UOMINI UMILI POPOLI LIBERI

Excellent classic 70's Ital-prog with complex yet melodic compositions reminding me somewhat of elements of PFM, JUMBO and perhaps even BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERN0. ENEIDE juxtapose a liberal amount of organ, Hammond and Moog and flute throughout even some violin. The most amazing parts IMHO are when ENEIDE get into their groove and then they really take off. Bass and drum lay a fantastic backdrop for keyboard, electric guitar and flute to overlay. Songs are well written and offer a nice array of mood and tempo changes with some grand well thought out melodies. Considering this album has been hidden away for a large number of years the sound quality is quite amazing. Vocals are shared among the band and are quite good with lots of emotive character and clever harmonies. Overall an excellent slice of 70's Italian Progressive Rock.

Edited 09/27/05!

Another one of those "one-album-wonders" from Italy and again a quite good one with short but nice and versatile compositions and excellent musicianship. As already mentioned in their biography the rather intense and dramatic vocals might need some adaption. I did not like them too much in the beginning as well.

The album opens with Cantico alle stelle - traccia I starting quite simple and mellow in fact but in its second half it has a very good Hammond section. Il male is a more energetic one with great flute providing a slight touch of JETHRO TULL. Great keyboard part once again! Non voglio catene is with 7:48 by far the longest of all tracks and (at least in the instrumental sections) an interpretation of the DEEP PURPLE song Wring That Neck (not sure by whom written originally), quite nicely done, I've to say. The keyboards, mainly Hammond are really fantastic. Canto della rassegnazione is a very slow and mellow one featuring some violin. Next song Oppressione e disperazione is an all instrumental one and reminds me in some way to ATOMIC ROOSTER the way they are playing the keys, as well a bit to DEEP PURPLE. Very good track as well! Ecce omo again without vocals is starting more mellow with fantastic Vintage type keyboards before it becomes more rocking in its middle part with some bits of flute, then it comes back to its initial mood. Another highlight, just great! The title song is a rather simple and catchy one in the beginning but featuring nice solo parts of flute and guitar. Viaggia cosmico, meaning "Cosmic Trip" is as the title implies a very quiet and atmospheric song with some synths in the beginning before vocals get accompanied by violin and acoustic guitar. Un mondo nuovo continues with this instrument, as well a very mellow song featuring violin and soft flute later on. The album is closed in the same mood with the second part of the opener.

Uomini Umili Popoli Liberi is a very good and versatile album in the tradition of Italian 70's Prog and Art Rock being more rocking in its first half and more mellow in its second one. A very good recommendation for all lovers of Italian Prog but not sure whether it's an esential one in prog general. (3,5 stars in real!)

Eneide was a group of 16 and 17 year olds from Padova that, in addition to having supported Van Der Graaf Generator, had also played some dates with Genesis and Atomic Rooster. The band's sole album, Uomini Umili Popoli Liberi, was recorded in 1972 but was not released at that time due to the failure of the Trident label. It was finally released in 1990 by some of the band members in a limited vinyl pressing; a cd version by Mellow followed in 1995.

The album itself actually contains very few progressive elements. Tracks are mainly of 3 to 4 minutes duration and follow fairly basic structures, being a mix of acoustic ballads and bluesy-psych workouts. The dominant solo instruments are organ and electric guitar, although flute also features quite prominently. The lead vocalist's tone is quite gruff and gravely, although he does sing with feeling.

The first part of Cantico Alle Stelle features a lovely melody with fine vocals and acoustic guitar backing, as well as a psych organ interlude halfway through the song. Il Male is like a rockier version of the first track, with the addition of some Ian Anderson inspired flute playing. Non Volgio Catene is just under 8 minutes in length and contains a nice Mini Moog part; it also has a couple of extended psych-driven instrumental sections, with guitar and organ interplay that sound a bit like Alphataurus. Track 4, Canto Della Rassegnazione, is a lovely ballad with acoustic guitar, flute and Eminent strings. Oppressione E Disperazione is a standard instrumental blues workout.

Ecce Omo is another instrumental and features some more excellent Mini Moog and Eminent strings, but once again sounds like the main theme from track one. The title track yet again bears a similarity to the melody of track one, this time quite rocky and adding more Ian Anderson flute. Viaggio Cosmico offers a nice contrast to the rest of the album and features spacey sound effects, acoustic guitar and Eminent. Un Mondo Nuovo is another dreamy acoustic ballad with flute and Eminent string ensemble. The album then closes in similar fashion with the second part of Cantico Alle Stelle.

So all-in-all not really a classic RPI album; more of a standard rock album with a few prog elements. The album also suffers due to the fact some tracks sound a bit similar. Nonetheless there's some nice material here and the album is recommended to anyone who already owns most of the Italian big-hitters.

Decent but far from essential

The origins of Eneide trace to 1970 when the teenagers from Padova began as Eneide Pop, later becoming simply Eneide. It's hard to believe, but in their mid teens they are said to have opened dates for Genesis and VDGG. This led to the opportunity to make an album for Trident in 1972, and the band recorded from September through November. However Trident never released their album and the band held the tapes until 1990 when there was finally given a limited, private release. Eneide broke up in 1974 but some of the members have kept playing and kept in contact, with the hope of completing another project one day.

