Capiscum Red - Appunti Per Un'Idea Fissa (1975)

Capiscum Red was a classically influenced progressive rock band that came out of Italy in the mid-70s. The group's sound is fairly typical of the style, and dominated by classic instrumentation; piano, moog, organ and distorted electric guitar licks. After beginning life as a pop band, Capiscum Red apparently morphed into a symphonic rock quartet, managing to release only one album before splitting up. The album itself is something of a disappointment, and a second rate Italian album at best. Again, the style is overly typical, and does little to separate itself from the slew of excellent releases from the country, sounding more like a poor man's RDM. This is further exacerbated by the lackluster sound quality, which veers from acceptable to nearly incomprehensible.

The opening cut, "Patetica" bodes well for the remainder of the album. The track is a rock rendition of a Beethoven piece, and is filled with tasteful passages and some obviously gorgeous melodies. Still, at times it is overly restrained and reverential, sounding as if the band is just playing along with the sheet music, and features few really extraordinary climaxes. The rest of the album is, frankly, less "progressive". "Equivoco" and "Rabbia & Poesia" are little more than morose pop ballads with pleasant vocal melodies backed by piano. Both are quite beautiful on their own, but don't make me necessarily want to pull out the album and play it very often. "Corale", the final piece, manages to rock out a little more, highlighted by some pyrotechnic guitar riffs. Still, it's merely okay, and the emotional impact is dulled when the band really starts to catch fire and your speakers are overtaken by booming bass drum. The bonus tracks are, to the say the least, something of an adventure. Basically, they are pop tunes taken from the band's early singles, and are of little interest to a progressive rock listener.

Based on the musical merits alone, and with a better sonic treatment, Appunti Per Un'Idea Fissa, would be a pretty decent album, though far from "great". Ultimately, when compared to the ridiculous depth of the Italian scene, it shouldn't be a particularly high priority, though you might want to pick it up eventually. This is an acceptable album with some nice moments, but certainly not an essential release. - Greg Northrup [September 2001]

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Carol of Harvest - Carol of Harvest (1978)

Carol of Harvest's only album used to be one of those rare psych/folk LPs which commanded such stratospheric prices as to put it completely out of reach of the average collector. Fortunately, the album has been re-released in a gorgeous digipak format with a slew of bonus tracks for the benefit of those of us born into the CD generation. Thankfully, the album does not disappoint, and those who possess an affinity for warm folk rock with hints of symphonic progressive rock should put this obscurity high on their wish lists.

Although the album comes out of Germany in 1978, it really sounds to me like a British album from around 1970 or '71. The songs are based around warm, acoustic guitar melodies and the outstanding vocals of front woman Beate Krause, who possesses a magical, highly emotive delivery. Moog is the keyboard of choice here, and song climaxes are marked by towering solos of said instrument. The album has often been compared to folk-rock like Mellow Candle and Trees, but I also hear an early British symphonic quality reminiscent of Cressida or Barclay James Harvest. Basically, lovers of early 70s atmosphere will flip their lid over this one, I can guarantee that. The sound quality on the reissue is gorgeous, and the entire affair has a sort of otherworldly vibe, kinda like sitting around a campfire in late autumn around nightfall, trying to get as close as possible so as not to freeze your ass off.

"Put on Your Nightcap" the 15 minute opener, is a masterpiece. Sure, there is often a slight cheese factor involving the lyrics (due to a very slight accent), but here they work well as Krause delivers some kind of wartime eulogy for those fallen in battle. The sense of haziness, mist and cannon smoke ebbs and flows throughout the track, punctuating by the clean, clear Valkyrie siren, calling the dead to Valhalla. This puts me in a trance every time I listen to it. The remainder of the album is consistently as strong. Occasionally, some of the vocal melodies can get a tad redundant ("Somewhere at the End of Our Rainbow"), but are never unpleasant. Another highlight for me is the closer of the album proper, "Try a Little Bit", by virtue of the impossibly beautiful vocal melodies. The bonus tracks are cool too. All of them are live, and despite a drop in sound quality, exhibit a more rocking approach. Yeah, this is a pretty spectacular album, maybe even a "classic" - Greg Northrup [October 2001]

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Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories (1978)

Why is it that so many American prog bands from the 70s released one or two great albums, and then just disappear? Like Yezda Ufra, Lift, Babylon and many others, Cathedral was only able to put out a single excellent album before departing into obscurity. Stained Glass Stories is a unique blending of similar symphonic bands of the golden age of prog, most prominently King Crimson and Yes, with the occasional flourish of Genesis and Gentle Giant.

