STORMY SIX

3.75 stars really!!

This is the transitional album from a polit-folk group into a RIO group. With L'Apprendista (the apprentice), you can still hear the Biglietto Del Tram's very talkative folk (the opening Buon Lavoro) and you're already into a solid form of RIO with its free-form improvs and some chamber rock not far from what Univers Zero did, while still having some accessible, if slightly weird, tunes ala Gentle Giant (the closing Orchestra Dei Fischietti).

As much as this album is usually seen as their best (I agree under certain conditions), I can always feel their influences plastered a little too thickly. They admit themselves to listening to a Giant Crimson Cow at the time,, and it sure sounds like it. Might I suggest that they hadn't taken enough time to digest these influences and they're all too obvious. Their following MM album will be a much more personal affair, although I wouldn't call it their best work either. Another example of this album's multiple borrowings, is the use of the bassoon, already heard in Gryphon, Cow's Lindsey Cooper and Univers Zero (even though their first album would see the light of day after this one), is all too indicative of what they heard, not what they are.

L'Apprendista IS a good album, it might even deserve itsessential 4 star status, but I find that its influences are way too apparent to diSrve it so. In either case, Apprendista is with MM, SS's better album and certainly the reason why SS was a founding member of the RIO movement, even though Area could've filled that slot as well;

Certainly the most enigmatic SS Cd release, this album consist of two different albums recorded in 76, although one content's worth, called Pinocchio Bazaar (from track 17 until 25) did not see a release until the Fonitcentra Cd reissue in the mid-90's, which uses the Cliché artwork and just adds the extra tracks and PB name. To further complicate things, this release starts on two non-album tracks from the same year (but yet another session), but we'll find them on later albums.

Clearly the album Cliché is probably the main reason why SS was approached for the RIO chart. By now (76), the Milan group had abandoned all folk trademarks of their early releases and played pure avant-garde free-form rock mixed with a variety of classical music, ranging from the ultra-)accessible chamber music to modern contemporary composers, even if you'll find goofy circus numbers like L'Escluso. Their music was often more complex than their previous albums (and certainly even stranger), but by no means do we come close to UZ or HC or even EFLB, yet; but it's slight goofiness might still resemble the Samla musical reign, but I wouldn't say that SS" humour is close to the Swedish wackiness that we're sooo used to. It seems Cliché was written as a soundtrack for a movie, which explains why the group shuts up on most tracks. .

The Pinocchio Bazaar "album" (9 tracks ranging from 1:15 until 4:45) slapped on the back of Cliché hovers around the same musical realm than its companion album and production-wise, it's almost impossible to notice you're on a different session or album,s it does not hinder at all the disc's progress

Certainly good value for the money music-wise, the Cd reissue lacks enough information or even the lyrics, but beside that nit-picking, it an be considered as their apex after Apprendista and MM.

With MM, Stormy Six reaches the depth of their musical madness and again fully justify their RIO adherence. Indeed they might even go a bit far with this album from 79, their music often being modern contemporary classical music along with weird and frequent vocals (maybe not as evident than Etronfou) and dissonant but without being shocking. With MM, SS is proposing more wind instruments than ever, plus a full-time cellist, but the music remains mostly acoustic, even if there is an electric guitar and bass, the latter is actually quite interesting throughout the album.

As I said, their music is now reaching a complete madness, but coupled with a certain kind of goofiness and a tad of circus-like atmospheres, plus the more experimental music, this makes the mostly-acoustic (there is some electric guitars) music even more inaccessible than it needed to be. I just never had the patience to actually understand what SS's music was about in this album, but sometimes they're quite impressive and at their proggiest, they're soundacular, the almost 6-mins Megafono being the highlight of the album. While there are many fine moments on MM, there are a few glitches and difficult passages, making its progress on your lazer beam a bit more arduous, I'm thinking of the a capella Enzo, and the following (and album longest) Verbale.

Definitely of SS's better (and certainly their most personal from their later discography) albums, MM could easily be in your first wave of SS acquisition or be part of the second batch, if you've enjoyed the more "conventional" albums. A good one, but maybe over the top , even in the RIO realm.

Of the original RIO-chart signataires, Stormy Six was the one that was least RIO sounding and longest living band. Most likely their inclusion was probably due to a strong left-wing tendencies as well as pure aesthetics. Indeed the group had started out as a folk group back in 69 with a pop singer Rocchi in their ranks, but by the present Biglietto (their fourth album), they'd managed to throw away all sorts of commercial temptations, while keeping their folk orientations and even growing increasingly experimental, even spoofing CS&N in their second album in a lengthy track.

