PLAYLIST "Psyche van het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerpen, Belgium 20004, First week of January. TOP 30 OF ITALIAN PROG, -with maximum 5 minutes of each item-. Italian prog style still is my favourite. It proves to be very intelligent music. It is mostly with a very clear melodic structure. * °30. It's for my still a bit unclear which item to choose for number 30. I guess it'll be Allan Sorrenti's second album, Come un vecchio..from '72, Although it's mostly for a large part of the titletrack that I like it so much. I used a part of it instead of my usual (7 minute) intro. * °29 Colonna sonora del film "Milano Calibro 9" Preludio,.. 72 Osanna **** Tr.5, " Variazione III " 2 min Tr.9, Variazione VII" 2 min Very good progressive soundtrack with additional classical inspirations. * °28 Io sono nato Libero 73 Banco del Mutuo Soccorso ****° Tr.4, "Il Giardino del Mago" 200- 620 5 min Original album, with interesting & beautiful instrumental arrangements & singing, very much arranged like a prog rock opera. Fragment from avery powerful track. * °27 Contaminazione 73 Il Rovescio Della Medaglia ***°° Tr.4, "Mi sono svegliato e..ho chiuso gli occhi" 047-233 2 min Tr.11, "Alzo un muro Elettrico" ->end 3 min Another unique prog album entirely based upon Bach themes, combined with hard rock etc. * °26 diario di viaggio 73 Festa Mobile ****° Tr.1, " La Corte de Hon " 5 min Another very good one, even when it's rather "melodic" in a good sense. With lots of incredible, here fast and beautifully arranged piano & keyboards. This first track is the most remarkable moment of it. * ° 25 Per Un Amico 72 Premiata Forneria Marconi ****° Tr.1, "Appena un po'" 135-530 (alternative choice : Tr.5, "Geranio" 235-650) A bit like Genesis at its best, maybe even more sophisticated thanks to strong structure and classical music in rock arrangement. After the third album their style changed. Those who like this should also try Le Orme's "Felona & Serona". * °24 An Escape from a Box 72 Circus 2000 ***°° Tr.4, "Need" 030-540 (second choice was Tr.3, "Our Father" 030-500) I like especially the power "soul" rock voice of the female singer. This album is more progressive than the debut. There are some less powerful tracks, but the long tracks are more improvised, powerful than similar groups like Jefferson Airplane. Singer's voice is much more "powerful" than for instance Grace Slick. Also comparable to this : Julian's Treatment, Analogy, Delivery, etc. * °23 The Suite 78 Analogy ****° Tr.1, "The Suite A", 1230-1600 I like this mini-album much more than the debut album. Style a bit like Julian's Treatment, Sandrose,.. a perfect consistent album. The group started of with their career in Italy, but actually became a German band around this time. * °22 Pollution 72 Franco Battiatto ***** Tr.6, " Pollution " 150-505 Genius Battiato arranges electronic music with acoustic & arranged ideas. Not easy for everybody perhaps, but too good to deny if you are able to go into the depth of its conceptual filmic musical concept. It's difficult to choose the highlight of Battiato between his first three works. Although "Sulle Corde.." might be my preferred work still I preferred to put in this list the more conceptual "Pollution" instead. * °21 Ys 72 Il Balletto Di Bronzo ***°° Tr.2, "Primo incontro" 001-325 Not all of it I can listen to too often, but a big part of it blows me away with each listen. Incredible fast arrangements, dulcimer, piano, female or male vocals & prog rock, guitar outburst arrangements, and intelligent rhythms. This is completely over the top !! * °20 Viaggio 71 Claudio Rocchi ****° Tr.8, "Acqua" ->max 5 min One of the most individually styled singer-songwriting releases. With beautiful tape experiments and mostly acoustic arrangements. Also this album might be mostly significant for putting in this list for a mostly symbolic reason, it's one of those I want to remember it for it as well. * °19 Io Non So da Dove Vengo... 72 De De Lind ****° Tr.3, " Paura del Niente " 155-510 Beautiful combination of acoustic & electric and nice rock flute passages. Beautiful concept album. * 18 Aria 72 Alan Sorrenti ****° Tr. 1, 750-max.1240 I like both first Sorrenti's albums. First album has a very good long improvisation, but this album has an open tuning from the beginning to the end. Sorrenti was here a bit the Tim Buckley experimental voice from Italy. The emotions on the first album might be more heavy. I still don't know for sure which of both albums I prefer then. * °17 Arbeit macht Frei 73 Area ***** Tr.2. "Arbeit macht frei" 400-756 (alternative choice : Tr.4, "La labbra del tempo" 030-410 Jazz(prog)rock with good keyboards and one of the most remarkable & powerful male voices in history ! This is the very strong debut. * °16 Melos 73 Cervello ***°° Tr.1, "Canto del Capro" 100-540... Very good and consistent progrock album. This fragment starts with magical surreal vocal arrangements. * °15 Corte dei Miracoli 76 Corte dei Miracoli ****° Tr.1, " ..e verra l'umomo " -> 440 Incredible prog album. These are the first 5 minutes., almost incredible, and difficult to leave it with 5 minutes.. * °14 Principe di Giorno 76 Celeste ****° Tr.2, "Favole Antiche" 020-330 A more pastoral arranged mostly acoustic prog album, with lots of mellotron and acoustic guitar and some flute and other instruments. There are more albums in this style (Errata