RPI experience for me.  While Italian vocals are not required for the sub genre definition, they are required for me to enjoy myself Nothing worse than a hearing a good vocalist, with fluid access to the world's most beautiful language, using English. Call me a purist!

Yeah, I found the same thing with say, Osanna's L'uomo and really wished it didn't have the English vocals. I still like the album, but I can't help feeling it would have been ace without.

It's a shame the European bands felt that pressure to use English in order gain more exposure (if that's what it was). I want to take a step back from blaming the closed-mind mentality of the general western music listening populace, but it seems like poor form from a listener who cannot accept a band singing in their native tongue. Now, I don't mean lyrics are unimportant, but language is and if anyone knows anything about the differences between languages re: syllables/sound units and thus rhythm and the vocal line etc, then native tongue is vital.

Ok, sorry about the rant. Calming down. Actually, speaking of Osanna - anyone here heard their 'Prog Family' release from a few years back? I'm interested but haven't shelled out yet. Any thoughts?

Nightfly wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: seventhsojourn wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: ^^I´ve been looking for that particular album myself Just got into Arti e Mestieri through The Trip. I thought the drummer was excellent, and I am such a sucker for meaty drummers, - and sure thing found out he had gone on to play for a fusion group. Got the one with the ballet shoes, and was totally blown away! Many fusion groups lack melody, but got loads of chops IMO - these guys got both. A jazzy version of PFM? BTW - Chris, I can´t believe you rated my favorite Battiato album 3*. Might have to fix up a doctor´s appointment for you...   Sorry, there's no known cure for my bad taste! Just kidding, I know you're only pulling my chain.  I don't put too much emphasis on ratings these days (I guess you don't either) and I'd actually be happy to post reviews without ratings. I only gave the Cervello album 3* as well, and the L'Uovo di Colombo a mere 2*. I´m with you regarding the whole rating system. How could one ever put a price tag/value/currency on something you love so dearly? I´ve got a truckload of albums I´d probably rate 2*, but each of them contains one or two pieces of music that I would trade my life in for.  Melos is actually one of the few RPI albums, where I totally agree with Jim      I hear what you guys are saying on the ratings issue. Must admit I'm glad of them just for an at a glance idea on albums. All albums seem to get a few reviews that are less than complimentary, even the biggies but I think they kind of level themselves out generally speaking if you catch my drift and most seem to have a rating that's probably fairly consistent with the general consensus.

Todd wrote: ^ Well, for me the original Osanna albums are the real deal.  The first three, even to a lesser extent the next two, are all just absolute killers.  Whenever I spin "Prog Family" it just makes me want to play the originals.  So I would say get the first three, then the next two, then if you're still hungry go for "Prog Family."

Awesome, thanks Todd! I'm only waiting on the soundtrack from Osanna to complete my collection of their first 3 albums, but it's good to hear that you reckon the 'Prog Family' is good too. I wondered how Gianni Leone would fit into the new line up (think I'd work really well) for instance.   And the two albums after their masterwork, I've seen a lot of mixed reviews, think I should buy 'em any way? I kind of want to anyway, partly due to the obsessive/completionist side of me!