GENERAZIONI (STORIA DI SEMPRE)

EA Poe was a group who for many years was a mystery, the band's identity not widely known. No information was given on the CD reissue. They originated in the late '60s under a different name and emerged as EA Poe around 1970 when they a local live band playing Zep and Purple covers as youngsters. Indeed this is another amazing story of Italian musicians maturing early, these friends starting playing together as children literally and recorded this music around the ages of 17 or 18. "Generazioni" was another obscure release even by Italian standards with an initial pressing of 500 and they would fold by '76 as a group for lack of interest and promotion. And yet incredibly, they are another example of how potent the Italian genre classic period was. When you can find such accomplished music by the most obscure of your second or third tier popular groups it goes to show that "the bench" of the Italian scene competes with anyone.

Like others from this bench such as Errata Corrige, Apoteosi, or Procession, Poe's music is accomplished if not as outwardly stunning as PFM or QVL. Their sound is a bit rawer, more psych-bluesy and muscular than groups like Errata Corrige but places the same great care on mood, detail, texture. Vocals again are bashed unnecessarily, for some reason people scrutinize Italian vocals more than English counterparts. The vocals are fine, it's just that they are average as opposed to the exceptional lead vocalists some bands possess. "Prologo" begins with spoken verse with tense piano, synth, and cymbal rides behind creating a creepy vibe. There is a brief heartbeat effect before the band jumps in with some brisk bluesy jamming. The bass is fat and well represented in the mix, the drums are a bit soft, the guitar is clear and cuts through nicely. At times this is a bit like the Doors with Krieger-like guitar and psych-blues sound. "Considerazioni" starts with synth squeals sounding like bird calls almost, but trippy, and another bluesy bass line ushering in more psych sounding guitar, then organ. Often these kinds of descriptions would not arouse my interest much but here the music is not boring. Indeed when the piano and vocal come in the track sounds decently well-rounded. "Per Un'Anima" is a melancholic acoustic folk piece with plaintive vocals and light mellotron background, very nice. "Alla Ricerca" crashes to life with heavy organ, bass and drum roll. The keys and guitar then tear into a brief foot race until it clears into a vocal meadow. The vocal sections swim in background organ with light guitar leads, the off-vocal sections feature the heavy beginning section giving a dramatic heaviness, as well as the guitar/keys run sections which connect the other parts. "Ad Un Vecchio" is the longest track at 7 minutes, starting with a very cool synth sound backed by sad piano. The piano takes over as the rhythm section arrives with guitar leads in the background. The bass becomes a co-lead here and mood is very brooding. After some nice vocals the mood gets more uplifting and rocking towards the end before laying down an interesting nicely planned close. "La Ballata Del Cane Infelice" plays the softer side again with dual acoustic guitars and a Yes "Your Move" vibe. The bass is present to give some depth but there is no drumming. Even the mandolin makes an appearance providing yet another variation in sound. The title track is a well rounded piece of melodic prog on the poppier side but with nice, lush keyboards and a balance of light and heavy sections. A respectable closer.

This is again a tough rating because I'm torn between 3 and 4. If you're not necessarily big on Italian you could pass. But if you swoon for the likes of Apoteosi, Blocco Mentale and Errate Corrige, you may wish to add E.A. Poe to your list. They are a worthy addition for those want to go beyond the well known Italian first tier. You can expect good sound from the VM CD reissue but nothing more, virtually no information, photos, lyrics, or bonus tracks.

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