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MR. E. JONES

Nuova Idea

Rock Progressivo Italiano


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Nuova Idea Mr. E. Jones album cover
3.51 | 57 ratings | 10 reviews | 9% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 1972

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Svegliati Edgar (3:35)
2. Mr. E. Jones (3:15)
3. Viaggio Nel Mondo Dei Sogni (5:35)
4. Un'Ora Del Tuo Tempo (5:30)
5. Fumo Di Una Sigaretta (2:23)
6. Illusioni Da Poco (9:08)
7. Premio Di Una Vita (7:08)
8. Un Altro Giorno (4:00)

Total time 40:34

Line-up / Musicians

- Antonello Gabelli / guitar, synth, vocals
- Claudio Ghiglino / electric, acoustic & 12-string guitars, vocals, composer
- Giorgio Usai / Hammond, Mellotron, Moog, harpsichord, piano, Fender Rhodes, vocals
- Enrico Casagni / bass, vocals
- Paolo Siani / drums, timpani, bells, congas, gong, vocals

Releases information

Artwork: Gianni Zanini

LP Ariston ‎- AR/LP/12075 (1972, Italy)

CD Mellow Records ‎- MMP 124 (1992, Italy)
CD Sony Music ‎- 88697976962 (2011, Italy) Remastered

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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NUOVA IDEA Mr. E. Jones ratings distribution


3.51
(57 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(9%)
9%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(39%)
39%
Good, but non-essential (51%)
51%
Collectors/fans only (2%)
2%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

NUOVA IDEA Mr. E. Jones reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by loserboy
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars "Mr. E Jones" was NUOVA IDEA's 2nd release and in my opinion is another superb 70's Italian Prog release. With major mood and atmosphere swings, NUOVA IDEA take us from hard edged acid-like keyboard driven progressive jams to soft caressing mellotron led tranquil moments. Vocals are excellent and well suited to the music. In many ways "Mr. E. Jones" is my favorite of Nuova IDEA's first 3 exceptional releases. "Mr. E. Jones" carries a real heavy 70's feel with loads of dark keyboards and expressive vocals and guitars. The lighter sections of the album kind of reminds me of early CAMEL at times actually. A wonderful recording which Italprog heads will love.
Review by Heptade
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is my first album by this Italian group, and colour me impressed. I find the fusion category a bit weird... if anything this group sounds, despite the occasional synth and mellotron texture, more like an Italian version of art rock. I can hear bits of Roxy Music, Queen and 10cc all over the place on this record, in the dense harmonies and exuberant, almost glammy atmosphere. There's even a hard rock tune with a Blackmore-esque riff and a section of bubbly, almost Schulz-y synth. There appears to be a concept about some sort of Joe Average guy, but my Italian is all but nonexistant. This group sounds like no other Italian prog I've heard, and this album has moved up near the top of my Italian prog favourites in a very short time.
Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars NUOVA IDEA came from Genova and their roots lie in a 60's band called ''Plep'' (from its members names).By 1970 they were renamed to NUOVA IDEA and even participated at the Viareggio Pop festival the next year,having a grea success.The same year they release their debut ''In the beginning'',a decent proto-prog/psychedelic album,but not of particular interest for prog fans.After the album guitarist Marco Zoccheddu leaves to form ''Osage tribe'',replaced by Antonello Gabelli for the recordings of their second work ''Mr. E Jones'', released in 1972 on Ariston (as their debut), re-released on CD by the Italian Mellow Records.

Far from the familiar symphonic sound of most of the Italian prog bands of the time,NUOVA IDEA developed their early melodic style in a more intricate form,mixing their music with elaborate vocal harmonies.The closest comparisons might be early NEW TROLLS with a more demanding musicianship, 70's DELIRIUM, even BLOCCO MENTALE on their lighter side.The songs in this album differ so much,twisting from beautiful ballads (containing nice percussions and symphonic keys) and rockin' attacks with dated guitars (fuzzy-sounding at moments) to demanding instrumental passages,featuring complicated organ,delicate piano,sudden breaks and even some jazzy lines.What is of great notice is the vocal work in here,as all members contribute,resulting tons of attacks by melodic harmonies, recalling NEW TROLLS.Despite the mixed sounds,the album grows in you with each listening and all compositions are nicely executed with good melodies and a fair amount of complexity.

