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CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE

Rock Progressivo Italiano • Italy


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Consorzio Acqua Potabile picture
Consorzio Acqua Potabile biography
A strange story for this band from near Novara that never released anything during the 70's and was discovered in the 90's by the small Kaliphonia label. A 1977 recorded live CD was released and the band reunited with four of the five original members for a nice brand new album. After this, other CD's have followed in 1998 and 2003.

The group was formed in Boffalora Ticino in 1971, and after some early concerts released a "prog-opera" called Gerbrand, that was represented in local theatres but never recorded. The musical direction was similar to BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO or PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI, in typical italian prog style with twin keyboards and long compositions.

The original band split in late 70's and some of the members were contacted for a CD release of an old live tape. Hence the reunion of the band around keyboardist Bollea and new recordings in the 90's until now.
[Italianprog.com]


Excellent Italian band highly influenced by the 70's Italian giants like PFM and BANCO, in typical Italian prog style with twin keyboards and long compositions. The music has some classical influences as well, with very intricate arrangements and interesting mood shifts. Vocals are in Italian, and the art work is amazing.

"Nei Gorghi Del Tempo" is a nice debut of melodic, romantic BANCO influenced neo-progressive rock that compares favorably with the rerecordings of the first two BANCO albums. Highly recommended for 70's italian fans.

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CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE discography


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CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.98 | 54 ratings
Nei Gorghi Del Tempo
1993
3.73 | 53 ratings
Robin Delle Stelle
1998
3.62 | 48 ratings
Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah
2003
3.83 | 23 ratings
CAP & Alvaro Fella: Coraggio E Mistero
2016

CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.70 | 18 ratings
Sala Borsa Live 77
1993

CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.77 | 7 ratings
Il Teatro Delle Ombre
2014

CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Il Teatro Delle Ombre by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2014
4.77 | 7 ratings

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Il Teatro Delle Ombre
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

5 stars Place= Boffalora Ticino, Italy

Time= 1971

Circumstance= Italy was caught up in the massive social movement that had started in the late 60s and culminated with 1970 Woodstock, NY event, which united the world , at least artistically. Many bands were seeded from that musical moment, and in typical Italian fashion they humorously gave themselves long names that could easily be reduced to simpler monikers, PFM, RRR, RDM, BMS, QVL etc?Some were politicized as well with strong left-wing tendencies which were the rage of the times, what with Viet Nam and the Cold War in boiling point mode. Consorzio Acqua Potabile (or CAP) thus began, like many bands before and after, from very humble origins, friends and neighbors getting together and having fun. 40 years later, CAP releases this masterful book, a sensational historical compilation that encompasses 200 pages of text and photos, dedications, tour notes, event particulars, fan club anecdotes as well as 4 CDs of re-mastered music that include live concerts (past and recent), a newly recorded "best of" , various outtakes and demos as well as a re-edition of their long-out of print debut album, the thrilling "Nei Ghorghi del Tempo", as fine an RPI album than any other out there. This understated masterpiece is on par with Felona e Sorona, Per un Amico, Banco, Ys, Maxophone etc... For collectors of RPI as well as progressive rock in general, this is a brilliant testament to a band that kept making music for the sheer pleasure, as opposed to becoming pop stars and selling their soul to MTV or RAI for that matter.

Below is my personal and proud history with CAP as well as being one of the guest dedication introducers in this disc's opening message, and this is what I wrote and was printed: "Decades of shopping for the newest progressive rock thrill still left me unprepared for my encounter with CAP's magnificent "Robin delle Stelle", originally attracted by its magical artwork and researching its history before purchasing it in 1999. I was on a business trip in Vancouver and had to drive overnight through the imperial Rockie Mountains, embraced by towering peaks, listening to "Lontana Lucia" and I had to stop by the roadside in a narrow valley as the emotions were just too powerful, a moment of pure spectral magic! This is when I fell in love with CAP, sent the band a note and received both the incredible "Nei Gorghi del Tempo" (a top 10 prog masterpiece) and their third "Il Bianco Regno di Dooah" directly from Maurizio. Not a year went by when I had the great pleasure of meeting Mau and guitarist Massimo Gorlezza in Milano in 2003, in searing hot and record humid weather. I dissected all three albums, all my notes in hand, track by track with various analytical comments but mostly clucks of sheer delight! Both Mau and Massimo were stunned that a total stranger from Canada was grooving to their musical craft, knowing each note as if it was his, so deep and joyous was their bewilderment! The connection between fan and artist was thus complete, we had a night to remember, delicious dining, vino rosso, limoncello, coffee on a floating restaurant on a canal, signing "Lontana Lucia" playing full blast from the open-aired Volvo, racing down the autostrada. That moment will live on "Lontana" (forever)! "

