Originally Posted by JeffCarney
Been spinning Cervello's Melos over the past couple of days.
Have to amend what I said about this album. I still adore it. I love the VDGG-like moves with the unique Italian feel, the references to 20th Century composition all over the place and so many things about it ...
But the guitar solos are really a mess. Rustici was, what ... 16? It can be forgiven. But I sort of defended them when there isn't much about them that is convincing. It's like he's got the math down and the McLaughlin influence down, but it's not honed into much in terms of execution. And the lack of discipline drags this down from a 4 star album to a 3.5 or so.
I love the Big 3, but my favorite Italian 70s prog act is Libra. I love everything the band recorded, including their underated second English lyric album Winter Day's Nightmare, and their soundtrack to the movie Schock.
I also am a big fan of Dedalus, Il Baricentro, Latte e Miele, The Trip, Triade, and RDM.
"and what music unites, man should not take apart"-Helmut Koellen
It's still 5 stars for me. I love the guitar solos but especially the flute interplay!
Interesting. I'll have to listen to this again soon, with an ear towards the guitar solos. But I recall liking the guitar playing quite a bit. Sloppiness doesn't bother me much (I listen to free jazz)...it's the intent, which I think is there. But I need to give this one another spin anyway.
Still need to go through this whole thread soon and check out a bunch of the stuff I don't know. At one point or another I thought I had checked out most of the Italian prog that was out there...now I see the pool of musicians is even bigger than I knew!
And just realized last week in fact that I'd never listened to The Trip - Caronte...which is a hell of an album!
There is an updated version of Augusto Croces's book on Italian Prog (70s) (in English) released right now! (sort of the Bible on RPI)
Cool - where do you by it?
Amazon should have it
https://www.amazon.com/ItalianProg-U...=augusto+croce
Last edited by TheH; 10-25-2016 at 05:08 PM.
I had some friends over this past weekend and we played The New Trolls, Atomic System. This music, imo, is as strong as anything released in Italy in the 1970s.
Do you agree?
Last edited by mozo-pg; 11-15-2016 at 03:04 PM.
I truly enjoyed revisiting the Reale Accademia album - terrific stuff.
Also did Semiramis in full last night - no way that cat was 16! Unreal. Vocals are killer too.
If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.
"And it's only the giving
That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson
The two BIG "non big 3" bands for me are Area and Stormy Six, both of whom I adore and count among my own influences as a musician. Have also gotten much enjoyment from Il Volo (have also enjoyed some solo Alberto Radius and Dallaglio), Gramigna, Maxophone, and Celeste. I figure at some point I'll need to jump back into RPI, revisiting some things, visiting some things for the first time, etc. I am learning Italian after all, and I'm sure it would be probably be a decent use of my time aside from the sheer joy of listening to the music.
Are you taking classes or doing something like Duolingo?
If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.
"And it's only the giving
That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson
All self-study thus far. Mostly Duolingo, which I realize probably isn't the absolute best way it could be done, but the fact that it keeps your "streak" of days you've been using it has motivated me to do at least just a lesson each day even when I'm not feeling particularly motivated. Considering it's been 608 days, I think this has represented my longest and most consistent effort to learn a second language, so I'm pleased. I'm also using another app called Busuu on and off which is pretty cool because there are prompts for speaking and writing exercises that native speakers can correct you on. Other than that, for a while I was using a book called L'Italiano Secondo Il Metodo Natura which seemed useful, but I was reading it on my phone, which isn't my favorite.
^ Excellent. I should get back into Duolingo.
My newest fav RPI album is Alphataurus. I guess I always liked it, but now that I am more acquainted, its speaking to me and is really an outstanding album. Singer is killer too.
One of my all-time faves. Their material from the last decade is also good.
Well, it WAS released in the 1970s, right?
I'm pretty sure that's a 1970s release Jed. It's supremely excellent!
What can this strange device be? When I touch it, it brings forth a sound (2112)
I can see why its a fav....it may be there for me too. Funny how these albums just hit and boom. Love the acoustic material too. I never checked the new stuff but probably will now, thx.
Am I the only one whose favorite LEM is the third, Aquile e scoiattoli? The only original member is drummer Alfio Vitanza, by then an old man of 21, though I understand he was the band’s de facto leader. And the (excellent) side-long “Pavana” seems to have been recorded originally for a library music album (it was composed by a third-party).
Apparently either the band or Polydor agreed, as the English version remained unreleased until the 90s.My understanding is there is a English version of the album. I can't begin to fathom why a listener would like to hear English lyrics for an Italian band - particularly when the original intent was to create an authentic approach to the music. I think the Italian lyrics add a flavour of romanticism where the vocals blend perfectly with the musician's instruments.
Confirmed Bachelors: the dramedy hit of 1883...
In Italian?
Great stuff, when one craves for some quality sympho-lympho
A couple of tracks are certainly outstanding, but there's also some standstill hard-rock filler on it - IMHO. Yet, along with Biglietto Per L'Inferno, they appear to be one of the most influential one-offs with the onset of modern "hard-rock symph" groups in Italy.
The demos for that second Alphataurus album, released by Mellow in the 90s as Dietro L'Uragano, really should have been reworked into fully formed material. Some of it is very, very solid.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
I'm with you on this. In fact, Aquile e scoiattoli is the only Latte E Meile album I really like. I have the three disc box (which also includes the English language Papillon, which I never play). That they're part of a set is the only reason I hang onto them, though I guess I've gotten a little mileage from Papillon.
But I absolutely love Aquile e scoiattoli, and I think that may be my favorite album cover of all time as well!
Bill
Been listening to this one shot 1972 album- Il Paese Dei Balocchi – Il Paese Dei Balocchi Classical music and prog rock quilt.
[QUOTE=Progbear;1033104]Am I the only one whose favorite LEM is the third, [I]Aquile e scoiattoli[/I]? The only original member is drummer Alfio Vitanza, by then an old man of 21, though I understand he was the band’s de facto leader. And the (excellent) side-long “Pavana” seems to have been recorded originally for a library music album (it was composed by a third-party).
Lit a fire under my curiosity. I'll check it out.
Last edited by Crawford Glissadevil; 03-19-2021 at 01:14 PM.
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