All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

In the year of 1972 the Italian Progressive rock was developing almost all the slopes that existed in this context, as it shows are the works of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Le Orme, among other very many groups, but remarcable it is the quick maturity of many of them in his sound and that almost all of them competed with the great names of world-wide the Progressive rock, it is the case of Yes, Genesis, Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), and King Crimson, among others.

There is no doubt that great names many of these Italian groups and that its real and true one influence exerted it with the live in concert presentations and the spreading of their work, in this case with albums and simple that appeared in the noticeable world-wide and national markets.

Between all of them there is a group that beginning formally activities at the end of 1970 named Il Rovescio della Medaglia and the publication of this, its second titled disc Io Come Io, that is one of hidden jewels of the Progressive, full Rock of harmonic findings of very strong sonority, with a struggle sound and a line noticeably and oriented to the hard sound, heavy of the Progressive Rock. And that contains one of the best ones and more obtained works done between melodies touched by a distorted fuzzy bass, distorted guitar and an electrical one, that using an effect of distortion known like overdrive and fuzztone, the heaviest sound created than I have listened in an instrument of these, and that it resounds as giant in all the disc, without a doubt touching wildest and crude musical notes, harmonies and riffs that remembers of a Progressive group!

The group was integrated by Enzo Vita. - guitar, Ballarini. Pino - vocal and flute, Stefano Urso. – electric bass and Gino Campoli. - drums and this formation that is one of the best ones than have left the Italian Progressive rock offers this great disc to us which very it is not known by most of the fans the Progressive rock, nevertheless is of the albums more complexes as far as sound and execution of the subjects, are practically 28 minutes of the best form to touch a conceptual disc, that in this case is on the philosophy of Hegel, that speaks on the relation of subject object, but nevertheless, what excels are not the content of the lyrics, but the musical execution that is of highest flights, an interaction between the guitar of Vita and with effect overdrive and fuzz on the part of the bass of Urso, touching small classic scales directly distilled of the Italian masters and German ones, and that not very often has been made of this form; masters of the counterpoint, with subtle and innovating notes, that interaction between these two great ones of its instrument is carried out with singular dexterity in all the disc, and with improvised ornamentals variations, but with very concise subjects, meticulously made and prodigiously executed, that surprise the listener by the subtlety, it forces and delivery that does everyone in its instrument, the drum in charge of Campoli, very discreet but essential, and the voice of Ballarini that in all the recording, is precise and by its dramatic temperament, his modern harmonies is overwhelming with new sap the interaction of the group. A sound very dominant, furious and very little characteristic in the Italian scene of that then and which I consider one of the heaviest discs than has done in those latitudes, and that in all along the sound takes advantage of the obstinate bass playing one to recreate a mysterious atmosphere, dark and mystical, that remembers me to the fact by the excellent Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and that used in his first works with that group.

Combined to previous also the electrical guitar of very heavy executed Vita and combining excelsos skillfully agreed and riffs, with delicate and brief acoustic passages that fit perfectly with the dark atmosphere of the disc. I believe that he is one of best discs than they have become in that country and that nevertheless it undergoes even of the ignorance of this mágnum opus by most of the admirers and specialists in Progressive Rock, since for the year 1973 this group would record what its masterpiece is considered: Contaminazione. Tending to devaluate unjustly to this disc, object of the review and to the first called album the Bibbia of 1971.

It is necessary to also mention that the production of the disc this made very well, in general terms, to grief that does not notice much the work of the drummer, since the guitar and the bass dominate much the sound. The cover also has an interesting history, the first editions contained a metal currency that was designed by the florentino artist Brandimarte, this edition is very rare now. The following editions left with a flat, dark bottom, and other that contained a hole in the place where it was the medallion. And also with base in this point I would like to stand out that in most of Progressive works, the covers or covers of discs were essential part within the recording or album and that they reflected the attitude or the atmosphere that the disc wanted to transmit and that, in most of the cases was true masterpieces. Let us go to the songs:

1. - Io. - The song that opens to this disc based on the work of German philosopher Hegel, with a gong and excellent phrasing from the big drum of Campoli in the beginning and later to begin the furious note interchange being Urso and Vita, that, as cracked dominates the listener and which they show an inexhaustible verb, with passages in where simply they do not leave breathing, since they happen from a rate to another one, of a series of notes to a polyphonic and refined change that, so as sleigh, is taking to you that you appreciate the masters, free and power of the form to touch of this great group and that demonstrates the flexibility of melody combined with the rigorous counterpoint, characteristic of the Roman school. Harmonic note creators, polyphonic, very aggressive and that within this musical piece encounter riffs much very heavy that is combined with the treatment of the effect that occupies the electric bass and that heightens that power that transmits. Without doubt it is an energetic disc beginning. Excellent.