The two instrumental qualities that immediately jump out are the prominent addition of lush mellotron passages and the fat Rickenbacker bass that is quite reminiscent of Chris Squire. In fact, the bassist is probably the most notable member of the group, and can easily be heard throughout the mix. The guitar playing betrays an interesting combination of influences from Howe and Fripp, and is also a large contribution to the band's overall sound. The assorted percussion also adds a nice dimension. The vocals are sometimes reminiscent of Gentle Giant singer Derek Shluman in how they sound, but are generally delivered in an overly dramatic and anguished tone that might detract for some.The songs are all long and complex pieces with plenty of instrumental action.

"Introspect" is a great opener, filled with sounds from all the aforementioned bands. "The Crossing" has a very nice church-like chorus to open up the best vocal piece of the album. "Days & Changes" really takes a page out of the Yes book, with guitar that sounds just like Howe, and some mellotron sounds that function as the band's wordless vocals. This album is a no-brainer for fans of traditional 70s symphonic prog. Although it draws heavily on other bands of that time, it is still very unique and original. - Mike Prete [February 2001]

Celeste - Celeste (1976)

This album, otherwise known as Principe di un Giorno, is one of the best so-called "pastoral" albums in progressive rock, along with Genesis' Trespass and PFM's Per Un Amico. Both those albums, especially the latter, are good places to start with as comparisons, along with perhaps the second Quella Vecchia Locanda. However, Celeste is even less rock oriented than any of the above. For the most, the music is very quiet, subdued, and extremely beautiful. Heavy influence penetrates from both folk and classical music, and acoustic guitar and piano come across as the main instruments. The vocals are extremely unassuming, similar to those of PFM, while other instruments like flute and especially mellotron add significant amounts of melodic color to the album. Celeste has a tendency to float by without even remembering that it's playing, so frequent listening and close attention is required to fully appreciate its subtle, yet powerful, emotional appeal.

The opening track, "Principe Di Giorno" is the most immediately likable on the album, featuring a very catchy vocal melody with sweeping mellotron and violin themes over sparkling piano and acoustic guitars. Songs like "Flavole Antiche" and "Eftus" are much darker in tone, using the quiet harmonies, mellotron and acoustic guitars to an almost sinister effect. "Giochi Nella Notte" employs horns, adding a subtle, jazzy character. All these songs tend to flow together as one lengthy instrumental tapestry, and none of the themes will end up jumping out at the listener on early listens. Vocals take a back seat, and this middle portion of the album takes quite a few listens to really get into. The latter portion of "Giochi..." introduces a return to lighter, more vocal material, and the rest of the album varies equally between spooky, soft passages and lively folk with gorgeous melodic themes. Being very mellow and atmospheric, this album certainly takes some time to fully unravel. Nevertheless, the album remains one of the most well-crafted, deftly composed masterpieces of the Italian prog school, and is heartily recommended for those looking for beautiful, soft symphonic rock with rich, romantic atmospheres. - Greg Northrup [April 2001]

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Cervello - Melos (1973)

Every time I think I'm scraping the bottom of the figurative barrel of Italian progressive rock, I always end up with yet another gem. The lesser known Cervello was an Osanna offshoot, founded by Corrado Rustici, younger brother of Osanna guitarist Danielo*. Aside from similarities to that band, Cervello also recalls groups like Semiramis and the always off kilter Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno. That said, Melos is still an extremely unique album, and certainly among the more idiosyncratic examples in the entire Italian scene.

