Rank Your Top Five All-Time Italian Bands

[Scrotum Scissor]

Being Italian, it's a strange feeling for me reading your comments and lists, loving Prog to death for over 40 years, and NOT liking any Italian prog band, ANY ! I find all of them derivative of the English ones...I love many, many Italian artists, but none of them is on these lists.

I don't find this all too strange, really; I myself have a hard time truly enjoying most Norwegian attempts at 'progressive rock' from the 70s, partly due to the same reasons as yourself, I suppose. I do collect 70s Italian progressive still, probably because it remains somewhat easier for non-natives to spot exactly those elements that actually make them stand out as pretty different from their British counterparts/inspirations. For instance, in my own top-5 list from above, there are the obvious odd marks of influence on both AreA, Picchio dal Pozzo and Stormy Six and Jumbo (or you could add the early Battiato albums, Opus Avantra, Celeste or Pierrot Lunaire's Gudrun), but they all developed into something quite idiosyncratic.

This doesn't necessarily imply that I don't like the more "usual" Italian progressive (or "symphonic") rock groups (Banco, PFM, Le Orme, Locanda delle Fate, Metamorfosi, Museo Rosenbach etc.) as well, but I relate somewhat differently to them. Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator were very big names in Italy in 1971-73, but I see the Italian equivalent as much more of an interpretation than an adaptation. So I can live with the sense of "derivative" nature of much of this music - much more so than I can with many a CURRENT artist purportedly creating 'progressive rock' while actually not creating anything whatsoever except for further more stagnant adaptations.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Stormy Six
Area
Le Orme
Banco
Maxophone
Alphataurus

Seriously? I was expecting better from you.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I was expecting better from you.

Of course you were. And "better" is never relative.

[Trane]

Seriously? I was expecting better from you.

Something like this??

Perigeo
Quella Vieccha Locanda
Picchio Dal Pozzo
Jumbo
Flea/Etna

Bubbling just under:
Area
Garibaldy

newer bands:
DFA
DEM

I mean, I don't recall seeing your top five (yet)

[Scrotum Scissor]

Something like this??

Yes, Calabasas really loves Alberto Piras in DEM.

[mellotron storm]

I just wondered what opinions people have of Metamorfosi, I think one person mentioned them.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I just wondered what opinions people have of Metamorfosi, I think one person mentioned them.

I'm the guilty one, I believe. I like them, but I'm not too crazy about Spitaleri's bombastic and sometimes contrived vocal antics and I see Inferno as a bit overrated. It's a great listen once in a while, though - and their debut wasn't all too bad either. I still find more to dig with a couple of the other keys-based RPIs, like Banco, Latte e Miele, Trip (Caronte espec) or Triade, yet I far prefer Metamorfosi to L'Uovo di Colombo or Capsicum Red or that tedious Alluminogeni record.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Something like this??



I mean, I don't recall seeing your top five (yet)

No, nothing at all like that I couldn't cut it to just 5

Il Balletto di Bronzo
Semeramis
Cervello
Museo Rosenbach
Biglietto per l'Inferno
Murple
Blocco Mentale
Jumbo
Le Orme
Salis

havent had time to put together a list of newer bands but these would definitely be on it:

Distillerie Di Malto
Runaway Totem

[Brian Griffin]

I'm not too crazy about Spitaleri's bombastic and sometimes contrived vocal antics

He's 19 X better than Alvaro Fella

BG

[mellotron storm]

I'm the guilty one, I believe. I like them, but I'm not too crazy about Spitaleri's bombastic and sometimes contrived vocal antics and I see Inferno as a bit overrated. It's a great listen once in a while, though - and their debut wasn't all too bad either. I still find more to dig with a couple of the other keys-based RPIs, like Banco, Latte e Miele, Trip (Caronte espec) or Triade, yet I far prefer Metamorfosi to L'Uovo di Colombo or Capsicum Red or that tedious Alluminogeni record.

No someone had it on their list of favs but I always appreciate your opinions. Love that his name is Jimmy, and i'm sure he sings on a modern RPI album but maybe it's the most recent Metamorfosi album i'm thinking of that didn't do a lot for me. I do like Inferno though with the array of keyboards but it's not a favourite by am means.
Listening to De De Lind right now and talk about a raw sounding "rock" album. Man I feel an RPI binge coming on.
You know who's vocals I have a lot of time for is the Procession singer, Gianfranco I think his name was.

[mellotron storm]

He's 19 X better than Alvaro Fella

BG

Not a big fan of the Jumbo dude? Man there are some wild vocals in Italy i'll say that, and some drop dead gorgeous ones too.

[nnknsh]

As for today.

