The Big Three - Italy

Although PFM was my first introduction into RPI and led me to more, it is a tie between Banco and Le Orme.  Gave the vote to Le Orme because I own more albums by them.  Still love all three!

Banco, easily, for me. I was actually rather dissapointed by the other two (though I do love Felona & Sorona). Banco may have been a tough nut to crack (at least a little bit), but getting into them they are amazing.

Banco gets my vote, as they're the ones that are the most complex, experimental and closest to the proper wilder RPI dynamic.

Le Orme would be next and have many strong discs, including later gems like `Florian', `Storia o Leggenda' and even the poppier `Verite Nascoste'.

But I definitely listen to PFM the most of these three!

PFM are perfectly good...well, their initial run of `Storia Di Un Minuto', `Per Un Amico' and `L'Isola Di Niente' are all absolutely superb (as are parts of `Photos of Ghosts', but I tend to dismiss it as being something of a patch-work remix compilation) and classic pure RPI albums, but it's the mid-period bit that begun with `Chocolate Kings' where they started emulating the English bands a bit more (I mean, they even hired a guy to sing in English like damn Peter Gabriel....), and that period of their importance as a proper Italian group kind of ended. The one after, `Jet Lag' is stronger, but more of a kind of jazz-fusion album. Their 80's run is littered with forgettable pop albums, although their comeback discs like `Stati Di Immaginazione' and `A.D 2010' are wonderful!

But at the same time, I think they are hugely important, and the English-language versions of their early albums are probably a terrific way for people to get their `foot in the door' of hopefully eventually exploring proper RPI discs. For many prog listeners, they are among the first Italian prog discs they ever heard! Unfortunately they're a two-edged sword....those English versions are EXACTLY why some people (mistakenly) instantly dismiss RPI as simply being `Symphonic prog sung in Italian', when it is SO much more than that (I could start to rant, but I'm bored typing this already!).

^^Always pleasure reading what you've got to share, Michael. I like their early era a lot. I guess I need to investigate L'Isola Di Niente a bit more, as well as Chocolate Kings and the following. I seem to like Storia di Un Minuto a bit more than Per Un Amico, I feel it has a bit more of a pronounced, original spirit (Per Un Amico being probably more "perfect" and polished). Both albums give an impression of being... carefully crafted and wisely instrumented.

I was thinking of doing another poll for the second-line groups like Osanna or Il Balletto Di Bronzo. Anyway, maybe in a few days when this thread gets quieter.


Edited by ALotOfBottle - August 24 2016 at 08:43

Yes, I don't have them, but I've heard that trio of Le Orme albums, and they are pretty good. Another comeback one with Jimmy `Metamorfosi' Spitaleri on lead vocals `La Via della Setta' is actually rather excellent, full of wonderfully pompous symphonic Italian prog.

But the recent remake of `Felona e Sorona 2016' should be completely avoided. It's pretty much exactly the same as the classic disc and offers very little of interest. Don't make the mistake like I did and buy it!

PFM

Le Orme, but they're really pretty much all three on the same level for me.

Edited by dr prog - August 26 2016 at 19:01