By the time of this album (Ticket for the tram), the group's folk was mixed in with some early jazz, but taken another strong left-wing twist with Umberto Fiori's arrival in SS at the texts . Their nine shorter songs (from 3:45 to 6 mins) all had some light avant-garde feel, but nothing remotely close to their future RIO co-signataires. Mostly acoustic with a trio of guitar/mandolin players and a violinist over a mandolin- playing stand-up bassist and drummer, the group's composition are a very even batch of folk tunes with none standing out, leaving very few space for real instrumental interplay, other than in the inevitable jig (the track Gianfranco Mattei). The lyrics are inevitably political, often referring to ancient political leaders and historical situations, and therefore often the folk tends to veer a bit tarantella, but never too overtly. Indeed SS plays the modern card despite being mainly acoustic, at least for now.

Some progheads might consider this album a must and one of SS' peaks, but I beg to differ. In terms of political relevance, I'll take early Area albums (even if my Italian is barely above the discernible level) ; and in terms of inventive folk, I'll choose the Canzoniere Del Lazio combo over this Biglietto. If you're not familiar to SS, try to start elsewhere, either chronologically from the debut or the RIO period first and then come back to such an album if you still wish it.

I can appreciate others saying this isn't as progressive, and in the strictest of terms it isn't compared to Stormy Six's other releases previous to Al Volo. (which I think our rating things progressive has held back the genre a bit - just IMHO)

But! it is a marvelous album. Yes, in the Crimso style of the same era, and with no disrespect to the aforementioned KC, but this IS very Italian. Much more melody than others, the vocals are stunning, and the overall creation is much deeper than one might expect upon the first listening. The sense of drama mixed with the modern prog/beat rock approach is truly inspiring.

I guess that's what keeps this forum exciting, and Progressive Rock (MAY IT LIVE FOREVER!!!) alive - different opinions.

If you want something that mixes 80's prog with wonderful Italian drama and musical knowledge, get Al Volo!

As one of the pioneers in the field of Rock in Opposition and having some very good records in their dischography, what the band offers in this record is no more than a joke for almost any listener interested in italian proggressive music. What we are going to listen on the first side is a collection of songs with the main theme of the unity of Italy (Unità, in italian), Political balads in a folky and country way that I consider quite disappointing. The second side, despite being slightly better than the first one, doesn´t really imporve the overall level of the record. The only exception should be Suit per F. & F., very bluesy and with some great moments betwen guitar and keyboards, but on the whole it sounds as what had been done in USA on the late sixties. I can´t rate it with more than 2 stars, because I can´t find any interest on it, and only completionists of the band or italian music in general will find some interest on it.

The best way I can describe this album? It does to folk music what Area does to jazz.

It reinvents with its own rules. It is original, the playing is tight and accomplished, and the songs combine strangeness with some melody. It is a fine album and a must to anyone who wants to hear one of the RIO movement's true originals. Stormy Six came from Milan Italy in the 1960s and released quite a few albums in the 70s. This is the first of theirs I've heard but it likely will not be the last. For a RIO/Avant selection it is reasonably accessible, employing mainly acoustic instruments in songs that are more musical than dissonant. Yes there are odd time signatures, weird chord progressions, strange non-melodic sections, and a few things that may irritate the melodic-rock progster in you, but I think Stormy is approachable enough for anyone to "get" after 3 or 4 spins. This is a quirky album that insists on having fun but is not extreme or harsh enough to scare anyone away. For that reason it might actually be too tame for hard-core RIO fans, but I don't think so. It may be the album to score on both fronts.

Alex Temple from Progweed has a nice paragraph describing the SS sound: "It tends to get compared to Gentle Giant, and while that's not entirely inaccurate, it's also somewhat misleading. What we do get is occasional tinges of Renaissance and Baroque music (the flourishes at the beginning of the title track could be right out of Telemann), and detailed counterpoint, including some wonderful three-part a capella polyphony in L'Orchestra dei Fischiettei. What we don't get is keyboard synths, vocals that sound remotely like Kerry Minnear and Derek Shulman, or anything approaching a rock-out. Picture the instrumental opening of Schooldays or the middle section of Black Cat instead of Experience or Proclamation and you'll start to have a better idea." [Alex Temple, Progweed 2002]