The bands' sound is choked with jazzy, terse rhythms, ominous synthesizer tones and mourning, bewailed vocals. The occult chants of that open "Canto del Capro" set the tone nicely, as the band sets their sights on a lurching, Van der Graaf-ish sax groove. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Melos is its sheer unpredictability. Clean, jangling guitars overlaid with flute melodies are interrupted by chanting, ethnic percussion, or monolithic sax grooves. Still, the songs are largely dominated by the vocalist, whose eccentric caterwaul is mildly reminiscent of Il Balletto di Bronzo's Gianni Leone. Melos is a darkly enchanting album full of unexpected twists and turns along with a phenomenal melodic sense. Connoisseurs of Italian progressive rock should make Melos a high priority. - Greg Northrup [April 2002] * Thanks to Ben Miller for the correction.

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Charming Hostess - Eat (1999)

Insatiably infectious, Charming Hostess present a figurative buffet of musical treats. Take a choral trio of ladies, mix in then Idiot Flesh, now Sleepytime Gorilla Museum members, add traditional Bulgarian, Hebrew, Hungarian, folk and American gospel and purée. If this sounds like a rather strange amalgamation of disparate elements, don't be put off. Vocal gymnastics abound in intense arrangements riddled with harmonies, counterpoint, and polyrhythm, yet are instantly appealing. The upbeat pieces such as the opener "Dali Tzerni", and "Mi Nuera", a combination of three traditional Jewish wedding songs from Morocco sung in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), will rarely fail to illicit at least a wry grin from the listener. The brilliant combination of Jewlia Eisenberg, Carla Kihlstedt (who would also go on to SGM) and Nina Rolle never fails to exhibit a certain joie de vivre.

Underneath these acrobatic vocal feats is the more than competent instrumental backing. Utilizing a bevy of assorted percussion and woodwinds along with guitar, bass and violin, these chameleons switch between styles seamlessly, from the re-worked Kelzmer tune "Klezsex", the modernization of a traditional Bulgarian song with a funkified rhythm in "Elenke", to the traditional gospel chorus of "When Jesus Christ Was Here on Earth". There is never a lack of dexterity throughout, as the ensemble tackles non-standard Eastern elements with ease and melds them into their own charming brand of avant-rock. An amazing album fronting a truly unique vision, Eat comes highly recommended. - Mike Prete [November 2001]

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Cherry Five - Cherry Five (1974)

Cherry Five was basically the Italian group Goblin before they started making soundtrack films, with the exception of the vocalist. Before they dabbled in horror and atmospheric music, it seems that this band was actually a rather typical symphonic progressive group. Musically, they play in a style that is extremely derivative of Yes, albeit with an Italian progressive influence. Instrumentally, aside from their fairly unoriginal style, the group is top notch, featuring fast, perfectly executed guitar runs, sweeping mellotron, catchy organ lines and very versatile, active drums and bass. Claudio Simonetti's keyboards in particular really stand out. Vocals are somewhat of a problem, not only in the fact that they are delivered in heavily accented English, but the singer just doesn't have a very appealing voice to me, and the melodies add little to the compositions in any case.

Highlights include the very good "Picture of Dorian Gray", which exhibits some of the best of what the group can do. "The Swan is a Murderer Part 1" actually has the best vocal parts on the whole album, over a choppy, aggressive Hammond riff. "Oliver" is predominantly instrumental, so has something going for it right off the bat, but features some excellent themes. Lowlights include the extremely lame closer "My Little Cloud Land" which, as I'm sure you can infer from the song title, features some really embarrassing lyrics. Still, as usual, the music makes up for them to some extent, and the piece closes out with a grand instrumental flourish.

In general, this is extremely well played material, but the vocals are annoying and overall I certainly wouldn't cite this album as being definitive or essential. It's certainly enjoyable, but I can't really say I'd pull this out to listen to very often. Aside from some nice playing, the album is a tad derivative, and doesn't have all that much to offer that I wouldn't be able to find elsewhere. Fans of Italian symphonic should have plenty of other gems to unearth before this one. - Greg Northrup [May 2001]

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Circus - Movin' On (1977)

Although Switzerland has only produced a handful of truly great progressive rock albums, this is one of them, with a sound all its own. The lack of keyboards is filled by melodic woodwind playing from flute and sax along with vibraphone, which provides a similar harmonic dimension to that of keyboards. There is a large amount of acoustic guitar to contrast the electric, and this goes some way in adding to the already atmospheric sound created by the flutes.

