Golden Age Of Italian Progressive Rock

The Italians put out some of the greatest Progressive Rock in the early 70s. Lets show clips of your favorite bands and discuss. Here's one of my favorites Il Balletto Di Bronzo YS. And please don't let the language scare you it's better in Italian then English much more emotion and feeling!

01 - Introduzione
02 - Primo incontro
03 - Secondo incontro
04 - Terzo incontro
05 - Epilogo
Il Balletto di Bronzo (Italian: "Bronze Ballet") was an Italian progressive rock band from Naples. They formed in the mid-1960s, and released two albums, Sirio 2222 and Ys, before disbanding in 1973.

Sirio 2222 (1970) is a psychedelic album originally released on RCA Italiana. The line-up of the band at this time was Marco Cecioni (vocals, guitar), Lino Ajello (guitar), Michele Cupaiuolo (bass) and Giancarlo Stinga (drums).

In 1971 both Cecioni and Cupaiuolo left the band, replaced by Gianni Leone (vocals, keyboards), from the band Città Frontale, and Vito Manzari (bass), formerly of Rome's Quelle Strane Cose Che. This line-up released Ys in 1971 on Polydor, regarded as one of the finest examples of Italian symphonic rock.

Written by Leone, Ys is a concept album divided into four parts: "Introduzione", "Primo Incontro", "Secondo Incontro" and "Terzo Incontro ed Epilogo".

The band released several singles, among them "Neve Calda/Cominciò per gioco", "Si, Mama Mama/Meditazione" and "La tua casa comoda/Donna Vittoria". Over the years, several rarities, including previously unreleased Spanish language singles, have surfaced.

Despite breaking up in the early 1970s, Il Balletto di Bronzo continued to exert an influence, mostly on the strength of their second album. Several bands, amongst them Nurse With Wound, have cited them as an influence: The band is on the Nurse With Wound list. The album Ys has been reissued at different times in Italy, Korea and Japan.

In the late 1990s, Gianni Leone reformed the band as a trio, recording the live album Trys. As of this writing this incarnation of the band is still active as a live ensemble with a rotating roster, Leone being the sole constant.

 

My absolute all time favorite Italian ProgRock....and favorite album by them, c. 1971-1972



Saw them in 1974 at a small theatre in Arlington, Texas....recorded the show on cassette and actually got backstage with a friend after their opening set (back up to Dave Mason) and spoke to a couple of them while recording that conversation too.

Tapes are long gone however.

I was in the upper tier, while my buddy was down in front and he recorded the show as well. We used to sync up our players and have a front to rear stereo re-enactment of the show ! Great times....

 

Per Un Amico by PFM is another gem in Italian Progressive Rock. I love this album and there first Storia Di Un Minuto also from 1972. Per Un Amico opened the way to broader audience recognition all across Europe. It featured a more sophisticated 16 track production and allowed the group to refine their Italian progressive rock sound. Great album love it!

 

Semiramis one of the best Italian Progressive bands period! A masterpiece!

Listen to the whole album you will not be disappointed!
The band was formed in 1970 by Maurizio Zarrillo (keyboards) and the two cousins Marcello Reddavide (bass) and Memmo Pulvano (drums). They were all 15-years old. Two years later they were joined by 16 year old Michele Zarrillo who substituted former singer Maurizio Macioce. They played in some live open-air concerts in Rome until Pulvano left and drummer Paolo Faenza joined other members.

Their unique album, released by Trident Records in 1973 that was commercially unsuccessful, but which later has become regarded as a classic of Italian progressive rock. The album featured a cover by Gordon Faggetter. According to a favorable review, Semiramis pile it on from every angle. Synths go awry, voices scream, guitars go a hundred miles a second, drums jettison you across the room. How could a group compose so many ideas? There are literally 15 albums on this!