''Mr. E Jones'' won't ever be among my favourites listenings out of Italy,but certainly I will return to it from time to time,as it's definitely one of the most balanced Italian releases I have ever heard.Recommended for lovers of rock music with an artistic flavor.

Review by friso
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Nuova Idea - Mr. E Jones (1972)

I recently searched the internet for some some previews of RPI albums and I found this obscure Italian record from Nuova Idea. The band is pretty unknown, but I think this is an important album for the RPI-Canon.

The importance of a record is often measured by it's quality and it's innovative/influential effect on other bands and genres. Well, Nuova idea isn't that influential. It's clearly a band with influences from RPI giants like PFM en Le Orme and of course the English symphonic movement. The quality of this Mr. E Jones record is however very good and I think it's overlooked (or just not reviewed yet) by many fanatic RPI collectors on PA.

About the music. Nuova idea plays symphonic progressive rock with a lot of influences. The rockin' parts show a clear Deep Purple influence, the song-writing has a lot of melodic rock (perhaps crossover) influences, but the instrumental parts are suddenly very intelligent. The composition is often very good. The sound of the band is a bit like other cultish RPI records: warm and artistic. The Italian vocals of the band are better then on most RPI records. The albums hasn't been described very accurately to often yet, so I'll write a song-by-song reviews.

Svegliati Edgar. Such an melodic and catchy opener! The main theme reminds me a bit of Kayak's See see the Sun with it's relaxing and feel-good atmosphere. The hard-rock interplays in the song are sophisticated and fun to listen to. The vocals are very attractive. I like the Italian lyrics in combination with the English name, Mister Jones.

The second track, Mr E Jones, continues the style of the first songs. A nice symphonic song with moogs and Led Zeppelin guitars. The couplet-theme is original with a perhaps some Supertramp influences. The variety of melodies within in the song is great. This compact song also makes me feel very good!

Viaggio Nel Mondo Dei Sogni. This songs has a spacey intro with nice use of the Hammond organ. The vocals are intimate. The melodic rock song that follows has a ballad- type feel, but the spacey interludes gives the song a haunting effect.

Un'Ora Del Tuo Tempo is nice rock track with a Sabbath's Sabbra Cadabra kind of sound. The vocals are a bit more aggressive and the instrumental parts a bit Gentle Giant like. A great guitar solo in the middle section works very well and even the wahwah pedal is used. The instrumental section starting on 2.50 reminds me a bit of Alphataurs. Great!

Fumo Di Una Sigaretta has an initiate intro with pastoral vocals. It's a very gentle intro that reminds a bit of I Talk to the Wind. The drums are a tasteful. A nice symphonic ending section completes the track. Very elegant this one.

Illusione Da Poco. The first long track of the album with its nine minutes. The song reminds me of PFM and Gentle Giant with nice harmonic inventiveness. The moogs and hammonds sound great. The middle section of 4.00 is very atmospheric with again great harmonic experimentation that gives it a creepy sound at times. After this the guitars start rockin' again.

Premio Di Una Vita is also a longer track, seven minutes. The intro section is very strong with an emotional vocal melody and a distinct piano part at the end of the melody. It reminds me of Roman Empire music. This beauty. The middle section is deep purple hard rock based with some progressive elements. At 3.30 a nice piano solo reminds me of Banco, a very useful addition of classical influences. The ending section has some more progressive hard rock moments with a Purple sound. The solo's are a bit to purple, but then again, why should this be a problem? Deep Purple didn't make to many of.

Un Altro Giorno is a short ending track with a nice piano melody and pastoral vocals. The intimate symphonic land-scape work very well for Nuova Idea. Good emotional ending track.

