favorite Italian prog band

Goblin. I like PFM too. But I could choose only one.

greenback wrote: James Lee wrote: other: Locanda della Fate Hey! Must be good! How does it sounds like? Is it a recent band? What is their best record?

are you joking with me? I have a hard time telling sometimes, especially online.

if you're not, and really haven't heard them yet, I believe there is a sample on the band's page: http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAN D.asp?band_id=213

...if you ask the resident proglords nicely maybe they'll even let you download a whole CD ("Forse le lucciole non si amano più", their only 'classic' album IMAO)

Classic 70s Italian prog, not as experimental as some, but full of warm melodies and my favorite prog vocals of all time.

Other: Tale Cue

I'm a BMS, PFM, Le Orme, etc... fan. But definitely, "Voices Beyond My Curtain" is the ultimate Italian prog band to me. Maybe if the poll was about 70's band... I would've said without even hesitating, PFM 

OK I'm going to have to go with PFM also, but I really like Locanda Della Fate a lot too. If you were going with more recent vintage I'd go with Finisterre. And Le Orme has done some wonderful work both earlier and lately, so maybe I should vote for them? Or maybe Cleste? No, I'm going with PFM. Per Un Amico does it for me, then L'Isola di Niente-- then Storia Di Un Minuto-- in that order.

You guys should have split it into decades and given Finisterre, Ezra Winston, and Deux Ex Machina some consideration. How about just the best in the last 5-10 yrs?

No Maxophone?

Well in the absence of them it's a contest between Banco, Osanna and Goblin. I'm not very near a conclusion though...

The poll is "favorite," not most important, most influential, etc.

I would not argue that PFM is arguably the most influential Italian prog band, since they predate almost everyone else (though Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was also pretty early, as were a couple of others), and thus almost every other Italian prog band owes a "debt" to them.

However, for my money, there are few prog bands playing today - in any country - who can match the level of composition, musicianship, production, sophistication, and sheer excitement of Deus ex Machina.

Picchio dal pozzo

DEDALUS/the italian Soft Machine