After the band split up, singer and guitarist Michele Zarrillo joined a later incarnation of Il Rovescio della Medaglia. In the 1980s he began a successful solo career as a pop music singer. He has released 10 full studio albums, as well as a host of singles.
Lineup

• Michele Zarrillo (guitar, vocals)
• Maurizio Zarrillo (keyboards)
• Marcello Reddavide (bass)
• Paolo Faenza (drums, percussion, vibes)
• Giampiero Artegiani (acoustic guitar, synth)

 

I have been a fan of the Italian Progressive scene from a while, and always have seen that one of my very favorite band is kind of underrated: Jumbo.

They formed back on 1970

lineup:
1970-72:
Alvaro Fella (vocals, acoustic guitar, sax, keyboards, percussion)
Daniele Bianchini (guitar)
Dario Guidotti (flute, mouth harp, acoustic guitar, percussion)
Sergio Conte (keyboards, vocals)
Aldo Gargano (bass, guitar)
Vito Balzano (drums, percussion, vocals)

1973:
Balzano replaced by:
Tullio Granatello (drums)

I was looking in YouTube to place my favorite tunes but they aren't there, so here is one not the strongest one but a good one:

40 Gradi from their album Vietato Ai Minori di 18 Anni

 

Being Italian, I thank you for this thread and each time I am amazed because of I can see how much Italian music is appreciated abroad; undoubtedly the prog-rock was not born in Italy, but joining with the melodic taste typical of Italian music, gave birth to a sound and a way of playing the prog-rock very unique and easily recognizable. As far as we can debate, the Italian band with more technical skills and capability in exploring new sounds were Area with Demetrio Stratos: each component was/is a phenomenon regarding its own instrument ( I really like the electric bass and the bass-line of the song " the white elephant " is one of the most beautiful I have ever heard ... ): i prefer album like " Arbeit " and " Crac ! " but also the subsequent albums are phenomenal especially for those who like the more experimental sounds .

The "golden age" of Italian prog. lasted for about seven years, until 1977, the year in which was released "Forse le lucciole non si amano più" by the band la Locanda delle Fate: a true masterpiece of melodic beauty and Italian taste.

I know that Italian prog. vinyl have very high prices on the market, but many collectors do not knows that it is often quite difficult to distinguish the first press from subsequent reissues especially regarding albums like "Storia di un minuto" and "Per un amico" (by P.F.M.) and "Dies Irae" (by Formula Tre), and also many others: there are details that only those who attended the collectors-world in Italy may know, so be careful: before you throw money away, try to inform you as much as possible.

One of my favorite Italian-prog. albums? "Fiore di Metallo" by I Califfi

 

Osanna is my fave band, their first 2 LPs are psych/ Zappa-esque MONSTERS !!!

 

Thanks for starting this thread. Many of these bands are sadly overlooked, which is a shame because it's some of the best music I've ever heard.

I have to second the vote for "Ys" by Il Balletto Di Bronzo. That album is an absolutely towering achievement.

 

Area is one great Italian band. Demetrio Stratos could do things with his voice no one else could do. My favorite album by Area is 'Crac'. It is my pleasure to start a thread on Italian Progressive Rock one of my favorite genres!

 

I enjoy several of the bands that have been mentioned, though a couple are still unfamiliar to me. Lately, I've been on a big Banco del Mutuo Soccorso kick. Sadly, we lost one of the greats, their vocalist Francesco di Giacomo, who died in a car crash recently. Along with P.F.M. and Area, these guys have one of the most formidable discographies from the whole R.P.I. scene. Their first three albums are particularly essential, but I've only recently checked out their outstanding live album from 1975, Seguendo le Tracce, which is a powerful overview of the first phase of their career, almost like a live "best of". The band is fine form here with Nocenzi brothers demonstrating their patented two keyboard attack to great effect.

 

Banco as you said there first three albums are essential! Great band, the live album is incredible Seguendo Le Tracce. The 26 minute Metamorfosi is some of the finest live Progressive you will ever hear great choice.