My thoughts on the tracks are as follows: "Buon Lavoroi" starts with xylophone I think, with good bass and violin. It builds adding more sounds until the rather odd vocal chorus that reminds me of cowboys around a fire or something. Very cool violin/bass interplay in this upbeat track. The title track continues the upbeat mood at first with violin though the vocal versus seem a bit sad. Half way through the song stops and what follows is a delightful strings solo, the drums and bass eventually coming back in. The odd vocal returns at the end. "Carmine" starts with acoustic and xylophone lightly conversing, then bass, vocals, and violin gently join. Then comes a jazzy section that proves how great the drums and bass are, I could listen to these guys mix it up all day. Bassoon, violin, and acoustics trade off some flash. "Il Barbiere" sounds like regular violin playing against plucked violin notes and bass to a light drum beat. With the static vocal delivery it creates kind of a hypnotic effect. This stops about half-way through and there is a guitar solo. Then the bass comes in and there is some nice violin jousting. The vocals return as the bass, violin, and drumming just literally dance.breathtaking. "Cuore" features violin, cello and light woodwinds to hand percussion. Vocals and drums come in and there is a bit of piano. The stereo separation is excellent. "Il Labirinto" actually starts like a normal song! A slow beat with excellent bass playing backs a repeating melody that occurs first on electric guitar, then on strings, and then on sax. Very cool how they tie that together. More piano thrown in behind the vocals. There is a wild freak-out sax section and then it comes back to the repeating melodic theme and this track is very nearly symphonic in nature. "Rosso" starts with strange vocals over acoustic and almost psych orchestral arrangements. The song has a very uneasy mood, very unsettling. "L'orchestra Dei Fischietti" has a chaotic opening with some rock blasts intermixed with studio goofing off noises. Soon that stops and an acoustic ushers in the band and the track develops into a somewhat straight folk rocker but with plenty of spice to be sure. Great sax and bass playing. A bit more electric guitar in this track. Late in the song is a Gentle Giant-like vocal section followed by a nice violin finale, and then a punchy guitar goodbye. Holy cow, what a ride!

Another comment on the album from Kai Karmanheimo of GEPR: "L'Apprendista is surprisingly lyrical and accessible. That doesn't mean that it isn't challenging, it is just that the band show their colour in their openly political lyrics (or liner notes at least) and the riotous innovation and hybridization that subtly subverts many of the diverse styles they draw from. The sound is predominantly acoustic and open, with acoustic and clean electric guitars, mandolins, tuned percussion and especially a nimble string quartet and an occasional woodwind supporting the restrained male vocals, which are prominent on every track. The first couple of songs are pretty melodic and straight-forward in the verse-chorus format, yet accentual and rhythmic irregularities, touches of dissonance and sudden interjections, like the contrapuntal string intermezzo on the title track, keep things slightly out of kilter; the mock-stately vocal style on the title track also suggests the influence of contemporaneous agit-prop songs." [Kai Karmanheimo, GEPR]

So why not 5 stars? Well, most of my 5 star albums capture my heart first and stimulate my brain second. Stormy Six definitely stimulates the intellect but I'm not sure my heart is totally captured...yet, at least. But who knows, I've only had the album for one year and it's rumored to be a grower! Highly recommended to anyone who loves adventurous, acoustic flavored music with lots of violin, which wholeheartedly captures the true spirit of what it means to be "progressive." Fans of groups as diverse as Area, Conventum, and yes, Gentle Giant, will all find something to appreciate from this Stormy Six classic. The VM/BTF reissue is an especially tasty gatefold mini-lp sleeve of very high quality, and a booklet with lyrics, photos, and bio.