The musicians in CAP, led by the mercurial Maurizio Venegoni deserve adulation and respect for forging their passionate craft with intelligence and fortitude. They are both masterful musicians and genuinely lovely, decent and caring people. Their past friendships with equally celebrated RPI bands continue until this day and into eternity. This is a gem of the highest order.

Congratulations are in order for Consorzio Acqua Potabile and a 40 year career of stellar music!

5 Whirlpools of Time

 Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.62 | 48 ratings

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Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Another half decade had to pass before Consorzio Acqua Potabile returned with a third studio album.Propably a reason for this fact was the demise of their supporting label Kaliphonia.In the meantime the group was part of the excellent Progday compilation album ''ProgDay Encore?'', released in 2001.Through this time the line-up remained just about the same compared to ''Robin delle stelle'', only keyboardist Fabrizio Sellone left and was replaced by female flute player Silvia Carpo.2003 sees finally the band self-releasing the long-awaited album ''Il bianco regno di Dooah'', based on a concept story about a fantastic kingdom in the small Irish village Dooah.Keyboardist Maurizio Venegoni wrote the concept back in the 70's during a travel to Milan university, when the city was blown by a terrible snow storm.

Maybe the concept has a strong reference to Irish grounds, but the music of C.A.P. has nothing to do with the Irish culture, it is still strongly rooted in the Classic Italian Prog of the 70's with PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI as the influential guide, followed by notable BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO vibes in the more Classical-inspired parts.The atmosphere is again split between romantic and dramatic moments, obviously driven by the respective instrumental parts.The first ones are mostly based on sensitive vocals, smooth symphonic textures, light organ waves and more melodic guitar and flute solos.The later show the band in full collaboration.Tons of interplays between the two keyboardists, including long synthesizer runs, dominant organs and dark piano lines, and more effective guitar moves.The same occurs with the musicianship, which is filled with changing moods.From mellow symphonic parts to rich textures, the rapid changes are always in the band's menu.Structurally ''Il bianco regno di Dooah'' moves a bit away from the previous release of the group.It contains nine short- to mid-length tracks, but the suprise comes in the end with the grand, 22-min. epic ''Il Regno'', which epitomizes the Classic Italian Prog style of the 70's with no fillers at all, just smooth and elaborate Italian Symphonic Rock, very consistent and well-played.

From this point and on Consorzio Acqua Potabile only appeared in the various concept albums, for which Musea Records is responsible, and a fourth studio album is still desired.

Definitely one of the most consistent groups of Italian Prog.''Il bianco regno di Dooah'' is another great example of Italian Symphonic Rock by this underrated group, not very original of course, but solid and well-executed.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

 Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 2003
3.62 | 48 ratings

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Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Il Bianco Regno Di Dooah is an enjoyable enough album from Consorzio Acqua Potabile which once again reaches for the classic RPI sound of yesteryear - and yet again doesn't quite present the creative breakthrough CAP seem to constantly be on the verge of making. In this case, whilst the compositions are really decent, the production values on the album detract from it startlingly - in particular, there's too many points where the synth sounds are weak, dated and cheesy in a way which snaps me out of the seventies nostalgia reverie the album is otherwise more than capable of putting me in. It's another good effort, but I still think CAP have yet to make an album which fully realises their potential.
 Robin Delle Stelle by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.73 | 53 ratings

