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Thread: Osanna: Palepoli

  1. #1

    Osanna: Palepoli

    I just recently bought the first 3 Osanna records "L'Uomo", "Milano Calibre 9", and "Palepoli". I had never before heard Palepoli. How the hell did I miss this one?

    I was introduced to Rock Progressivo Italiano years ago by some friends in California, who played me PFM, Area, and Acqua Fragile. For a while this was all I thought there was. Then I came across Museo Rosembach's "Zarathustra" and thought, damn, here's another one! Then a new prog audiophile friend introduced me to his massive collection and the gates were flung open on all the rest: Banco, Cervello, Il Balletto, Biglietto, Jumbo, New Trolls, Osanna, etc. Yet somehow, in all these years, I had never heard "Palepoli". After reading all the positive reviews, I decided to finally get it, and...just damn!

    Ive been playing it excessively for a week now, learning it, studying it, digging the hell out of it! Being in my mid 40's, I am so thankful I still get the opportunity to find these old monster masterpieces that I can fall in love with and obsess over, diving into the worlds they create. I have never heard an album quite like this one before. Sure, it is definitely 70's Italian, with all the hallmarks of the Osanna instrumentation and approach - heavy fuzzed out guitar, flute, loud and aggressive attack passages followed by soft, moody, even ominous atmospheres; sudden free form noise sections then manic riffing and distorted vocals. But the way they structure this one is unique, and fascinating to me. So I am posting about it here to learn what experiences others have had with this album specifically, and with Osanna in general. In their heyday they seem to be have been quite the theatrical live experience. Has anyone seen and / or heard how the live performances for Palepoli were conducted?

    What about their later catalogue? I used to have a cassette copy of "Suddance" and liked it, but it was nowhere near as experimental as their first 3. And I have never heard "Landscape of Life".

  2. #2
    Landscape of Life (on the not so great Peters vinyl) was the 1st Osanna record I got, and the one that's most stuck in the head w/ Milano Calibro 9 a close 2nd. I think you'll find a lot to like on Landscape of Life and maybe on the Nova records too. Based on your post, it looks like I'm gonna' have to check out Palepoli some more.

  3. #3
    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Werbinox View Post
    I used to have a cassette copy of "Suddance" and liked it, but it was nowhere near as experimental as their first 3. And I have never heard "Landscape of Life".
    Landscape o/l is a VERY under rated album IMO - not as trippy as Palepoli, but great songs, great playing and still in full prog mode

    I'm a huge Osanna fan and it may be my favorite

    Suddance is OK, but a fairly big drop off IMO

    Check out Cita Frontale's El Tor as well - Osanna related and many of the earmarks, a great mix of prog / accessible songs

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Griffin View Post
    Landscape o/l is a VERY under rated album IMO - not as trippy as Palepoli, but great songs, great playing and still in full prog mode

    I'm a huge Osanna fan and it may be my favorite

    Suddance is OK, but a fairly big drop off IMO

    Check out Cita Frontale's El Tor as well - Osanna related and many of the earmarks, a great mix of prog / accessible songs

    BG
    Ive got El Tor on cassette, and DO enjoy it. I understand that "Citta Frontale" was the name of a pre-Osanna band, which some of the guys reformed to record El Tor after they left Osanna.

    Here is a live clip from 2010 I just came across. David Jackson performs with them! Awesome stuff


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyYPQ24pLiA

  5. #5
    Osanna with Jaxon can be seen and heard on this set:
    http://www.amazon.com/Prog-Exhibitio...rog+exhibition

    Doesn't he also play with them on a recent studio album?
    And who is the best vendor to get these albums? I've been meaning to get some Osanna for a while now.
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  6. #6
    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    Thanks man

    I remember a bunch of those clips around back then - very cool to see and hear

    While revisiting Palepoli this morning it ocurred to me that Osanna is better than PE, because their "Lino" never left, and he is still with them

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

  7. #7
    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by polmico View Post
    Osanna with Jaxon can be seen and heard on this set:
    http://www.amazon.com/Prog-Exhibitio...rog+exhibition

    Doesn't he also play with them on a recent studio album?
    And who is the best vendor to get these albums? I've been meaning to get some Osanna for a while now.
    DJax is on their "Prog Family" studio release - remakes, obviously and more of their "funkier" style of late - NOT a recommended starter

    Greg Walker has always had everything I've asked for from these guys, should be able to help you

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

  8. #8
    chalkpie
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    This thing is getting the laser treatment (again). If there ever was an album that makes me chuckle - its this one - not because its "funny", but rather because its so bizarre and mixes these hardrock riffs with music that seems to originate on the hills of Sicily and on something that would be found on the ReR label. Great stuff, always loved it!

  9. #9
    ItalProgRules's Avatar
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    Palepoli is one of the best RPI records in my entire, way too large collection of RPI.

    I once spent days translating the lyrics with my mezzo-mezzo Italiano.

    That flute-led jam starting about 9 minutes in is one of the best damn segments of music I've ever heard. If that doesn't have one dancing around the room in Proggy glee, I don't know what will.

