LA BOTTEGA DELL'ARTE

Well here is their first release and for me is yet another incredible Italian progressive rock recording. This is very professional sounding symphonic prog of the highest quality. Swirling dual keyboards with incredible vocal harmonies put to the most beautiful songs you have ever heard. Fans of symphonic Italian prog will surely drool over this recording. I would put this recording on the essential list for you next prog shopping experience... essential music.

When I started listeninig to progressive rock, These album was probably the second or third I heard, which definitely makes it one of my all life favorites. But leaving apart my feelings, it's a very fine, melodic and romantic release. For those who need to hear something light. If you can find it.

The first song features gentle vocals, piano and acoustic guitar and then the drums and organ come in. The song ends with an uptempo country melody. Not a good start. "Come Due Bambina" has a good chorus with orchestral strings. "Ripensare a Lei" is a mellow song with acoustic guitar and fragile vocals. "Camelot" opens with marching drums and light classical keys. There are some good flute, keyboard interplay. "Noi Nel Bene, Noi Nel Male" has a great full sound and good harmonies in the chorus.

"Un Esistenza" opens with the sound building and then the drums come pounding in. It turns pastoral and the contrast of the pastoral and full sound continues. "Amore Non Amore" opens with strings, drums and keys that sound great. "A Cynthia" has a great chorus and again the pastoral and the full sound is contrasted. The final song is easily my favourite as the guitar finally stands out, I love the melody.

I do feel let down by this release, I was expecting more but it's still worth checking out.

I honestly don't understand why this band is listed in PA.

They're not a horrible band and they're musically talented. I would just like to offer a warning to others out there exploring the italian prog scene who stumble upon comments comparing this band to the likes of other italian prog acts.

These guys are *not* in the same class of music as Le Orme or Locanda Della Fate, etc... Not even close or in the same galaxy.

This is not progressive music. It's basically italian beat/pop with a boy meets girl, girl leaves boy, boy misses girl, girl wants nothing to do with boy, boy sobs and cries and begs for the girl to take him back, etc..-type themes ad nauseum.

Don't get me wrong as I enjoy italian beat pop to the likes of Capricorn College and I, Pooh (Parsifal is a beautiful album), etc.. but this album is miles below that as it reminds me more of the DeFranco Family - It's a Heartbeat, It's a lovebeat sort of stuff if you get my drift. The singer has high pitched vocals which are particularly annoying. He sounds like he's love sick for the girl who dumped him and I hope that he was able to deal with his emotional problems and issues because he sure saturated this album with them.

Unlike Capricorn College (which I find to be pretty decent and worth listening to), this album is loaded with super-corny melodies and vocals that belong on some old Brady Bunch episode. For those who remember the Bradies singing When it's time to change (with Peter's voice changing as a result of his 13th birthday), I can tell you that the Brady's song is more progressive than the music that you will hear on this album.

I can't stress enough that I *do* like italian melodic pop to the likes of Capricorn College, Angelo Branduardi (Alla Fiera Dell'Este is good), Lucio Battisti, and I Pooh's Parsifal as those albums are not corny and love-sick-sounding. This Bottega Del Arte band sounds like a bunch of 14 year old teenagers singing in the ad nauseum Brady Bunch / Partridge Family style.

Buy with caution. I'll almost pay someone to take this cd off my hands as I really can't see myself listening to this again. The singer is just really dripping with syrup and whining and crying. This stuff is so corny that it makes The Monkees sound as serious/intense as the Miles Davis' Bitches Brew jazz compositions.

Somebody please tell me how this album/band could be spoken in the same breath as the likes of Le Orme, Osanna, Locanda Della Fate?? In-fact, someone please tell me how these guys could be spoken in the same breath as even Capricorn College or La Famiglia Di Ortega as those 2 bands were magnitudes better in the genre.

I maybe think Barry Manilow would like this album? It's similar in style. Add a lot of cheese and whine to the music too.

Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy's heart, boy cries for lost love under the tree, etc... Bah!!!!

Where's my Osanna Palepoli album?

It is something very difficult to write a review on "La Bottega delle Arte" in his self titled disk, release in 1975. Because in spite of some passages in that the band takes a risk some brief adventures for themes that can be considered progressive, just as in the final section of the track 1 " Il Fiume, Il Villaggio, La Miniera " in that it presents a typical melody of "cabaret", and of the use of some intruments that are easily associated to the rock (especially the progressive) I didn't get to identify his music as progressive music. Except for the track 4 "Camelot" and of the track 6 "Un' Esistenza" (with a beautiful guitar solo, and the vocals in the close section ) that really present characteristics of progressive, the disk is composed of ballads in a pastoral climate or maybe romantic that it didn't really please me. For this reason, my quotation is of only 2 stars..

Beautiful Ital-pop, light prog album

I'm so happy that the infamous Proglucky added this band to the archives long ago, a group that might otherwise not been approved. And I'm grateful to Psarros for writing a review of their previous prog single that caught my eye and made me finally stop and check out this band. While some trash this album because it isn't "progressive enough" I think they are missing the point. These guys weren't out to make Palepoli or Darwin, they are an Ital-pop group with a light symphonic prog touch. If you adjust your expectations and if you enjoy the warmth and melody of the 70s Italian pop, you will not want to miss this album, it's a beauty.

In the mid 70s the Calabrese brothers teamed up with three long time buddies to record several album Lise describes very well in our bio as "characterized by luscious memorable melodies, impressive vocal harmonies and plenty of swirling keyboards that give their material a rich, full-bodied symphonic sound." What makes the band special is their enthusiasm and their penchant for that "rich" sound. They have all the usual elements of quality Italian pop/light prog, the sentimental romantic melodies, the great vocals, a variety of keyboards and piano, but the elements are displayed with pomp by a rock band with enthusiasm. Listen to the baroque feel of "Camelot", it's an incredible track and most fully "prog". Great arrangements of keys and flute with regal sounding runs. " Un' Esistenza" is another beautiful song, it just shimmers with glossy symph overtones, some cool synth effects, understated guitar, and heart! "A Cynthia" is another good track that rocks with quirky abandon, almost psych-pop in spots with a whimsical feel as the band falls away to a music box like section. Great drumming and vocals here with a biting guitar solo. "Mare Nostrum" closes with a wistful, dreamy and refined instrumental track that feels like staring at the sea.

This is such a quality effort and so enjoyable for me that I can't give it less than four stars. If you love the beautiful and melodic side of RPI, and can embrace a more songs-based pop-prog mix, be sure to sample "Camelot" and a few others on YT. If you can't find a copy of the album, you can download it from Itunes. Later albums reportedly get very clearly 80s pop but I consider this one a must for my RPI collection.