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Robin Delle Stelle
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars The first Consorzio Acqua Potabile album had decent compositions but lacked the production to really bring out their best aspects; Robin delle Stelle, the followup, has the reverse problem, whereby the album has a pretty good production but the compositions aren't so hot this time around. Don't get me wrong, they capture the golden age of Italian prog wonderfully in a sort of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso meets Emerson Lake and Palmer sort of a way. It's just that they don't really find anything interesting to do with that sound once they've captured it, so they just noodle around with it a bit before they set it free again.
 Nei Gorghi Del Tempo by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1993
3.98 | 54 ratings

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Nei Gorghi Del Tempo
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Consorzio Acqua Potabile were actually veterans of the first wave of RPI, but it was only in the prog revival of the 1990s that they had a chance to make their first studio album. Though they have interesting compositions and they deliver decent performances - keyboardist Maurizio Venegoni breaks out some particularly nice solos - the group are let down a little by the production standards on the album - some of the keyboard and guitar sounds seem rather cheap or underproduced, and the mix of the album sounds a little "off" to me. It's still a good listen, but it could have been a great listen had the band had the benefit of production values sufficient to do their music justice.
 Nei Gorghi Del Tempo by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1993
3.98 | 54 ratings

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Nei Gorghi Del Tempo
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars CAP are an Italian band who formed in 1971 yet didn't release an album until 1977. And even then it was a self-released live record which was re-released properly in 1993. So this debut is from 1992 and it's a tough one to track down since it's out of print. Thankyou Tszirmay for allowing me to finally here this gem.They are a six piece band with two keyboardists. Excellent vocals too, in fact I wish there was more of them.

"Il Mercante" kicks in right away then settles right down before 2 minutes with relaxed guitar and more. Reserved vocals arrive at 4 1/2 minutes.The tempo picks up after 6 minutes when the vocals stop. It settles again with vocals before 7 1/2 minutes before picking up one more time to end it.

"In Un Vecchio Castello" changes after 1 1/2 minutes then the guitar starts to soar a minute later before the tempo picks up.The tempo will continue to shift. It settles right down with piano before 8 minutes.Vocals after 10 minutes and this is so good. In fact I haven't been totally impressed until here but my appreciation will continue the rest of the way.Spacey synths 11 1/2 minutes in then it's heavy after 12 minutes.

"Arnaldo Di Chatillon Crociato" has more spacey synths to start then the guitar cries out before a minute. Vocals a minute later and man he can sing. It starts to pick up after 3 minutes then we get a spacey calm a minute later. Some brief vocals follow then it picks up before 7 1/2 minutes again. Great tune.

"Vivendo Un Giorno...Solo Di Niente" starts off sounding a lot like BANCO. Very uptempo with lots of keys.Vocals come in before 6 minutes as it settles. It kicks back in quickly minus the vocals.Thunder and rain take over before 7 1/2 minutes as acoustic guitar joins in. Birds are singing before 9 1/2 minutes then spoken words join in. Killer track. "Tracca...Ora Lo" ends it with a good uptempo instrumental.

There's everything here that a fan of Italian Prog could hope for.

 Robin Delle Stelle by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.73 | 53 ratings

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Robin Delle Stelle
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Six years of absence from studio discography and Consorzio Acqua Potabile return with a totally different line-up with only keyboardist Maurizio Venegoni remaining in his place compared witheir debut's line-up.With three keyboardists and two guitarist what we can expect is an album rich of sounds and balanced between guitar and keyboard sounds.Again the new release ''Robin Delle Stelle'' came out under the umbrella of Kaliphonia Records.

A new line-up but the same good and sensitive musicianship is the conclusion after listening to this album.Five long tracks of excellent sensitive and romantic Italian Symphonic Rock with heavy vintage influences,mainly coming from BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO's style.The new singer Maurizio Mercandino has a beautiful warm voice,ready to cover succesfully the band's music.Organ,synths and classical piano are everywhere,offering mellow passages of strong symphonic content,combining nicely with the melodies coming out of Massimo Gorlezza's and Chicco Mercandino's guitars.A range of different soundscapes covers every song,from vocal-/piano-driven acoustic parts to extensive sensitive solos and Classical- inspired light interplays.

Six years from a release to another album are too much but in this case it was definitely worthwhile.''Robin delle stelle'' is exactly the record a devoted Italian Symph Prog follower needs and every listening ends up as a beautiful experience.To be discovered by the majority of prog fans.