    5 star masterpiece on all counts.
    High Vibration Go On - R.I.P. Chris Squire

  10. #10
    Although far from one of my faves, I'm very fond of it - those almost absurdly fragmented riffy sections, the over-the-top vox escapades of unlikely passion, the distorted sax versus staccato ostinatos (?)... Like VdGG, KCrim and Tull on acid macaroni and trying to start a fight with something "bad". I quite enjoy parts of Milano Calibro and the opening and closing tracks from Landscape, but the remainder of their output tends to leave me rather ignorant.
    "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

  11. #11
    Member TheH's Avatar
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    And of course the band are just rerecording Palepoli as Palepolitana (Extended)

  12. #12
    Is David Jackson involved with that?
    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

  13. #13
    Palepoli is one of the monsters of Italian prog. Long, dense, unpredictable tracks you can get lost in.

    Quote Originally Posted by Werbinox View Post
    What about their later catalogue? I used to have a cassette copy of "Suddance" and liked it, but it was nowhere near as experimental as their first 3. And I have never heard "Landscape of Life".
    Suddance is fine if you like fusion. The most intriguing thing about it will be lost on non-Italian listeners, since most of it is sung in the Neapolitan dialect.

    Landscape of Life surprised me when I first heard it, since I’ve always been told to avoid it. It is not bad, though for some reason (they were in a bit of internal turmoil at the time) they really wear their influences on their sleeve on this one. Very KC/VdGG on this one, so I can imagine being disappointed after hearing Palepoli first. But for what it is, it’s very satisfying.

    Incidentally, if you do like fusion, but weren’t bowled over by Suddance, maybe try the first two Nova albums instead. Blink features both Rustici brothers on guitar (Corrado had stepped in on Landscape when Danilo left) and they are absolutely on fire! Vimana is less fiery, but is obviously (more or less) the same band; Danilo is gone but Renato Rosset steps in on keyboards, and Narada Michael Walden plays drums (and contributes one of the best tunes, the instrumental “Princess and the Frog”).
    Last edited by Progbear; 05-07-2015 at 09:21 PM.
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  14. #14
    Member Since: 3/27/2002 MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER's Avatar
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    Palepoli has never clicked with me... but having seen them live at the last BAJA Prog with DJax and Gianni Leone I'd probably understand it better and should spin it again.

    Generally speaking though, for me, the Italians are SO much better at the Symph style of Prog than Genesis or Yes ever were, so I should definitely spin this again tomorrow
    Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?

  15. #15
    Monster album for me as well...

    Then proceed to DE DE LIND's Io non so da dove vengo e non so dove mai andrò. Uomo è il nome che mi han dato.
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  16. #16
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    Palepoli has never clicked with me... but having seen them live at the last BAJA Prog with DJax and Gianni Leone I'd probably understand it better and should spin it again.
    Osana never really clicked with me at all, whether their debut, the Milan Calibro thing or Palepoli, but this one is their better one, IMHO

    Quote Originally Posted by MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER View Post
    Generally speaking though, for me, the Italians are SO much better at the Symph style of Prog than Genesis or Yes ever were, so I should definitely spin this again tomorrow
    I'm really not that fond of Italian symph groups , who are often too close to opera-type of classical music, IMHO...

    Most of my fave italian bands are not symph per se (except for QVL and Celeste), like Perigeo, Area, Picchio, Jumbo, DFA, Flea or Garibaldy (etc...)
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  17. #17
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Great album. I picked up their first two albums on one of those 2-LP-on-1-CD budget-priced disc and there's plenty to like there too.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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  18. #18
    Osanna is really an interesting band, New Trolls have that edge as well. Prefer them to most of the more polished RPI stuff.

    Great stuff, Palepoli is indeed the bomb! Check out NT's UT too!
    "Always ready with the ray of sunshine"

  19. #19
    I preferred New Trolls when they fragmented into Atomic System and Ibis. I thought that N.T.A.S. and Sun Supreme were better than any of the regular NT stuff I heard.
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  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    I preferred New Trolls when they fragmented into Atomic System and Ibis. I thought that N.T.A.S. and Sun Supreme were better than any of the regular NT stuff I heard.
    Agree, although UT isn't bad.

    On the other hand, there are a couple of songs on the second Ibis record that more or less ruin the whole thing. And I'd wish for Sun Supreme t have had an Italian language counterpart.
    "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

  21. #21
    chalkpie
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    Pretty much addicted to Palepoli - been spinning it daily for at least a week now. Grows on you like a bad Tuscano fungus.

  22. #22
    chalkpie
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    Quote Originally Posted by ItalProgRules View Post
    That flute-led jam starting about 9 minutes in is one of the best damn segments of music I've ever heard. If that doesn't have one dancing around the room in Proggy glee, I don't know what will.

    5 star masterpiece on all counts.
    Yes - that jam is killer indeed.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    Agree, although UT isn't bad.
    It starts off very strong, then it fragments into trying out one too many different styles. They lose me when they start trying to ape Black Sabbath, CSNY, Lucio Dalla, etc.
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  24. #24
    Member TheH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    It starts off very strong, then it fragments into trying out one too many different styles. They lose me when they start trying to ape Black Sabbath, CSNY, Lucio Dalla, etc.
    Still better than their later attempt at the Bee Gees...

  25. #25
    Member Brian Griffin's Avatar
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    18014_10153348865347372_7117569919699902146_n.jpg

    It would appear the boys are gearing up for some live show antics

    I believe the lovely Sophia Baccini will also be along

    Should be great, and I hope it's being filmed

    BG
    "When Yes appeared on stage, it was like, the gods appearing from the heavens, deigning to play in front of the people."

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