Most of the music seems rooted in jazz-based symphonic rock, but I'm at a loss to come up with other bands to compare them too. The band is able to shift seamlessly from up-tempo rocking passages to mellow and atmospheric portions. The vocals are in English, but are not a hindrance since there is not much of an accent, and are not used throughout the entirety of the album.

The first two tracks are my favorites, striking a nice balance between beautiful, mellow passages and up-tempo rock, and filled with relatively complex playing. "Loveless Time" and "Dawn" are two more atmospheric and consistently beautiful pieces. The 22 minute title track contains some great, complex instrumental passages, but as a whole doesn't hold my attention throughout. Much of the song sounds vaguely improvised, and doesn't flow together as well as some of the other material on the album. Overall, Movin' On is definitely recommended. Symphonic fans looking for something a little different should check this out. - Mike Prete [February 2001]

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Comus - First Utterance (1971)

I bought this album when I was first getting into progressive rock because the band is apparently a huge influence on Opeth, one of my favorite modern metal bands. First Utterance has turned out to be an all time personal favorite for me, an excellent album filled with grim atmospheres, instrumental and vocal eccentricity, and general weirdness. Comus were a totally ignored early 70s folk/psychedelic band. They were basically doomed from the outset in that what they were trying to do was apparently too off-the-wall even for the supposedly experimental late 60s, early 70s music community. According to the liner notes, one critic called it "a cross between a frenzied version of the witches chorus from Macbeth and Marc Bolan being squeezed to death."

Listening to it today, it's easy to see that this was just a band way ahead of its time. The gruff, ecstatic vocals weren't so much grating as they were chillingly pleasant. The music is characterized by spooky acoustic passages, often very rhythmic, with violin, flute and light percussion making prominent entrances. The lyrics are twistedly grotesque ("your soft white flesh turns past me slaked with blood") and sung in a variety of vocal styles. Female vocals and guttural screeches mix with the high, airy and offsetting tone of the lead singer, often resulting in spectacular, unconventional and chilling harmonies that strike a purely magical chord. Whereas a modern band might use overt heavy electric guitars and keys to get all this dark "atmosphere" across, Comus keep it all acoustic, a testament to their talent. Rather, the "heavy" parts of the songs build up with the pounding of the acoustic guitars, percussion and cacophony of violin and flute, with rolling and growling vocals laid across the top.

Frankly, this has become one of my very favorite albums. Comus is completely unique, and their esoteric, yet addictive style only gets better with intensive listening. Moody, powerful, and tragically overlooked. - Greg Northrup [2000]

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Cornucopia - Full Horn (1973)

Cornucopia were a German group that played a style of dark, almost symphonic, fusion-tinged progressive rock.  Bands like Kraan, Ikarus and Eiliff are good reference points, but Cornucopia probably isn't quite as good as any of the above, despite the presence of Ikarus' flautist Jochen Peterson.  Stylistically, Cornucopia is quite a bit heavier, defined largely by chugging organ and strident, determined basslines rubbing up against massive, Sabbath-like guitar dirges.  Though the band featured a whopping seven members, the majority of the group make only minor additions to the overall feel.  Flute and saxophone lines often appear to spice the proceedings and complement the main dialogue of guitar and organ, but rarely assume a central role, and though the liners list the presence of two auxiliary percussionists, their contributions are rarely felt in any significant way.  Unfortunately, as can sometimes be expected from German groups, the vocals and lyrics are pretty goofy at times, but generally de-emphasized in favor of the often startling instrumental work.