Il Volo Essere O Non Essere
Area Crac!
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso Io Sono Nato Libero
Franco Battiato Sulle Corde di Aries
Osanna Palepoli

Can be replaced by Cervello, Jumbo : Vietato..., Alan Sorrenti : Aria,
Saint Just, Carnascialia, Balleto : "YS", PFM and so on...

[Brian Griffin]

Not a big fan of the Jumbo dude? Man there are some wild vocals in Italy i'll say that, and some drop dead gorgeous ones too.

Nah, just a little inside joke for SS

That said, I caught Spitaleri''s act at Nearfest and loved the schtick

I find Inferno a tad over rated as well, it's good but a cut below my favorite RPI

BG

[MarKco]

- Area
- Banco del mutuo soccorso
- PFM ('til 1975)
- Biglietto per l'inferno
- Area again

[Trane]

No, nothing at all like that I couldn't cut it to just 5

Il Balletto di Bronzo
Semeramis
Cervello
Museo Rosenbach
Biglietto per l'Inferno
Murple
Blocco Mentale
Jumbo
Le Orme
Salis

havent had time to put together a list of newer bands but these would definitely be on it:

Distillerie Di Malto
Runaway Totem

I was expecting better from you

Just kidding...

.... except for Runaway Totem, which I really find subpar '(except for maybe their second Zed)... Their offshoot Univeral Totem Orchestra is so much better

[mogrooves]

Seriously? I was expecting better from you.

I'll stand by it; I dig the vibe, whatever the shortcomings. While Murple is worthy ("better"?), the vaunted YS is just OK, imo.

[Akustika]

This thread inspired me to purchase some more Italian prog (I only had about 4 discs up to now). I got: Osanna - Palepoli, Banco - Darwin! and PFM - Photos of Ghosts. Did I make a mistake in getting the english version of the PFM disc???

[mogrooves]

Did I make a mistake in getting the english version of the PFM disc???

Yes, but it's not the end of the world.

[Joe F.]

This thread inspired me to purchase some more Italian prog (I only had about 4 discs up to now). I got: Osanna - Palepoli, Banco - Darwin! and PFM - Photos of Ghosts. Did I make a mistake in getting the english version of the PFM disc???

Yes. It's still worth owning, imo.

Though what you have is the complete English version of "Per un Amico", plus the English version of 'Festa' (Celebration) off of their first Italian album, and a composition (Old Rain) that is only found on Photos of Ghosts.

This was the first PFM album I bought, way back when. Once I got Per Un Amico I enjoyed that one more. YMMV

[chalkpie]

Nah, just a little inside joke for SS

That said, I caught Spitaleri''s act at Nearfest and loved the schtick

I find Inferno a tad over rated as well, it's good but a cut below my favorite RPI

BG

Chalk(pie) me up as another, well, non-fan of "Inferno". Its certainly not terrible, just, I don't know - gawdy? Is that possible in 70's RPI? I know its apples and oranges, but its hard to spin "Inferno" after doing stuff like "Melos", "Picchio Dal Pozzo", etc.......well for me at least. Also not a fan of "Felona". I love a lot of their other stuff, though.

[chalkpie]

This thread inspired me to purchase some more Italian prog (I only had about 4 discs up to now). I got: Osanna - Palepoli, Banco - Darwin! and PFM - Photos of Ghosts. Did I make a mistake in getting the english version of the PFM disc???

The hardcore PFM fan would say no, but for the rest of us - I'd say yeah probably. Rule of thumb - stay local with Italian music and bask in the beauty of the Italian language, not broken English with sometimes questionable translations. The first three PFM's are the ones you want (all in Italian), at least initially. The first two are some of the best Italian albums ever to my ears. Two utter gems. Palepoli is incredible but takes TIME - don't expect to get it right away, and Darwin! is a classic - super great. Enjoy.

[chalkpie]

[Jay.Dee]

Based on my current knowledge:

1. Opus Avantra
2. AreA

.....

3. Arti & Mestieri/Venegoni & Co
4. Banco
5. PFM

[Brian Griffin]

No interest in getting personal, but we like what we like and believe what we believe

To each his own

As to Jumbo, I've had those discs since the early 90's, and every year or so they'll get brought up here and I'll revisit

I did so with Vietato Ai Minori Di 18 Anni last night, but it's pretty much as my past attempts

Plenty of dissonance and a few very strong passages, but a tad short on melodies, and I definitely find Fella grating, (surprising, as I enjoy Stratos, for example)

We all have bands / discs we can't connect with that others do, this is one for me

Not at all "bad" but second tier for me personally

BG

[Brian Griffin]

Also not a fan of "Felona". I love a lot of their other stuff, though.

I hate to harp on over rated, but this is a fair call

Seems to be generally regarded as their best, and certainly has some moments, but I prefer Contrapunti and Collage

Have you heard the English sung version with Hammil's lyrics?

This one translated pretty poorly IMO

BG