CHERRY FIVE

Although there is only one Cherry Five album it is rightly regarded as an important record amongst Italian prog fans. Partly because it's such a good album in its own right, but also because three members would go on to form Goblin, a band that are best known for their film soundtrack work. In fact a band never existed called Cherry Five, this being just a name given to the project at a later date, the album being initially shelved and not released until a year or two later by which time Goblin were already up and running.

Six songs although you could probably consider The Swan Is A Muderer Parts 1 and 2 as one song in its own right, being split where side 1 would have ended on the original vinyl version, fading in again for side 2. This being the case, all tracks are around the eight minute mark give or take. Musically they play fairly complex, very lively and inventive prog and anyone familiar with early Yes (no doubt most people here) cannot fail to spot the similarities. The album is dominated by the fine keyboard work of Claudio Simonetti thought there's still plenty of space for the excellent guitar of Massimo Morante. Although I doubt they would have been an influence, bits here and there, particularly on opener Country Grave Yard remind me of Welsh psych rockers Man.

Unusually for an RPI album the vocals are sung in English and Tony Tartarini is a decent singer. Drummer Carlo Bordini (yes it is he who was later involved in the Rustichelli & Bordini project) and bassist Fabio Pignatelli are a busy rhythm section, driving the music along, often at a fair pace. Best track is The Picture Of Dorian Gray with its Hammond organ opening descending into some lovely acoustic guitar before finally exploding into a very Yes like piece. No doubt this song was named after another band that had featured Simonetti, Il Ritratto Di Dorian Gray, a band who's importance is more to do with which bands its members went onto than anything they achieved as a unit, but that's another story.

Overall an excellent album and one that all RPI fans will no doubt come to sooner or later.