The album highlight is clearly the lengthy album centerpiece "Day of a Daydreambeliever", which progresses through a series of consistently interesting, darkly melodic themes.  While some of the solo sections tend to drag a little too much for my tastes, it is an excellent piece overall.  The success of the first side is carried over onto "Spot on You, Kids", a twelve minute number which, despite testing my tolerance for the silly vocals, still manages a number of stunning sections.  The dual-tracked, reverb-laden guitar solos are particularly haunting here.  The song segues nicely into the sustained guitar and organ layers of "And the Madness...", which recalls Jane or even Pink Floyd.  The only throw away cut here is the mercifully short, dinky pop tune "Morning Sun".  A solid album overall. - Greg Northrup [July 2002]

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Corte dei Miracoli- Corte dei Miracoli (1976)

This is another Italian great that falls into the realm of traditional, keyboard-based symphonic rock. Corte Dei Miracoli features two keyboardists and their sound is based around intense, melodic keyboard duels. Usual suspects like moog, Hammond, mellotron (I think), piano and synthesizers build into awesome climaxes and dance around each other with powerful melodic interplay. Corte Dei Miracoli has that distinct Italian sense of melody, which can extremely ethnic or folky sounding in quality, and often recalling the legendary Le Orme, but perhaps even more intricate due to the dual keyboard attack. The best thing about all this is that the band manages to pull it off without being 'wanky' at all. Pretty much every solo manages to become eventually applied towards distinct harmonic interplay, pure power, or delicate melody. The vocals have been criticized in some reviews, but I have absolutely no problem with them. The vocalist sings some phenomenal melodies and manages to carry his voice well to my ears.

The opener, "...E Verro l'Uomo" is one of the downright best Italian progressive rock songs ever, an utterly fantastic piece with a rousing and addictively catchy vocal part. The beginning features extremely intense, driving keyboard riffs that set the tone perfectly for the rest of the album. The other real highlight, and perhaps another all-time favorite track, is "Una Storia Fiabesca", another beautiful tune that builds into an up-beat and aggressive section with more great vocal parts. "I Due Amanti" is a great 13 minute epic that closes the album in grand fashion, utilizing a somewhat softer, and grander, compositional touch, but is another extraordinary track. Overall, I was extremely pleased with this album, and like the Maxophone album, found it to be another severely underrated Italian gem. Don't even think about closing the book on the Italian symphonic scene without hearing this album - Greg Northrup [April 2001]

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Crack - Si Todo Hiciera (1978)

Upon hearing Si Todo Hiciera, it's clear that Crack was a classic symphonic progressive band of the highest order, probably heavily influenced by Italian greats like PFM or Locanda delle Fate. This is grandiose, orchestral, sweeping music with heavy classical flourish, varied instrumentation and a dramatic flair. Although Si Todo Hiciera lacks the regional and ethnic influences of say, Mezquita, the band does mix in what seems to be a Spanish folk feel from time to time. For the most part though, this is just phenomenal symphonic prog with a heavy emphasis on beautiful, romantic melodies and the dramatic development of themes into mammoth climaxes. The band isn't afraid to rock out from time to time either, allowing electric guitar to fire away beneath the shimmering pianos and cascading keyboard and flute themes during the emotional peak of any given track.

The liner notes are in Korean, so I was unable to locate a list of instruments used, but there seems to be a generous helping of classic keys like mellotron and moog, along with some synthesizer and piano. Flute and guitar are both prominently emphasized throughout the album as well. The tracks are generally based around the vocals, which don't stand out in particular, but are at least acceptable as they have some gorgeous melodies to work with. The first two tracks here are monsters, pretty much as good as semi-pastoral, heavily melodic progressive gets. "Descenso en el Mahellstrong" is an instrumental of blistering power when it hits its stride, while "Amantes de le Irrealidad" is a powerful number that stands with the finest work from Quella Vecchia Locanda or PFM. The album doesn't retain the same level of quality for its duration however, as the middle tracks are slightly more ballad-esque, and based around the vocals. "Buenos Deseos" features some female vocals in duet with the male lead, which comes off as somewhat cheesy. Still, these tracks don't significantly drag things down, they're just not at the same extremely high level as the first two. The album kicks back into gear for the final three songs. Most impressive is the superb title track, which features heart wrenching keyboard and flute interplay. All in all, Crack plays symphonic progressive rock with a heavy emotional weight and gorgeously complex melodic feel. Like an amalgamation of Yes and Locanda delle Fate, with a very slight Spanish touch. I'm just a sucker for this kind of stuff. - Greg Northrup [June 2001]