 Robin Delle Stelle by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.73 | 53 ratings

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Robin Delle Stelle
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by toroddfuglesteg

3 stars Released in 1998, sounds like 1973.

This band was active in the 1970s, but never came around to release anything. Thankfully, they released three studio albums and one live album in the 1990s.

I very much like their ambient, pastorial sound. It is a mix of Genesis and PFM. It is also very much an arch-Italian sound with long and epic slow-tempo songs. Some of these songs are hymn like. The main instrument is retro-keyboards like Hammonds. That and Maurizio Mercandino's vocals. This is very much a vocals dominated album. The melodies here are pretty subtle and understated. Very Italian in other words.

Unfortunate, there is no real superb songs here. The title track is really good. The rest of the album has some good pieces of music, but there are not many of them. This album is really anonymous and does not stand out from the crowd. I think it is a good album and I will carry it with me for the next forty years and I may change my opinion about it. But this album is merely a good album. Mostly because of it's vintage sound. No less, no more.

3 stars

 Nei Gorghi Del Tempo by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1993
3.98 | 54 ratings

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Nei Gorghi Del Tempo
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

5 stars This is one review I have been deliberately holding back, mainly out of some perverse strategy of always firing reviews on all cylinders (ah, quality control!). I got a tape from a pen-pal and I fell in love with this masterpiece immediately. I scoured high and low to find a copy anywhere, all doors shut in deleted regret. How did I get my CD, especially since I already owned the delightful "Robin Delle Stelle", you ask? I went straight to CAP leader Maurizio Venegoni's e-mail address via the good old Ethernet. In a pleadingly elegant letter, I implored him to burn me copy and a month later I get this package from Italy, not only with his personal copy of "Nei Gorghi del Tempo" but also a yet unreleased new album "Il Bianco Regno di Dooah"!!!!! I was simply put, blown away! Not a year went by when I met Mau and guitarist Massimo Gorlezza in one of the most momentous prog nights ever! In 2003 Milan, in scorching hot and humid weather, I dissected all three albums, all my notes in hand, track by track with various comments and clucks of delight much to their utter astonishment! To these prog-loving businessmen (Mau owns a salami factory and Massimo is an architect!), that a total stranger from Canada is grooving to their musical craft , knowing each inch of sound was hard to grasp, so deep was the bewilderment. What a night of fine dining, vino rosso, limoncello and coffee on a floating restaurant on a canal, singing "Lontana Lucia" from Robin, playing full-blast from the open-aired Volvo, racing down the autostrada. Mind blast time! So why do I consider this timeless marvel so precious? Even though I still can't wipe the grin off my face from that night in Milan, the music within is spellbinding at a time when prog was still budding, waiting for the Marillioned white knight to revive the spirit of Prog! First a disclaimer: this is not the best produced recording known to man, far from it. Rather grainy (which only adds to the charm) is closer to the truth. That being said and stamped, the joyride begins with "Il Mercante", a symphonic stew chock full of criss-crossing slashes weaving guitars, keys that morph into a senselessly gorgeous main theme , a melody of aching beauty that explodes with a Spanish guitar motif adorned by some fabulous trumpet , slowly growing in intensity as all instruments unite in divine fanfare. The drop-dead operatic voice of Paul Rosette only adds further drama to the proceedings as the tortured lead guitar combines with the various synth flights. The main vocal aria is chillingly gorgeous, slithering into the deepest recesses of the pleasuredome, amid the swirling arrangements, driving eagerly towards the checkered flag. "In Un Vecchio Castello" is an epic excursion into initially quirky expanses, with subtle almost classical orchestrations that eventually bloom into a vast symphonic chasm where the background strings rule supreme and a sizzling guitar conspire to create quite a complex tapestry of sound, closer to Gentle Giant than Yes, chugging along nicely until the main polyrhythmic theme reveals itself in all its hypnotic splendor. The ornate piano of Romeo Bolla decorates with unabashed passion and sound technique, pounding home the exultation of a musical piece that needs only an exuberant synthesizer lead to take this into the bejeweled prog galaxy. This is about the most complex symph prog you will ever hear, laced with some softer passages where the vocal parts are one of sheer beauty, Paul Rosette singing his heart out with a masterful bellow, alternating power and subtlety , one of the finest prog vocal performances ever recorded. Things actually get even more intense with the phenomenal "Arnaldo da Chatillon Crociato", a supple crescendo of unmitigated medieval-tinged majesty, with massive sweeping orchestrations and a lead air that is overflowing with ardor and an immense vocal lead that chills the spine and adds goose bumps to the deal ("O signore"). When the gentle clouds finally part, the mood shifts into high gear with a propulsive theme that shatters everything in its wake, zooming towards some mythical zone where music becomes pure bliss, alternating contrasts, a smart section with tubular bells signaling a return to that glorious aria and then abruptly back to the pulsating synth-led theme, swaths of mellotron only adding to the conspiracy. "Vivendo un giorno.." is another clear display of their incredible talent in composing suave and inspired symphonic prog , zipping synth lines dueling with gruff guitar slashes, rolling organ tossed into the melee , each jousting fiercely for dominance. The elegant piano returns with avid confidence veering the proceedings toward a gentle mid-section that then decides to give way to the fury once again. The rhythm section does its best to keep apace in such a luxuriant musical environment, constantly on the alert and prepared for the next sideway loop. Exhilarating and awe- inspiring this is, with another superb vocal part that scorches the outer core and releasing another synthesized tangent of prog adventure, complete with storm effects and a final section that relies on savvy acoustic guitar to totally alter the mood . This is the essence of symphonic prog, always churning, forever creating and incredibly lush with leafy ideas at every corner. A sad spoken part shuts the gate on this timeless jewel. "Traccia" closes the deal with a Banco-penned excursion that highlights all the bands characteristics, an up-front piano that guides the way towards some imaginary island of unreal infatuation, a main melody that is so achingly catchy it will remain locked deep in your mind for evermore. The trumpet MIDI patches are simply astounding, elevating the relentless theme to epic fanfare-like proportions, an absolute classic RPI showcase that begs to be heard and adulated by us fans. The huge impression this album leaves is hard to describe, becoming a must. My personal Mau copy has a bonus track that features female operatic vocals that merge nicely with the male voice. Having met two of the members on that summer day in Milan only idolizes further the utter joy I experience each time I think of this record, let alone listen to it. I return to this CD every time I need some inspiration. Certainly among my top 10 albums all time. Any prog collection worthy of its weight needs this phenomenally precious and original RPI masterpiece. 5 water jugs
 Nei Gorghi Del Tempo by CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE album cover Studio Album, 1993
3.98 | 54 ratings