2. - Fenomeno. - This song is divided in two sections that are titled a) Proiezione and b) Rappresentazione, in fact this song begins very similar to Io but later choirs made by the musicians enter (very characteristic of those years and type Uriah Heep) and next an energetic acoustic guitar makes their appearance, executed skillfully to appear the pair bass/guitar with their wall of sound and making delicious scales simply and that they demonstrate the creativity, elegance and deep knowledge to us of the chromatic musical phantom, without a doubt a dynamic language and that is descriptive music, dramatic and overflowing, by minute 4:00 appears the acoustic guitar, recreating a cried out but nonpastoral atmosphere, dark and rather very spiritual and that flute executed by embellish Pine this atmosphere, also the voice of this same one, is been reconciled parsimoniously to the rhythmic rate of melody, there is no doubt that Rovescio della Medaglia is characterized by the vigor and the brightness of their compositions and those created skillful interludes is of an exceptional greatness. But from the 6:10 they show a furious counterattack to us on the part of all the group, a true one I release the brakes musical comedy, that goes with a rabid rate breaking through with hard and elaborated notes and that without losing the dark line that has the disc, they take us to a end of anthology, plenty of rage, are evidently overcoming notes, scales and poli ferocious rates to crown one of the best songs of the Progressive rock and with one of the best examples of combination of Progressive rock with noticeable heavy elements in its structure and that also contains all the musical elements of this great Roman group. As far as the lyrics told .I feel that the group borrow of Hegel some paragraphs of the Phenomenology of the Spirit (main book of Hegel), and it adapted it to the concept of the subject-object that they wanted to show in the disc, and that are one of the characteristics of the philosophical thought of the German idealism and that with this philosopher arrives at its Maximum heights. Excellent.

3. - Non Io. It would be possible to be said that is the calmest song of the album, perhaps but believe me that it also contains, that characteristic heavy element that has this great disc, this begin very pastoral and a little melancholic, but of that absent, strange and mystical melancholy and that beautiful flute accompanies by separated and distracted way. After small interludes heavy, Pine delights to us with its voice (that by the way does not appear much in all the recording), accompanied by simple guitar and bass Ursa remembering us that from any moment to another one, unties like unleash the devilish dragoon. Solid work of battery on the part of Gino and that in any case maintains incessant and frank a rate, later of a single brilliant of guitar of Enzo, in minute 4:49 to minute 5:12 is listened to finesse musical passage where Ballarini remembers the fact by groups like Uriah Heep, Osanna or Premiata Forneria Marconi, interludes the evocative and very poetic to but pure Italian Progressive style, there is no doubt that Rovescio della Medaglia shines by its sovereign balance of refined elegance, of touch security and of concision that not always occurs in many groups. And finally group us prescribes once again that duple Enzo/Stefano, which with a series of explosive notes in his respective instruments, they come to an auditory assault of great proportions, with notes, sounds and harmonies, that they would cause envies it of groups like Led Zeppelín or Black Sabbath, (and which they remember the fact by the group in his previous album the Bibbia), without a doubt an excellent musical piece. Excellent.

4. - Io come Io. – The theme of this majestic disc and that also divides in two sub subjects a)Divenire and b) Logica and that it contains probably the heaviest riff of all the album than i have listened, these are 7:02 minutes that do not leave breathing, nor stone on stone, is as if they had said to the group: play with full and brutal force, and the result denotes a rabid temperament and precise that it does not despise the subtle dissonances but, that know to handle the counterpoint with freedom and which they demonstrate to the fineness behind all that brutal sound, with a rhythmic and strange rate from the Campolli drummer and an excellent melodic voice on the part of Ballarini, they do that the duet Enzo Vita and Stefano Ursa shines in the stop, with this baroque style to touch notes they maintain an abutment of melody of so solid and restricted way that one listens as is squeezing the harmonies, rate and syncope, without stopping, and with a really monstrous force, it would dare to me to say that it is the heaviest song never recorded by some progressive group in Italy, and I say it with base in the musical structure that they use. Also it is necessary to remark the great use of the timbales that Pine as of minute 4:00 does, giving a tone of rare shining to the song.

There is no doubt that the group is musical and composers of surprising fecundity, in the end use an efficient and fresh rate, combined with guitar/bass, and correct a single one of guitar, without a doubt a musical and hard absolute piece, like the Hegelian philosophy! Excellent.

Finally it is necessary to add that by its conception of the chromatist, to give to each line unaccustomed amplitude and elegance, excels polyphonic refinement, combined with an incessant and fierce rate. And all the contained songs are characterized by a capable structure, where melody prevails and where the group is pleased in valorizing the different sonorous planes, the games and the rings of the instrument as well as the baroque interaction of the guitar and the bass which they obviously denote the influence of musicians like J. S..Bach or Vivaldi, and who one does not recognize them by the so aggressive form to touch causes them that this it is an essential piece of any Progressive collection.