Their album is a cool rarity of good quality although certainly not essential, of interest to more serious RPI fans who've heard all the great stuff. This is a mixture of less complex RPI flavored hard rock that often sounds a bit like Osage Tribe, Atomic Rooster, or Garybaldi. There are garage style rock jams with juicy electric leads and feisty rhythms, all fairly conventional and only flirting with serious prog, most tracks range from only 2-4 minutes in length. The album rises to its most interesting on the mellower stuff when they use some cello and flute to enhance things. There are also moments where acoustic guitars and gentle Italian vocals lend a singer-songwriter vibe. It's certainly nice stuff that is well played but falls well short of the kind of RPI excitement that I get from the more crucial stuff. "Cantico alle Stelle" is a lovely opener with acoustic guitar, mellotron, and melody followed by a jazzy organ section. "Ecce Omo" is another beaut with Moog and some nice drum fills. "Viaggio Cosmico" is a great track, a bit spacey, then very passive with a gorgeous cello interlude over acoustic. My biggest problem is that aside from the 7 minute track, most of the songs just don't have the time to really develop into something more substantial. This is one of those neat little albums for the hard core fans to hunt down and add to their collection. Rooster and Tribe fans should give it a shot, but not before hunting down the 2nd Flea album or Buon Vecchio Charlie, both of which provide more scenery from similar turf.

The Mellow reissue includes nice liner notes and lyrics, all in Italian only. The sound is quite decent for an archival release of this era.

ENEIDE released just one album (surprise) but opened for some Prog heavy-weights back in the day.The organ, flute and drums are all impressive but the big negative for me are the vocals.They are very rough sounding and I can't get used to them so they really take away from my enjoyment of this album at times.

"Cantico Alle Stelle-Traccia 1" is pastoral to start as vocals join in. Some violin-like sounds too. It picks up 1 1/2 minutes in with organ.This is good. Vocals are back later. "Il Male" is drums and organ led as these aggressive vocals come in. Flute too. The vocals are much better when he sings in a reserved manner. "Non Voglio Catene" has vocals after a minute with organ. Synths and drums follow. It picks up with organ before 2 1/2 minutes as the vocals stop.This is excellent. The guitar lights it up 4 minutes in. Synths are back a minute later then vocals. Organ, guitar and drums lead the rest of the way.

"Canto Delle Rassegnazione" is mellow with fragile vocals. Violin-like sounds a minute in. Flute to end it. "Oppressione E Disperazione" is an instrumental with drums and organ to start. The guitar joins in. Great sound. "Ecce Omo" features drums, synths and guitar early on. Flute comes in. It picks up after a minute. Themes are repeated. "Uomini Umili Popoli Liberi" hits the ground running including vocal melodies. Rough vocals join in, flute after 1 1/2 minutes. "Viaggia Cosmico" is spacey until after 2 minutes when the reserved vocals and acoustic guitar take over. "Un Mondo Nuovo" is a short piece with acoustic guitar and synths. "Cantico Alle Stelle-Traccia II" is really a reprise of the opening track.

If I liked the vocals I would give this 4 stars, I like how this sounds instrumentally but the vocals are a big distraction at times.

Another band from Italy,which didn't manage to release anything during the 70's.Initially named Pop Eneide,they were formed in 1970 in Padova by a team of teenagers.The band was a supporting act to big bands like Genesis or Atomic Rooster and toured next to Van Der Graaf Generator.By 1972 they shrunk their name to simply Eneide and recorded an album scheduled to be released on the Trident label.Due to the failure of the later,the album didn't see the light until 1990,when members of the band issued it in a limited number of signed copies.''Uomini Umili Popoli Liberi'' has succeeded a couple of CD re-issues by Mellow Records and BTF.

The band was talented and tried to cover as many styles and track-lengths as possible,mainly in a Hard Prog style with Folk,Jazz and Classical influences.Of course not every track on the album is great,but all compositions are well-arranged.For example the opening track has strong Folk leanings or the following ''Il male'' is characterized by a heavy rock sound with strong organ and flute not unlike JUMBO.The longest composition ''Non voglio catene'' reminds me of Kraut-Rock with jamming organ and long guitar soloing.''Canto della rassegnazione'' is an acoustic Folk/Classical piece,featuring flute and strings,while the energetic slow-tempo 'Oppressione e disperazione'' contains evident DEEP PURPLE overtones with dominant organ and guitars.On ''Ecce omo'' appears the moog synth of Carlo Barnini,making it the more symphonic track of the album,along with the delicate flutes of Adriano Pegoraro and the hard guitar playing of Gianluigi Cavaliere.The self-titled track has strong OSANNA influences,powerful and groovy Hard Prog with driving flutes and harsh vocals by Cavaliere.''Viaggia cosmico'' is a light acoustic piece with a string department supporting and Cavaliere singing in a warm style.''Un mondo nuovo'' doesn't differ much,acoustic music with Classical strings and romantic vocal lines,while on the closing ''Cantico alle stelle - traccia II'' the opening theme of the album is repeated.

Eneide were around until mid-70's,when the band broke up for good.A brief reunion took place around 1995 with leader Gianluigi Cavaliere,bassist Romeo Pegoraro and drummer Diego Polato.The trio even started recording a rock opera ''called Il sogno di Oblomov'',but this was cut halfway through due to the members' heavy work commitments.

Still Eneide left behind a good documentary of their activity during early-70's.Well-executed Hard Prog with some nice breaks and virtuosic solos and a variety of music approaches.Recommended.

Another one of the RPI one albums band.

Eneide came, saw and disappeared again. The album was released long after they disbanded as per usual in the scene.

The music is really typical RPI. A mix of some heavy songs and some more pastoral songs. From heavier prog to pastoral prog and folk rock. A mix of Biglietto Per L'Inferno, Banco, PFM and the more folky bands in the RPI scene. But they also sounds like Jethro Tull with the flutes and their folk rock. Some parts of this album also sounds like Genesis too. There is a lot of vintage keyboards here and some great vocals. The vintage keyboards does it for me. The drums are also great too. The same goes for the sound.

The music is very good throughout. A true superb song or three would had elevated this album up a notch. But this is an arch-typical RPI album and well worth an investment for both RPI fans or those curious about this scene.

3.5 stars