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Nei Gorghi Del Tempo
Consorzio Acqua Potabile Rock Progressivo Italiano

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Not unlike ''Il Castello di Atlante'',CONSORZIO ACQUA POTABILE (simply C.A.P.) were active during the 70's without releasing anything before the 90's.They were formed in 1971 in Boffalora Ticino in 1971 and their early lives included a prog-opera called ''Gerbrand'' (part of it is included in the compilation ''Fanfir'' of the Kaliphonia Label).The band split up at the end of the 70's but C.A.P. reunited in the 90's,after Kaliphonia Label published a 1977 live recording entitled ''Sala Borsa Live '77''.With great lust C.A.P. started rehearsing and this would led them to their first ever official recording ''Nei gorghi del tempo'' in 1992.

From the first listen it is obvious that the band's sound is still rooted in the 70's Italian prog tradition,though they often use modern keyboards.''Nei gorghi del tempo'''s sound is certainly centered around the dual keyboard work of Romolo Bollea and Maurizio Venegoni,which starts from energetic symphonic grandiose parts and synth flyers and ends up in numerous soft piano passages accompanied by dramatic/emotional vocals.Comparisons with the golden era of BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO are undenieable,as the album contains also some very strong and inspired guitar work both in electric and acoustic version,ranging from melodic stuff to folkish-tinged acoustic parts.Any lover of dramatic/operatic-like vocals combined with the best of Italy's prog tradition should search for this fantastic release.My highest recommendations for a band,which unfairly could have been lost in time.

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition.

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