The Italian Prog Appreciation den - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Yeah. Do you know if the Pieretti has a descent sound ?

Great !

Thanks !

Pierre, what's the first Ping Pong album sound like?

I've heard the second one with the vocals, and thought, although it was frequently quite popppy, it was rather good!

ESAGONO : VICOLO (1976).Great Jazz rock album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdp54q16MuU

Guldbamsen wrote:

Anyway, I've just received a mail from Black Widow records with a lot of new Italian releases.

Listening to the new Cerchio D'Oro right now:

I am seriously pondering whether new RPI will ever win me over. By the sound of things, it ain't gonna happen right now Cry

Damn this is so irritating, I want so much to like this stuff.

Dave, what disappoints you about the new Cerchio D'oro?! I've heard it a few times, not a bad moment on it, and it's very pleasant and melodic, ticks all the right boxes, tasteful playing, lovely vocals....but....

Could that be the problem? No surprises? That it sounds ecxactly like a typical RPI album, as in `everything in the right place' without that...punch a lot of the defining 70's Italian albums had? A `paint-by-numbers' approach?

No judgement, my friend, just looking to understand!

I think you hit the nail on the head my friend. It's not that I need music to be progressive - like in the word's true connotations - yet with a lot of new prog releases, I find myself wandering off, loosing interest. It's not only RPI and sorry if it came across like that, but I do hear this a lot in the Italian releases.

I guess it's largely down to how these things are produced. See my reviews of both Il Tempio Delle Clessidre and the new Daal album. The production is just too "nice", polished, without any real fathomable nuances coming to the fore. Feels clinical to me.

On the other hand, when Steve Wilson does this, I tend to be over the moon with the result Confused

Maybe I just think, that when new bands are barking up an old recognisable tree, then why the hell do they feel the need to remove the single most vibrant and warm quality to the music, in funnelling all that great music through a modern-no-face-eradicate-all-unwanted-noise filter? This is why Diagonal and Astra gained so much attention with their debuts. They didn't serve it up as if they'd just re-invented the wheel - no they reached back and took with them the feel of the 70s era, instead of a recipe.

The lack of the all important feel and the prog-by-the-numbers approach usually equals minus commotion in my trouser department Ouch

Sorry for sounding so negative btw - this is just my own sentiments on the deal. I am very much comforted in the fact that others feel the complete opposite Smile

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Yep. Nothing closer to RPI than argentine vibes. Smile

My friends, here's a new site entry:

Progenesi

"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."

My Gnosis Ratings

I see a lot of fabulous Italian stuff lately, albeit not necessarily classic RPI ,

La Coscienza di Zeno, Il Labirinto dei Specchi, Malaavia, L’Estate di San Martino, Mad Crayon, Minstrel, Il Giardino Onorico, GTV, Il Bacio della Medusa, The Redzen, SoulenginE, The Former Life etc….

But I understand nostalgia....... Violin

I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.

coasterzombie wrote:

Todd, you'll be pleased to know I just ordered your avatar, Rocky's Filj! Can't wait to replace that awful Youtube-sourced MP3 copy with glorious CD!

You can't go wrong with that one!

"I have seen the broken sky turn blue."

My Gnosis Ratings