Conclusion. Hmm.. whilst writing a review I've become even more convinced this is a very good RPI record. I sure hope I can invite others who've read this review to listen to the music themselves and perhaps write something about it. This bands deserves recognition. This a very good album with diverse influences and a professional sound. There's no weak track on the album and the production is also quite good. Four stars! Recommended to fans of the symphonic and RPI genre, Deep Purple and crossover prog. Somehow I think fans of the Dutch Kayak will also like this record very much.

Review by Finnforest
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Solid second album

Nuova Idea made solid advances on their 2nd album "Mr E. Jones", a true prog-rock concept album. This album may be as good as the celebrated "Clowns" and perhaps more palatable to those folks who didn't like the vocalist on "Clowns". Here the vocals are much less abrasive and more subtle. With the last vestiges of the 60s sound falling away, "Mr. E. Jones" sounds like a true-blue RPI album in all its glory, with great compositions, expressive and passionate performances, and a growing curiosity for exploration. It is not quite as bold and over-the-top as "Clowns" though, structurally it still retains more normalcy of the rock mold. The clearest apparent influences would be Deep Purple and hard rock of the period. Osage Tribe and Flea (circa '72) would be some Italian reference points for this album's sound, though here you will find more convincing vocals and even nice harmonies as well.

After some traffic and telephone sound effects to provide the feel of the workaday grind, the album launches numerous fine organ/guitar dramas that will thrill fans of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord, but with plenty of the RPI vibe that made so many of the Italian period albums memorable. There is some spacey pop music with great rhythm section behind it. A bit of raucous fusion jamming is not out of the question. The highlight is the wonderful "Premio Di Una Vita" with its classical and pastoral overtones, great songwriting, and combination of organ, harpsichord, and piano. Later we get the wailing guitar solo and another jazzy jam. The album is worth hearing for this juicy track alone. Check it out on YouTube if you can't find the album. Its strongest selling point is their knack for balancing color and mood to provide an experience with ups, downs, and in-betweens. It rocks, but it never just settles into some boring groove.

This is an album which badly needs a reissue, and I'd advise all RPI fans to grab it if you have the chance. While it lacks the avant experiments of other RPI heavy hitters, it is almost a sure thing for the Deep Purple loving hard guitar/organ junkies. Check out Friso's review for a nicely detailed "track by track" description.

Review by seventhsojourn
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars As much as she would probably like to, she-who-must-be-obeyed can't keep me chained forever in the shuttered room at the top of our house - although that would at least explain how I failed to get wind of the recent reissue of 'Mr. E. Jones' until an estimable friend posted the news in the RPI den. I think the unicorns were splashing around in the waters of the flood and I was still wearing short trousers when this album was last in print. I'd actually become inured to the disappointment of being repeatedly outbid on Internet auctions for secondhand copies of the album but, sure enough, a quick online perusal revealed it had cunningly crept under my radar with not so much as a whimper let alone the fanfare its reissue deserved.

The album itself is a conceptual work based on the trials, tribulations and daydreams of a frustrated office worker and it has been faithfully reproduced in a lovely gatefold cardboard sleeve, although some additional liner notes would have been a nice touch. In spite of the black and white artwork there is no monochrome meanness to the music, which is a strikingly diverse collection that mixes psychedelic and Beatles-style throwbacks with hard rock and symphonic prog. None of the tracks will have you reaching for the skip button but highlights include heavier pieces like 'Un'Ora Del Tuo Tempo' and 'Premio Di Una Vita' which both feature outstanding keyboard work in the midst of their lumbering riffs.

This album is as fundamental to early Italian progressive rock music as grated Parmesan is to the country's food. My 3-star rating is completely arbitrary and on another day I might award it 4-stars but the main point of the review is simply to highlight that this important work is available again at long last. There are other more detailed reviews on the Nuova Idea bandpage for those who need more persuasion, but the bottom line is that every RPI fan ought to have 'Mr. E. Jones' in their collection. And it's one they should get sooner rather than later because it might not be around for very long.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars I must admit my expectations weren't too high for this one considering it doesn't seem to get a lot of love from Prog fans. Well NUOVA IDEA's second release from 1972 not only impressed me but i'd have to say I like it even better than their "Clowns" record. This album just seems to get better as it plays out and the instrumental work is incredible, especially the bass and drums. It is a concept album about an office worker's mundane life.