Quite a big change in their sound from the last one L'Apprendista.This one is much more avant-garde with a lot of humour.I can't help but think that when they played at the first ever Rock In Opposition festival the year before(1978) bands like SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and ETRON FOU LELOUBLAN must have had a big influence on them.Georgie Born(HENRY COW) has been added to the lineup on cello,and Leonardo Schiavone(MAXAPHONE) has also been added on clarinet and sax.This certainly is their most entertaining and complex record. Macchina Maccheronica is led by horns and vocals before bass and drums add to the sound.This is silly.It calms down 3 minutes in with spoken words that last less then a minute before the frivolity returns. Le Lucciole features violin,drums,horns and guitar coming and going quickly.The outbursts then last a little longer.This is really good.Vocals after 2 minutes(they come and go).An element of darkness arrives, as well as some angular melodies.This is my favourite song on here. Madonina is the first of a 4 part suite all titled Madonina.They are all under a minute,and are fun.This first one has a swinging melody that is repeated a second time but at a faster pace. Megafonio opens with a horn,vocal,string and drum melody.It stops as different intricate sounds come and go quickly.A better melody than the intro arrives 3 1/2 minutes in but it's breif.Vocals and more intricate sounds jump in and out to end it.Nice. Madonina is a short,uptempo,fun track. Banca opens with spoken female words that is replaced by a haunting soundscape,although it's hard to take this too serious considering what has gone on before.Male vocals 2 minutes in. Pianeta is ok.It features theatrical vocals at first(they do come back) until 1 1/2 minutes in when they sound better.Violin or cello 3 1/2 minutes in followed by horns,guitar and drums. Rumba Sugli Alberi opens with dual horns as vocals come in followed by bass and drums 1 1/2 minutes in.Dissonant sax sounds later. Enzo is just over 2 minutes long,but in concerts they would expand it to 30 minutes sometimes.This one is live as you can hear the audience laughing at times to the insane vocals and harmonies. Verbale is my second favourite song on here.Not really a melody to open,but clarinet and different sounds are coming and going.Vocals a minute in.Violin after 4 minutes followed by some heaviness.Nice.Violin is back 5 1/2 minutes in.Guitar,horns and vibraphone follow.Good song. Madonina has an island flavour to it. Somario is almost 4 minutes of silliness. Madonina is short and crazy. There's not enough on here that i really like for me to give it 4 stars.I could see why many would rate this as their best though.It depends on your tastes i guess.My favourite from them is still L'Apprendista.3.5 stars.

4.5 stars.STORMY SIX from Italy were one of the original and perhaps least known Rio-prog bands.I'm not sure why they aren't mentioned more,especially after enjoying this remastered cd all this week.They originally started out very much as a pop(beat) band in the mid sixties,even opening for the ROLLING STONES on their first ever tour of Italy.When it came to recording their first record though, they had changed to a folk band singing political songs.So their first 5 albums are very much in the folk genre.Most feel that this album "L'Apprendista" is their most progressive record,with the next one "Machinna Maccheronica" being the most rio-ish and avant gard.So yes, this is a good place to start with this band.In the liner notes it says the band was listening to a lot of KING CRIMSON,HENRY COW and especially GENTLE GIANT during this period.They were in particular playing "Interview" a lot,and the GENTLE GIANT flavour comes out at different times during this recording.I have to say the sound quality is perfect,crystal clear. "Buon Lavero!" opens with these cool,intricate sounds before vocals arrive a minute in.The tempo picks up a notch and it sounds great.It goes back to the original melody and the contrast continues.Some nice violin 3 minutes in,and check out the drumming a minute and a half after that.The drumming and violin play are definite highlights throughout this album. "L'Apprendista" is led by the violin and vocals and it sounds wonderful.Actually, as the violin plays the cello also plays a different part.Nice.The vocals stop 2 1/2 minutes in and the drums come to the fore.You have to hear this! Vocals return 5 minutes in. "Carmine" opens with vocals,acoustic guitar and violin before some xylophone arrives.Marching style drums follow with some good bass lines.Sax after 3 minutes,as the intricate and beautiful sounds continue. "Il Barbiere" opens with a collage of sounds that come and go quickly, like GENTLE GIANT does it.Vocals arrive a minute in with more of a melody as well.Violin,drums and vibraphone lead the way as the vocals have stopped.They return 6 minutes in and check out the drumming towards the end of this the longest track on here. "Cuore" is a restrained song with violin and cello interplay,although a much fuller sound comes in after 2 1/2 minutes. "Il Labirinto" is my favourite song on here.This one sounds a little different than the others as there is more bass and bottom end,even the vocals are deeper.It's slower paced with some terrific organ followed by some tasty sax 3 minutes in.I like the way these themes are repeated later in the song.The sax goes from being very smooth to almost dissonant at one point.More fantastic drumming.Fabulous tune. "Rosso" is my least favourite song and fortunately the shortest at 3 minutes.The vocals are so serious and the violin is mournful. "L'Orchesra Dei Fischietti" takes a while to get going as different sounds come and go.It sounds like there is a party going on in the background.It finally gets going 2 minutes in.This is catchy with some sax solos followed later by some GENTLE GIANT-like vocal harmonies 5 1/2 minutes in.Violin and drums follow as the bass throbs. A must have for Rio-prog fans out there.Even fans of Italian music will find plenty to like on this amazing recording.

That's a excellent addition to any prog music collection! There's in Cliché (1976) a mix of Tarantella, Classic and Jazz. The instrumental album of Stormy Six give a wonderfull impression and show the high quality of this italian band.

Several acoustic instruments and sometimes one eletric guitar maked a great work in Cliché. Somes screams maked the only voices in this work.

The Italian Music style is strong in this album! Close your eyes and feel this excelent sound.

Enjoy in this crazy album!