All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

Important but little-known RPI band

Showmen were a Naples band important in RPI history as well as rock and roll. The first incarnation dates to 1966 and included in its line-up Elio d'Anna, who would go on to form the RPI powerhouse Osanna. The first line-up blended Italian pop with soul/R and B and had several successful singles before breaking up around 1970. Shortly after this, several members joined some new musicians to form Showmen 2 which would attempt to blend some of the original Showmen sound with the exciting new rock sounds that were beginning to permeate Italy. This line-up is the one of interest to RPI fans as it produced the fine 1972 album Showmen 2. While together they played at the 1972 Genova Pop Festival and other open air festivals of the day. The story is a familiar one: the album didn't sell particularly well and the band broke up shortly after this, with Senese and Del Prete going on to form Napoli Centrale, who actually were quite successful and recorded several jazz-rock albums. Showmen 2's history spans the beat and progressive eras, with points of interest in both. Their lone album features elements of their recent past blended with distinctive nods into the surging RPI scene. While not wildly avant-garde by any means, the excitement of the moment is felt in the spirited jamming, blended styles, and occasional splash in the prog-sound ocean.

The Showmen 2 album is quite a good one with an interesting mix of sounds powerful and passive. Most tracks are 7-8 minutes long and have plenty of time to show off the considerable talents in playing, singing, and arrangements. The opening cut is a stunner with up front and muscular bass playing, really active and in-your-face which I love. To me it feels almost like a bit of the more rocking early Chicago crossed with Rare Earth, made especially bold by the two male vocals. The vocals have to be emphasized on this album. They are blue collar and gregarious throughout, vibrant and always belted out with no fanciness, reminding me of Raminghi. The grooving rhythm section and vocal sections are augmented with occasional light use of horns, not the hard-edged brass of Officina Meccanica but a Chicago style trombone, I believe. A nice amped up electric solo cuts through with bite. As quickly as you think you have Showmen 2 pegged the second track shifts gears completely, sounding like some lost Tull or Renaissance track. Acoustic guitar, flute, and piano drift in a very ethereal, longing mood showing that Showmen were very interested in the current scene. A melodic and lighter vocal is introduced here, the mood and playing almost in the Reale Accademia territory. Suddenly the band will stop and the flute will simply appear again, very beautiful but melancholic. As the third track begins Showmen are really getting out there, with spooky spoken intro and screaming guitar feedback. But soon return the melodic and impeccably tasteful rock of the first track, with good changes and superb two-part vocals. The second side continues with consistent strength, introducing a bit of folk influence in spots. Some moments are bringing to mind the band Libra or Samadhi while in other places they are having enough fun to remind me of the Blue Brothers. The bottom line is an album that does not break significant ground in any prog sense, but certainly plays with the freedom of the moment in a way that is quite satisfying on top of what this band really is: just one hell of a rock and roll band. The "Pound for a Brown" Blog notes: "Musically this is a mighty discovery. It consists of long tracks, and simply amazing songs that glue your ears to the music. It's definitely heavy prog like you've never heard until you hear this. A superb recording, mixing prog with heavy psych on a jazz framework."

Recommended for RPI historians first and foremost, but also for anyone interested in the bands I noted. Showmen 2 will not let you down in quality or enthusiasm. The BTF/AMS reissue is another high quality gatefold mini-lp sleeve with good sound quality, though it is a disappointment that the Bio is not translated to English. Usually they do this for us. 3 ½ stars for me, though not quite enough for me to round up.

This is the little silent record from the glory years of the Italian School of Progressive that garners not only scant attention but hardly even a whimper of anything. I am glad that I clued Finnforest onto this because it is really deserving of some serious applause. Yes, Finnforest aptly relayed the brief history, one shot in the dark status (which doesn't always help in getting noticed), sort of a lesser known Maxophone. . Save for the finale ,most tracks are short by prog standards between 3 and 6 minutes . "Uomo Stanco" (Tired Man) starts off the festivities with Luciano Regoli's fascinating vocals leading the way, in a jazzy romp featuring some airy melodies well anchored by the typical ace rhythm section of bassist Aldo Bellanova and drumster Sandro Conti. This solid confidence gives soloists Stefano Sabatini on keys and the reputed guitarist Nanni Civitenga room to lay down some seductive lines. The following piece "Un Millione d'Anni Fa " is an absolute highlight with serious symphonics pushing the pleasure zones, with some whimsical oboe work and a main theme that is sheer beauty and passion. As good as anything by the other ISP big boys. "L'Angelo" concentrates on showcasing the broad range of Regoli's voice and Nanni's cyclonic guitar, acoustic and harsher electric grooving with some ornate piano work as well. "Passagio di Via Arpino" dives into more flute-led jazz areas (fine e- piano, brass blasts and slick drumming) , this is clear-cut jazz-rock that will please even the tightest critics , Sabatini's keywork in particular is scintillating, passing the torch to Civitenga's wah-laden, chugging guitar phrasings that exude not only technique but a slight sense of mania that is most pleasing, finishing the comp off with some more flute explorations, another first rate track. "Fantasia" serves up some more upbeat rhythms, the bass meticulously leading the way, more swooping vocals and criss-crossing melodies, very cool and elegant and the flute again adding that touch of "légèreté" that is instantly appealing. "Silenzio" is more experimental, much less conventional colorations, with the guitar as the main protagonist, keeping things actually simpler and more linear (some nice Eminent - String synth like instrument- work from Sabatini), with dashes of creative oddity. The 8 minute finale really is the main jewel here, simply exposing all those traits that make ISP so attractive, heavenly melodies, glorious inspiration, technically superb playing by all , all presented in a chiseled and structured package, piano leading the way, each instrumentalist interfacing with their own expressions of style and craft, hinting at early King Crimson territories but with that definite Italian feel, constantly seasoned with some new and unexpected quirk, extraordinary vocal choir work that is simply hair- raising, ripping with unabashed passion again the flute soothing things out nicely. Great percussion work throughout, by the way... The final three minutes are symphonic bliss at its finest, on par with anything by anyone, ever, building slowly to an impossible crescendo Madonna mia ! No ISP collection is worthy without this fine single jewel ..Una vera bellezza ... 4.5 solitary stars