Corridge,..) but this is my favourite. * °13 Dedicato a Frazz 73 Semiramis ***** Tr.3, "Uno zoo di vetro" 024-max.500 Masterly arranged prog rock album with lots of synth keyboard too, sometimes in high registers, which does not make it the most accessible album, although its arrangements are remarkably good. With more heavy passages too, and incredible tempo/theme changes. Still not sure where in the list I should place it. * °12 Alphataurus 73 Alphataurus ****° Tr.2, "Dopo l'uragano" 010-end Arranged progrock album with powerful male vocals. This track is one of the more heavy ones. Also Procession has a similar power, but I didn't include it in my top 35, although it's very good too, and it contains an incredible track with a fantastic electric/acoustic arrangements contrast. * °11 Banco del Mutuo Soccorso 72 Banco del Mutuo Soccorso ***** Tr.4, "Il giardino del mago"..800-1040 (alternative choice : 053-550) Great band. Fine arrangements (piano,..). Beautiful operatic male voice. I also like the later LP "Banco" a lot, especially the piano with singing passages. Banco's music might need time, like it did with me, and I'll still need more time for it to grab it all. It surely has all the elements. However I won't recommend first listeners of Italian prog to start with Banco. * °10 Sacrilegium 9? Devil Doll ***** Tr.1, 442-917 Very special conceptual theatrical music with psychological depth into traumatic filmic horror experience, lead by a lawyer, with emotional theatrical voice and arrangements, with choir, organ, progrock band and some classical music & some folk (harmonica & violin) arrangements. * °9 Campo Di Marte 73 Campo Di Marte ***** Tr.3, "Terzo tempo" 620 Fantastic contrast, arrangements, from classical music over prog rock with classical (and electric) guitar arrangements and much more ! A tremendous album. Each track is a winner ! * °8 Palepoli 73 Osanna ***** Tr.1, "Oro Caldo" 840-1124 Tr.2, ->110 (normally to give a good idea this should go all the way to 650) An album that might need more time to get a grip on everything which is in it. This is a very good prog rock album with many over the top passages. With no doubt one of the most impressive albums ever. * °7 per..Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno 72 Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno ****° Tr.2, "Si una Rupe" 015-513 Like Il Baletto Di Bronzo's or Procession's most impressive contrasts this a complete album with a perfect balanced sound in contrasting arrangements. This kind of perfectionism was most possible / typical in/for Italy. * °6 Il Tempo della Gioia 74 Quella Vecchia Locanda ***** Tr.4, " Un giorno,un amico " 012-500.. Fantastic classical arranged prog music with jazzrock feel but with additional classical arrangements in stead of jazz arrangements. With incredible almost emotional violin, and piano. * °5 Suspiria 76 Goblin ***** Tr.4, "Sighs" 040-end Perfect prog rock horror soundtrack. Goblin at its most contrasting. Not long ago I did a horror movie related progressive music special, of course with various tracks from this incredible album. * °4 Gudrun 77 Pierrot Lunaire ***** Tr.1, "Gudrun" 154-600.. At times very experimental / contemporary music like, with all kinds of varied elements, with an underlying musical, and a musically conceptual beauty. * °3 Introspezione 74 Opus Avantra ***** Tr.2, "Les plaisirs sont doux" 4 min Another beautiful album with combinations of classical music, progressive rock, experimental contemporary music, sound collage, emotional operatic female voice,.. The most accessible release of the group. I like very much Donella's voice. * °2 Tardo Pede in Magiam Versus 74 Jacula ***°°/***** (varying the approach) Tr.1, "U.F.D.E.M." 018-440 Church organ, dark mystic spiritist inspired music with varied emotional passages and emotional church organ. I especially like the contrast of emotional female voice, harpsichord, bass, guitar and church organ in this track. Also the sad track I like a lot, and the organ play. Not so long ago I did a Jacula / Antonius Rex special. This album is one of my favourite albums ever. There were many moments that I enjoyed this. * °1 Saint Just 73 Saint Just ***** Tr.1, "Il Fiume inindo" 847 (or when enough time left until the end : 1039 min). This is I think my favourite album of all times. Emotional female vocals, open tuning with acoustic guitar and piano mostly, improvisational in an emotional way. With additional amplified guitar, sax, drums, organ. Wow, wow, wow. A shame I noticed various persons don't understand this work, or probably its open emotionally conceived structure. I decided to play 10 minutes of this item in stead of playing my number 30. This was a group from Jenny Sorrenti, sister of Allan, who produced this album. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Remarks on this list are welcome : Gerald.Van.Waes@pandora.be -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other playlists : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/2003.html General index page : www.radiocentraal.be/psychevanhetfolk More detailed index page : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/index.html Receive weekly this playlist before the radioshow with new reviews and additional comments : / ontvang wekelijks playlist vòòr de radio-uitzending : Subscribe / schrijf u in : psychevanhetfolk-subscribe@yahoogroups.com