FEATURED CD: Buon Vecchio Charlie - s/t

[Poisoned Youth]

Here's a slightly under the radar quality Italian prog album from 1971 that wasn't released until the early 90s. Any fans?




Review from ProgArchives:

This is another one album wonder out of Italy. How many were generated during the early seventies? Countless, I guess.

One gets the whole shebang here: passionate vocals, subtle fluting, great musicianship and melodic music. I particularly enjoy the first two songs which are truly symphonic as this fantastic genre can generate. It is gorgeous music by all means.

The opening number "Venite giu al Flume" shows some definite Tull affiliation (solid beat and great fluting) and demonstrates all of the band's maestria: drumming is excellent, guitar is sustained and bass is powerful. It is a very good combo indeed. Needless to say that the vocal department is also on par. A highlight for sure.

The fully "Trespass" oriented "Evviva la Contea di Lane" is so subtle and sweet! Melody, fluting, passion, skills. What else do we need? Nothing, I guess! The closing part is more hectic and holds some great sax play.

The epic "All'Uomo Che Raccoglie Cartoni" is mixing the ISP style with a more jazzy oriented music. A la "Banco" should I say? But the combination of both styles is quite enjoyable: perfectly flowing into one another.

The great VDGG influence is also very much noticeable. The alternation of quiet and symphonic passages and wild jazzy moments is quite well achieved. This music is very rich indeed. The last two songs and bonus tracks are somewhat "lighter" and don't add anything to the original recording, on the contrary. Jazzy mood for "Rosa" and a more folkish approach for "Il Guardiano Della Valle". In all, this is a very good album for sure. Let's forget about the bonus tracks and granted this work with four stars.

It is too bad that the band didn't follow with more of this type of music. But we are used to this with the ISP genre, unfortunately. One album, and there you go? - ZowieZiggy

[Trane]

loved it right from the first hearing, even despite the poor production

[Scrotum Scissor]

I never cared too much for the goofy "Mountain King" reference, but the rest of it is solid.

[no.nine]

I like this album, although I find that the less than stellar recording quality calls attention to itself, which doesn't do the album any favors. Sounds like they couldn't quite figure out the correct way to play the "Hall of the Mountain King" theme, much in the same way that New Trolls didn't get "Night on Bald Mountain" quite right - but it's still pretty enjoyable. I especially enjoy the album's occasional jazzy edges.

I suppose this album counts as an "also-ran" in the grand scheme of Italian progressive rock, but I pull it out periodically for a listen, and it's never made it into my "finally tired of it - sell" pile.

Oh, and avoid the later reissue with the dire "bonus" tracks if possible. The one with the above cover art is the way to go.

[spacefreak]

Got the late 90s Akarma vinyl edition of this album that came with a different cover than the one displayed above. A very enjoyable record.

[moecurlythanu]

I suppose this album counts as an "also-ran" in the grand scheme of Italian progressive rock,

I bought it when it came out, and I would agree with that assessment. I think it's good, and well worth having, but gets nowhere near the heights of the top Italian Progressive Rock albums.

[TheH]

I like this album, though it isn't first league 70s Italian Prog. Still amazing what quality was hidden in a shelf over the time,
like Eneide whos album I like somewhat more.

I wish Officina Meccanica had a full album recorded back then...

[JKL2000]

Spotify has it!

[JeffCarney]

As I recall, the original CD release was clearly put through about ten tons of digital noise reduction. And of course every release since then has been sourced from that. For some reason, I think the Akarma LP sounded a bit better even though it was taken from the CD. A little softer on the ears.

Yet another example of Italian recordings which may not have been top notch but made to sound worse via being mastered without TLC.

[chalkpie]

Never 'HERD' it.

[Joe F.]

I bought the CD when it came out.

An enjoyable RPI archival release.

[grego]

Good album, as I remember.

[mellotron storm]

A really good album in my opinion. The sax, flute and organ all hit the spot for me.

[Trane]

Got the late 90s Akarma vinyl edition of this album that came with a different cover than the one displayed above. A very enjoyable record.

I like both artworks.

[Progbear]

Reviews of this one have been pretty lukewarm, so I never bothered. Though my tastes are by no means mainstream, so that might have been a mistake.

Trying to think of some other Italian 70s albums that only surfaced during the internet-borne 90s prog boom. Consorzioacquapotabile doesn’t count, I don’t think, since I think all their stuff was recorded since the 90s.

[Sputnik]

I had this on CD, I think Mark Cella gave me a spare copy he had kicking around. It never clicked with me and I ditched it ages ago.

I just scanned the whole album on Youtube. It's very disjointed. Only the shorter piece has any real flow and cohesion to my ears. The playing is so-so, the flute/sax player being the best overall, followed by the keyboard player. And I agree with Scrotum, the Hall of the Mountain King stuff on the first track is pretty cheesy, almost a deal-breaker right there.

Overall, while I wouldn't classify this as "un-listenable," I'm just not sure why I'd ever spin this over about 500 or so other albums that I think are tons better that I hardly ever get around to. Which is why I let it go. And listening to it now, I'd surely do the same thing again.

Bill

[Trane]

Overall, while I wouldn't classify this as "un-listenable," I'm just not sure why I'd ever spin this over about 500 or so other albums that I think are tons better that I hardly ever get around to. Which is why I let it go. And listening to it now, I'd surely do the same thing again.

Bill

Reviews of this one have been pretty lukewarm, so I never bothered. Though my tastes are by no means mainstream, so that might have been a mistake.

well, it's not that bad (Actually the still-recent Italian symphonic prog thread had me relistento the album, along with quite a few albums I own.
I'm not that big on Itlian prog: I must have some 30/35 albums from the 70's (a lot of it not symphonic: Area, Perigeo, Jumbo, Flea/Etna, Garibaldy, etc...) and around 10 from the 90's (Germinale, Deus Ex M, DFA, Finisterre, etc...), but that BVC album found a spot in that relatively small shelf

I'm one to prune out whatever I find unessential or that I will never relisdten to again... and I chose to keep BVC.

[Mythos]

I'm super picky when it comes to Italian prog, but I really liked this one and bought it years ago, I have the Japanese release on Melos (001)...

[Zalmoxe]

One of my favorite one-offs from Italy. Bought it twice for the different covers. I like the original Melos cover more than the Akarma release.

[spacefreak]

I like the original Melos cover more than the Akarma release.

Yeah, it's better.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Based on this thread alone, they should really get their stough together and press another 7-8000 copies of their album to sell like crazy hotcakes. And then organize a grand festival around them as headliner.

[JeffCarney]

Based on this thread alone, they should really get their stough together and press another 7-8000 copies of their album to sell like crazy hotcakes. And then organize a grand festival around them as headliner.

With no original members, some AOR material and a singer from a tribute act to replace their original guy, I'm willing to bet they'd be noticed on any of the respectable cruise line gigs.

Somebody should pitch them on managing that deal.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

this was ok in 1971 but nowhere near as excellent as the best progressive music in 1971

pretty much an "also-ran"

[JKL2000]

I came across this in my collection tonight and threw it on. I bought it before this thread started, and must have listened to it when I posted above that it's on Spotify. But it still seemed like my first listen tonight. To me, the recording quality is fine (I have the Akarma CD). I also think it's a perfectly enjoyable album, and even think the bonus tracks are pretty good. No, it doesn't stand out as among the best Italian prog albums, but it's a very enjoyable listen, so I have nothing against it! I just felt like listening to something that wasn't Steven Wislon or Transatlantic. Now though, I'm listening to Transatlantic again as I wait for the new one to drop on my welcome mat tomorrow. This fit the bill!