FROM COCOON TO BUTTERFLY

From "Cocoon To Butterfly" is a special deluxe box set including a CD with 10 vintage tracks recovered from outtakes and alternate demo material from 1973-1976, plus a DVD with live footage from a 1976 concert at RAI studios in Torino. The booklet is very rich, including old pictures of the band, a complete biography and detailed information about the content of CD and DVD (in Italian and English).

All the recordings on the CD have been carefully remastered but even a good remastering can't perform miracles when the sources are demos or home-made recordings... Nonetheless you can find here four very interesting tracks that have never appeared before... Particularly good are the opening track "Kaleidophonia", a long instrumental where the band showcase their great musicianship blending classical influences and jazz, and "Dadaida". Both these tracks were written for a second album that was never completed and although they're just demos, the recording quality is good. "L'isola" and "Il lago delle ninfee" are good tracks that didn't find room on their "official album" and it's a pity that the sound quality of the original tapes was so poor... The other six tracks are just unreleased alternative versions of material originally released on their eponymous album in 1975.

The DVD footage was professionally filmed by Italian TV in 1976 and has a bonus video track of the re-formed Maxophone in 2005, playing one live track at Radio Popolare studios in Milano, an instrumental version of "Mercanti di pazzie". The DVD also includes bonus features, such as interviews with all the members of tha band (an English translation is available). The quality of the video is really good. Maxophone were one of the most interesting "one shot bands" of the Italian progressive scene in the Seventies. As you can read on the booklet, "Maxophone's first and only album matured over the years like a bottle of expensive wine, becoming exquisite in taste and has gradually gained prestige". This work is complementary to that album and its aim is to give a full overview of the band's activity... If you like "Maxophone" this could be an excellent addition to your prog collection.

''Maxophone'' was also released in an English-sung version, but the album failed to bring the band a wider recognition.In 1976 recordings for a second album started, however Maxophone disbanded the following year after a last single with Leonardo Schiavone spending some time with Stormy Six at the end of the decade.About 30 years later a posthumous work was released on Vinyl Magic, entitled ''From cocoon to butterfly'', containing both a CD and a DVD.

The CD contains five unreleased tracks along with demo versions of Maxophone's already published compositions.In fact the opening ''Kaleidophonia'', clocking at 10 minutes, was to be included in Maxophone's second album and considering its quality this could have been another great album by the band.Smooth and professional instrumental Prog with extended keyboard passages, led by Hammond organ, great sax and clarinet solos, lovely interplays and delicate melodies in the best Italian tradition.This is superb Italian-flavored Symphonic Rock with minor jazzy moves.''L'isola'' is a demo quality leftover from the band's debut and comes as a proposal of romantic Symphonic Rock with emotional guitar solos and vocals along with cinematic trumpets and a great keyboard-based ending theme.''Fischio del vapore'' is another track of demo quality, recorded in 1976 and intended to be the single of Maxophone's second album.The folky flavor is now more dominant due to the archaic use of flutes and acoustic guitars, while wordless voices and marching horns result a really elegant and melancholic atmosphere.''Il lago delle ninfee'' is another leftover from Maxophone's sole release, a short track with light P.F.M. and BLOCCO MENTALE influences, led by mellow vocals, piano and harsichord, while the long ''Dadaida'' was destined to remain in a hidden tape for almost 30 years, again as part of the band's never released second album.Another proof of Maxophone's composing level, another lost and unreleased treasure of Italian Prog, somewhere between Canterbury Fusion, Jazz and Symphonic Rock with great interplays, notable work on clarinet and electric piano and furious breaks.

Five tracks, as aforementioned, are demo versions from the pieces presented in the band's monumental debut, while the DVD contains interviews along with a fantastic footage for a RAI Television programme in 1976.The quality of the video is pretty great, the performance of this masterful act is even better.Another video of an instrumental version of "Mercanti di pazzie" was caught in 2005 at Radio Popolare Studios in Milano, when Maxophone reunited briefly for some concerts.

One of the top 5 acts in the long history of 70's Italian Prog.This archival work is highly recommended even for Prog fans, who own Maxophone's splendid debut, especially for guys with a visual preferance.The unreleased tracks are absolutely great and the video contained is a great document of Maxophone's performances and talent.Do yourself a favor and grab this work.