Isn't that the incredible Hulk's calmer brother on the cover? Or the Jolly Green Giant on tranquilizers?
This band were the Italian Prog equivalents of 'The Prats' or 'Die 2. Liga' as they were all teenagers, but unlike Their punk rock equivalents they were supremely Virtuosic on their chosen instruments.....the little show-off bastards!
Formed when they were all 15 in 1970, these smart-arse kids were pushing 18 when this album came out....almost over the hill in pop terms, so Prog was a wise career choice.Sadly,as seemed to be the norm in Italian Prog, they did one excellent album then fucked off to be forgotten....all except singer/guitarist Michele Zarrillo, who managed to achieve a 'pop' career somehow!
According to this very 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!"
Yep,thank you unknown scribe, that sums it all up rather succinctly.
Tracklist:
1 La Bottega Del Rigattiere
2 Luna Park
3 Uno Zoo Di Vetro
4 Per Una Strada Affollata
5 Dietro Una Porta Di Carta
6 Frazz
7 Clown
Tracklist:
1 La Bottega Del Rigattiere
2 Luna Park
3 Uno Zoo Di Vetro
4 Per Una Strada Affollata
5 Dietro Una Porta Di Carta
6 Frazz
7 Clown
4 comments:
Virtuosic.
The singer's vocal delivery sounds a lot like Styx in places where he's not trying to sound like Pavarotti, and there are ELP comparisons to be made for a lot of this music. Yes there are some unexpected musical changes but it's quite overrated(man do these Italians love their proggy bombast).
I'm pleased to say that I've never knowingly heard Styx. As for ELP....'ELP (help).I have heard ELP's first album, and side one is rather excellent,and i can understand their far ranging influence, be that good or bad?
as for Italian prog singers, Opera is a cultural influence on style, but not on vocal de;livery which is rather reedy and throaty...they do NOT sing from the diaphragm.
No-ones over-rating it here i can asure you of that, its just fun to listen to of an evening,and comes without the Prog baggage you get with UK prog.(King Crimson and Van der graaf excepted).
HAHA, that cover..... almost in same class as Hardcore For The Masses LP:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hard-Core-For-The-Masses/release/1849490
But thanks anyway!
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