"Sveglati Edgar" opens with an alarm going off bringing PINK FLOYD to mind but then the music kicks in with vocals. Nastly bass in this one. It picks up with guitar out front. Samples of street noise comes in after 3 1/2 minutes. Yes our subject has gotten up and is headed for the office. "Mr. E. Jones" is led by vocals and vocal melodies then synths as the drums continue to pound. Catchy stuff. Organ rips it up after 2 minutes. I like the tone of the guitar. "Viaggio Nel Mondo Dei Sogni" opens with atmosphere and floating organ as fragile vocals join in. It gets fuller as the contrasts continue. "Un'ora Del Tuo Tempo" features some nasty sounding synths with guitar and drums as gritty vocals join in. Nice. I like the Page-like guitar 2 minutes in. Some good organ runs follow and it's jazzy before 3 minutes.

"Fumo Di Una Sigaretta" opens with gentle guitar and vocals. Percussion follows as the sound gets fuller. It's still laid back though. "Illusione Da Poco" is over 9 minutes of bliss. Sparse acoustic guitar to start then strummed guitar and drums kick in around a minute followed by passionate vocals. Great sound. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in and the keyboards sound amazing too. Ripping guitar after 3 1/2 minutes. Killer track ! This is like a religious experience (haha). "Premio Di Una Vita" is heavy to start but it turns light when the reserved vocals come in. The guitar lights it up after 2 minutes. My God ! The organ is rampaging. A calm with piano before 3 1/2 minutes then it kicks in at 5 minutes. So good. The organ is at it again. Guitar before 6 minutes then a big finish. "Un Altro Giorno" ends it with piano and reserved vocals. Organ before 1 1/2 minutes and drums a minute later.

Yeah i'm impressed and will give this plenty of spins in the future. Easily 4 stars.

Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars For their sophmore LP, this Genova based band decided to shed away most of their heavy rock elements and jump into the symphonic prog rock bandwagon with full force (even if some of their early psychedelic sound is still present, most notably on the title track). The result is good in general and very good at times. While they are surely excellent musicians, their capacity of writing such complex prog stuff as their main competitors at the time is doubtful. Giorgio Usai keyboards playing is the main atraction here, with lots of Hammond, mellotron and moogs all the way, although Claudio Ghiglino's guitar lines are also of note. New singer Antonello Gabelli is not much different from the group's former frontman and does a good job too. Some vocal arrangements do give some extra charm on few tracks.

Don't get me wrong, the songs are good, the perfomances are very well done and I found nothing here to complain about the album itself. However, nothing really excites me either and it's easy to see why Mr E. Jones was not a big hit at the time. There were several other italian bands putting out much stronger material at the time. However, the band would include the heavy rock edge back to their sound for the next release, their best and most original album, Clown. Unfortunalty it would also be their very last.

All in all Mr. E. Jones is a very nice straight RPI CD by this obscure group. Nothing to write home about it, but nice anyway. If you like the style and already have all the classic stuff, you certainly should check this out.

Rating: 3 stars. good, but non-essential in any way.

Latest members reviews

4 stars **** and a half... Really.... I don't really understand why I like this album so much. I just do. It has a place with me along with the QVL albums, Locanda Della Fate's classic album, Felona E Sorona, Alusa Fallax, Delirium, etc.. Some of the spacy sureal passages here are reminscent ... (read more)

Report this review (#786604) | Posted by progbaby | Wednesday, July 11, 2012 | Review Permanlink

3 stars This second Nuova Idea album is surely very better than previous. Nuova Idea play here a sort of hard-prog, but very melodic too, with good guitar/keyboards interplays. Lyrics talk about terrible life of a typical office worker and the musical atmospheres show traces of it, blending stress mom ... (read more)

Report this review (#124593) | Posted by armapo | Monday, June 4, 2007 | Review Permanlink

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