LP DI PRIMAVERA

Pop-prog, sometimes cheesy, but beautifully done

Capricorn College and composer Mario Barimar have teamed up to concoct an album of melodic Italian pop music with some progressive rock influence. This second album is reportedly not as good as the previous "Orfeo 2000" but is quite unfairly maligned in some of the various writings I found about the group (and believe me there isn't much out there.) The band has worked with Barimar dating back to the '60s but reportedly did not participate in the Italian pop festivals of the early '70s like so many of their peers.

Let's be clear: while I have not heard the first album I can confidently say that this is not Italian progressive rock of the likes of Balletto di Bronzo, Area, or Semiramis. And yet I enjoy this album very much. This is an album of short but nicely arranged pop/rock songs made under the influence of the Prog that was popular at the time. There is also some light jazz and very mild psych influence in some tracks. You hear nice piano runs, flutes, synths, sax, and orchestrations. There are some short but well done solos sprinkled throughout on nearly all instruments which serve to add some color and depth to the pop vocal frame. Electric leads, velvety saxes and nice piano are all prevalent. And the songs are well done! The sound quality is good, the musicians are all good, the vocal harmonies excellent. Whoever constructed these tracks and produced the album did a fine job. The lyrics are said to be banal which of course I can't confirm, but the melodies are very good pop melodies, wistful, nostalgic, upbeat, romantic, and yeah..sometimes cheesy. There is a definite grandiosity that runs through many of the better tracks. Think of '60s/'70s pop songs like "Time of the Season" or Chicago's "Colour my World" but with the Italian Pop sound and you may get a mental picture of what the group sounds like. At times they can remind me of Cherry 5 (though less adventurous than that), the lighter sides of Fabio Celi, Raminghi, or some of the lighter singer/songwriters of Italy who played a bit with prog sounds. Most songs are very short with vocals, usually harmonies, and mostly safe enough that your grandma could enjoy them.

I like this album but could certainly not rate it higher than 3 stars at this site. Only those who love romantic Italian pop/light-prog need apply. For those who are this melodic lost gem will make you smile. The Vinyl Magic reissue featured decent sound as mentioned by no history or Bio unfortunately and in fact the booklet is but a two-page foldover. Certainly not essential but for someone who sells or gives away much of what I buy for reviews, I can assure you I won't be selling this sentimental, sunny slice of Spring-time love-song vibe, cheesy or not. For this is music to simply be enjoyed for melody and pleasantry and not scrutinized under the prog microscope.

For their second release not much have changed regarding Capricorn College's line-up,except the departure of flutist Guerrino Franchini and the arrival of saxophonist Antonio Balsamo.The band presented itself now under the title ''Barimar & Capricorn College'', where Barimar is the pseudonym of the band's keyboardist,main composer and arranger Mario Barigazzi.Their second and last album ''Di primavera'' was again released on Kansas in 1974.

And seems like time went backwards for this act as, after the semi-progressive ''Orfeo 2000'', the new album contains mainly melodic Pop music split into 12 short tracks with sweet vocals,light piano and organs and occasional sax solos.The musicianship is quite versatile,however the band never escapes from the strict pop lines they set and only a few tracks contain soft symphonic elements,mainly in the instrumentral parts.Yet even those are played with little heart and in a rather accesible form and the work even sounds dated and cheesy at moments with strong 60's beat influences.Still there are places where the band impresses with some nice-songwriting, but no more than these.

Eventually the band split up after this release,which produced only one from the five singles the band's discography contains.Far not only from the progressive spirit of the time,but even from their semi-artistic debut,Capricorn College's final work will appeal only to those who don't mind to listen to some romantic Italian Pop music from time to time.