 

Biglietto per l'Inferno

Another gem from 1974. I like how they mix heavy rock with Progressive sounds. A cornerstone in the genre and one fine effort. They also had a two keyboard attack!
Past Lineup

• Giuseppe Banfi - organ, minimoog
• Fausto Branchini - bass
• Claudio Canali - flute, flugehorn, vocals
• Giuseppe Cossa - piano, organ, keyboards
• Mauro Gnecchi - drums
• Marco Mainetti - guitar
• Track listing
  1. "Ansia" – 4:16
  2. "Confessione" – 6:32
  3. "Una Strana Regina" – 6:11
  4. "Il Nevare" – 4:36
  5. "L'Amico Suicida" – 13:20
  6. "Confessione (Strumentale)" – 3:31 Only on the reissued CD

 

Maybe one day the great classics of Italian prog. will be available in audiophile edition.... who knows? although I do not think that the most quoted mastering engineers (American and / or British) are interested in this particular genre of music; not to mention the copyright problem about the original master-tapes .....

 

fusion Prog -

 

Iv'e not heard but a few Italian bands....this is another I enjoy, from 1977.





I got his LP back in my ProgRock days that dominated my music buying from about '74 till '77.

Storia o leggenda è un LP del complesso musicale italiano Le Orme. Fu inciso nel 1977 a Parigi. Le atmosfere francesi emergono in diverse delle storie raccontate nel 33 giri, ispirato anche al viaggio nella capitale, come anche dichiarato dagli artisti: sono spesso delineate musicalmente con l'ausilio della fisarmonica, altre volte vengono raccontate dalla voce di Aldo Tagliapietra poche parole in lingua francese. Un mercato delle pulci a Parigi è il tema del brano strumentale di chiusura che, nell’introduzione, presenta l'uso dei vari strumenti a percussione idiofoni, quelli che caratterizzeranno il lavoro di Michi nell’album a venire.

Il singolo estratto è Se io lavoro, probabilmente meno conosciuto del retro, il brano che dà il titolo all'album. La copertina del disco è di Walter Mac Mazzieri, e ricorda quindi da vicino quella dell'LP Uomo di pezza.
Tracce

Musiche e testi di Pagliuca-Tagliapietra.

Tenerci per mano - 4:40
Storia o leggenda - 5:05
Il musicista - 4:47
Come una giostra - 4:30
Se io lavoro - 4:20
Un angelo - 4:50
Il quadro - 4:10
Al mercato delle pulci - 4:05

Formazione

Tony Pagliuca – tastiere, fisarmonica
Aldo Tagliapietra – voce, basso
Michi Dei Rossi – batteria, percussioni
Germano Serafin - chitarra elettrica

 

Now that we are talking about Le Orme, a favourite of mine:

Era Inverno

 

Killer album Metamorfosi Inferno!

 

Museo Rosenbach was formed around 1971 as Inaugurazione del Museo Rosenbach ("The Inauguration of Rosenbach Museum") when two bands, La Quinta Strada and Il Sistema joined forces. La Quinta Strada and Il Sistema had played mostly songs by other popular artists like Jimi Hendrix and rock groups such as The Kinks, The Animals and Steppenwolf and by Rhythm & Blues stars likeOtis Redding and Wilson Pickett.

The band name may have been inspired by Premiata Forneria Marconi and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. If these other bands had named themselves after a bakery and a bank, the band thought it was reasonable to create a "Museum" dedicated to the German publisher Otto Rosenbach. Other possible inspirations for the name may have come from the eclectic collections of the Rosenbach Museum & Libraryin Philadelphia, PA or simply the poetic name "Rosenbach", which means "brook of roses" in German.

Influenced by Pink Floyd and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (among others), Museo Rosenbach released their first and most well-known album Zarathustra in April 1973. The songs on Zarathustra displayed the influence of classical music and the heavy keyboard passages (synthesizer, mellotron and Hammond organ) typical of other Italian progressive rock groups of the time and of progressive rock in general. Vocalist Stefano Galifi's distinctive voice and keyboard player Pit Corradi added originality to the band sound.

The band provoked controversy for their supposed right-wing inclinations stemming from the image of Mussolini found in the collage on the album cover, and the Nietzsche-inspired lyrics.

