ESSERE O NON ESSERE ?

Not always the most respected of Italian prog bands, which I can't figure out why. 1975's "Essere O Non Essere", Italian for "To Be or Not To Be", is their second and final album, and is usually regarded as their best album. Labelmates (Numero Uno) PFM often gets compared, but I really can't figure out why. To me, this is your typical mid '70s funk-influenced prog rock, loaded with lots of Hohner Clavinet, and Solina string synths with fusion tendencies, and electronic saxes (which I presume is the Computone Lyricon). Most of the time the band jams, so it's not the most complex of prog, but they put out some incredible music. If you enjoy EELA CRAIG's "One Niter" or the more funky moments of GOBLIN's "Roller" (specifically "Snip Snap"), then you'll definately enjoy this album.