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Crucible - Tall Tales (1997)

Crucible's Tall Tales was an album I had read about in various progressive rock journals, and being the inquisitive type, I ferreted this title out to put it to the test. I don't know whether it was the cover, but I was immediately drawn towards it as it typified many of the classic releases from the 70s that we all cherished when they were released in their original vinyl format, replete with large 12" covers. The keyboard player, Tim Horan is credited with all of the song writing and it is easy to see he has a well developed style that enables his fellow cohorts sufficient room to stretch out where necessary. Bear in mind, however, this is not an album full of pyrotechnics and flash. Rather, each song unfolds gradually within a solid framework that allows the story to be fully absorbed and appreciated.

Similarities include a slightly more melodic Rush, Ambrosia, particularly the second track, "The Poet Liar", possibly some Styx although Bill Esposito has a much more engaging voice than Dennis De Young who sings in too high a register for my liking. Hell, there's even some short Cressida style of organ work that sounds good. Lyrically, I can't fault the album as everything works well although a few extended instrumental breaks would have complemented the otherwise excellent choice of songs.  Long, scorching lead breaks are not in abundance on the album but somehow they are not missed too much so it's definitely a case of enjoying Bill's wonderful voice and the lyrics for their message and story line. Bill is also accompanied by his brother, Dan on guitars, while Chris Kasidas handles the basics and Tony Cappellina provides plenty of competent drumming.

Although there's nothing too ground breaking to be experienced on this outing, this is the perfect type of album you would use to introduce a friend to the wonderful world of progressive rock music. Nothing too serious, nothing too abstract, nothing too difficult and sufficiently engaging to enable a newbie to dive in at the deep end and cast off their musical virginity.  A good effort guys and one definitely worth checking out. - Greg Cummins [October 2001]

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Culpeper's Orchard -Culpeper's Orchard (1970)

The self titled debut album from the Danish Culpeper's Orchard is actually a fairly impressive entry into the early progressive/post-psychedelic ranks.  Indeed, it's probably among the finest albums I've heard in this particular style.  At once highly melodic and whimsical, the band has a sharp knack for dark, swirling psychedelia and stunning melancholy.  Essentially, the sound is characterized by a hefty amount of overlaid clean, jangling electric guitars, punctuated by the occasional surging distorted riff or fuzzed out solo.  Vocals are smoky and sublime, capable of some extraordinarily addictive melodies, fusing beautifully with the grace and atmosphere of the rest of the album.  Having not heard much other Danish prog to compare this to, one pleasant surprise was that even though the lyrics are in English, there is scarcely an accent to be detected.  Not sure if that's par for the course or not, but I wouldn't know this album wasn't from England unless informed otherwise.  The lyrics are generally pleasantly eccentric, often strikingly evocative if marred by the occasionally embarrassing line.  Anyway, despite all the attributes of the album, there are some flaws, mostly having to do with a lack of consistency throughout.  Had the strength of the first half of the album, particularly in the rousing "Mountain Music Part 1" and the stunningly gorgeous "Teaparty for an Orchard", been sustained on the second, this would be an unequivocal classic.  As it stands, Culpeper's Orchard get less interesting from "Ode to Resistance" on, until we are rescued by the sweepingly powerful closer, "Mountain Music Part 2".  Sure, the redundant refrains of "Gideon's Trap" and "Blue Day's Morning" may fly by unnoticed the first few times through, being buried in the middle of the album (as filler should be), but more frequent listenings do reveal a drop in quality towards the latter half.  Still, a continuity is undoubtedly maintained through the general tone and atmosphere that renders the albums weaker sections more anonymous than offensive.

Overall the album has grown to be something of a favorite of mine.  Despite the admitted dud here and there, the great songs on here are absolutely fantastic, exquisitely arranged psych/prog rife with stunning dynamics and breathtaking moments.  Turn on the lava lamp, toke up and immerse yourself. - Greg Northrup [February 2002]

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