Drummer Giancarlo Golzi later the pop band Matia Bazar.
1973 lineup

• Stefano Galifi - vocals
• Enzo Merogno - guitar, vocals
• Pit Corradi - keyboards
• Alberto Moreno - bass, piano, mellotron
• Giancarlo Golzi - drums, percussion, vocals

 

Alphataurus is an Italian progressive rock band from the Milan area. Under the original lineup Alphataurus released only one album,Alphataurus, dated 1973, at the peak of the European progressive rock wave. The album was generally well received and work on a second album started, but due to “a string of personal events” the band split up in 1973. .

Some tracks from a second album were finally released in 1992 on the record Dietro l'uragano. The first album had a second life with good sales later, and it is still selling today.

In the year 2009 Guido Wassermann and Pietro Pellegrini, two members of the original line up, decided it was the time to return to the scene, and reformed the band to record a new album, including both revised tunes from the second incomplete album as well as brand new tunes.
1973 Line-up

• Pietro Pellegrini - keys
• Guido Wassermann - guitars/vocals
• Alfonso Oliva - electric bass
• Giorgio Santandrea - drums
• Michele Bavaro - vocals

 

Track listing
Music by Vittorio Nocenzi except (3) by Gianni Nocenzi. Lyrics by Francesco Di Giacomo and Vittorio Nocenzi.

1. "Canto nomade per un prigioniero politico" [1] – 15:46
2. "Non mi rompete" – 5:09
3. "La città sottile" – 7:13
4. "Dopo... niente è più lo stesso" – 9:55
5. "Traccia II" – 2:39

• A translation into English could be as follows:

1. "Nomad chant for a political prisoner"
2. "Don't bother me"
3. "The subtle town"
4. "Then... nothing is still the same"
5. "Track II"

Personnel

• Vittorio Nocenzi – Organ, synths, spinet
• Gianni Nocenzi – Piano, electric piano
• Marcello Todaro – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Renato D'Angelo – bass, acoustic guitar
• Pier Luigi Calderoni – drums, percussion
• Francesco Di Giacomo – voca
• Banco's third and best in my opinion.

 

a beautiful piece

 

You can't go wrong with those first three Banco albums.

Picchio dal Pozzo's lovely debut album (1976) draws inspiration more from the heady , jazz infused Canterbury sound, in particular Robert Wyatt (with a few nods to Zappa as well). Many of the pieces have a hypnotic, dreamlike quality, while others venture into more more abrasive RIO territory.

 

PFM first album and what a beautiful recording it is!
Storia Di Un Minuto is the first album of the Italian progressive rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi. It was released by the Numero Uno division of RCA Records in Italy. The album topped the Italian album charts after only one week and was the first album by an Italian rock group to achieve this kind of success.

Storia di un minuto is essentially a progressive rock album with traces of symphonic rock, and borrows influences from a range of genres. The album received a positive review from Allmusic, and was deemed as one of the greatest debuts in the history of prog rock, parallel to other British bands. It contains re-recorded versions of songs from their first single Impressioni di settembre b/w La carrozza di Hans. Also included are È Festa and Dove... Quando... which continue to be essential parts of their live concerts.
Track listing

1. "Introduzione" - 1:09 (Franco Mussida)
2. "Impressioni Di Settembre" - 5:44 (Mussida, Mogol, Mauro Pagani)
3. "È Festa" - 4:52 (Mussida, Pagani)
4. "Dove... Quando... Parte 1" - 4:10 (Mussida, Pagani)
5. "Dove... Quando... Parte 2" - 6:01 (Mussida, Pagani)
6. "La Carrozza Di Hans" - 6:46 (Mussida, Pagani)
7. "Grazie Davvero" - 5:51 (Mussida, Pagani)

Personnel

• Franz Di Cioccio – Drums, Moog, Gadgets, Vocal
• Franco Mussida – Electric & Acoustic guitar, 12 String guitar, Mandocello, Voice
• Mauro Pagani – Flute, Piccolo, Violin, Voice
• Giorgio Piazza – Bass, Vocal
• Flavio Premoli – Organ, Piano, Mellotron, Harpsichord, Moog, Voice