>>> BTF NEWSLETTER >>> July 20th 2009

Welcome to the Summer Newsletter "Special Vinyl" part.2 This is the second of two newsletters we propose you for your summer holidays. Some of our best sellers! have a good listen!

LP > PROGRESSIVE   A trio from Turin, formed in 1970 by keyboard player Alluminio (hence the name of the band) and drummer Ostorero with various guitarists, they only lasted for a couple of years and their only album, Scolopendra, was issued when they had already split. The album is very well made, mainly based on Hammond organ and other keyboards, with good instrumental parts with an outstanding second part. A must-have for lovers of Italian prog! Finally in gatefold sleeve faithful to the original cover.

PROGRESSIVE   Now available from BTF: a classic italian prog album in a new deluxe reissue LP limited edition. Alusa Fallax's "Intorno alla mia cattiva educazione" has been faithfully reissued in 180 gr. vinyl edition and it's packaged in a superbe gatefold cover sleeve.

PROGRESSIVE   AREA were one of the more varied Italian bands with their distinctive mix of prog and jazz genres. Without a question AREA’s early 70’s work is pure classic Ital prog. "Tic & Tac" was released in 1980 after Demetrio Stratos death. Sounding something in between SOFT MACHINE and UZEB this album moves and moves and never really stops and takes a breath. The band lineup included Patrizio Fariselli (acoustic piano, M.C.S. 70 synthesizer and electric piano), Larry Nocella (tenor sax), Giulio Capiozzo (drums), Ares Tavolazzi (electric bass, double bass, guitar), Guido Guidoboni (trumpet), Luciano Biasutti (trumpet). Reprinted in beautiful LP version. "Tic & Tac" è senza dubbio il disco meno conosciuto degli Area. Uscì in un periodo non troppo felice per la band: il loro mitico cantante, Demetrio Stratos, era appena morto di leucemia, e l'ottimo chitarrista Paolo Tofani se n'era già andato da tempo. In effetti, circolano voci di corridoio non confermate, che il gruppo prima di registrare il disco, avesse deciso di sciogliersi. Non si sa poi come siano andate le cose, ma "Tic & Tac" uscì nel 1980. Il suono è un po’ a metà fra I Soft Machine e gli UZEB. La formazione unclude Patrizio Fariselli (acoustic piano, M.C.S. 70 synthesizer and electric piano), Larry Nocella (tenor sax), Giulio Capiozzo (drums), Ares Tavolazzi (electric bass, double bass, guitar), Guido Guidoboni (trumpet), Luciano Biasutti (trumpet).Nonostante sia un disco anni 80 di elettronico ha ben poco: Fariselli sperimenta sì con i sintetizzatori, ma lo fa in modo discreto, mai invadente, lasciando sempre un grande spazio a gli altri. Soprattutto Ares Tavolazzi da un contributo a quest'album: infatti il buon Ares (che molti continuano a ricordarselo come uno degli autori della sigla di "Ufo Robot") oltre ad "armeggiare" magistralmente i suoi bassi e contrabbassi, incide pure alcune parti di chitarra ritmica, canta (ahimé, devo ammettere che questo poteva anche risparmiarselo) e firma due superbe composizioni. Che dire poi del drumming precisissimo e del magistrale groove del compianto Giulio Capiozzo? Probabilmente Giulio era uno dei più grandi (se non IL più grande) batteristi italiani, e nonostante quanto affermato da qualche rivista degli anni 80, il suo stile resta ancora attualissimo e senza dubbio grande fonte di ispirazione per i giovani batteristi d'oggi. Una delle novità è l'aggiunta di un sassofonista, il bravissimo Larry Nocella.

LP > PROGRESSIVE   Many italian music fans only know Capsicum Red by name because their singer and guitarist Red Canzian had a very successful career (until now!) with pop band Pooh, and this four-piece from Treviso didn't catch so much interest in their short career. The name Capsicum Red was chosen by the producer Pino Massara when he discovered Canzian, singer and guitarist with I Prototipi, and took him to his newly-born label Bla Bla in 1970. After assembling a proper group with keyboardist Mauro Bolzan, bassist Walter Gasparini and drummer Paolo Podda (later replaced by Paolo Steffan and Roberto Balocco, the latter from Panna Fredda), Canzian strongly moved, with the Appunti per un'idea fissa LP towards progressive music with classical influences. Side 1 contains the long Beethoven-derived Patetica suite, a very interesting piece of classical prog with keyboards to the fore. Side 2 is interesting too with three shorter songs.

LP > PROGRESSIVE   Still available from BTF for a classic italian prog album in a new deluxe reissue LP edition. Dalton's "Riflessioni: idea d'infinito" has been faithfully reissued in 180 gr. vinyl edition that even reproduces the historic orange vintage vinyl and it's packaged in a superbe gatefold cover sleeve.

PROGRESSIVE   Another excellent LP reissue! Flea's second album is available again: hard-rock and progressive-rock perfectly blended in one of the masterwork albums of the original italian prog scene from the early Seventies.

LP > PROGRESSIVE   Now available from BTF: a classic italian prog album in a new deluxe reissue LP edition. Garybaldi's "Nuda" has been faithfully reissued in 180 gr. and it's packaged in a superbe triple gatefold cover sleeve, really effective and gorgeously displaying the original artwork.

PROGRESSIVE   Florence band I Califfi included in their first line-up the future Area and Electric Frankenstein guitarist Tofani and Campo di Marte drummer Marcovecchio and were a very popular band in the 60's, before disbanding at the turn of the 70's. They released an album on RiFi and no less than eleven singles. The band was reformed in 1972 by bass player Franco Boldrini, the only member from the original line-up, for a new recording deal with Fonit Cetra, that only produced an LP. Fiore di metallo is a very good prog album, based on organ and moog sounds, with two outstanding instrumental tracks. One of our personal faves, and a megararity, finally reissued on LP. Highly recommended! 180 gr. LP

PROGRESSIVE   "Canti d'innocenza canti d'esperienza" is the 1973 album by ex New Trolls members that will later become Ibis. A must-have for New Trolls addicts showing the harder, smoking side of the New Trolls diaspora. Available in the usual BTF gatefold artwork with the original insert photo artwork and all lyrics.

PROGRESSIVE   New reissue for Osanna's 1972 soundtrack, composed together with Luis Enriquez Bacalov. Great gatefold sleeve cover!

PROGRESSIVE   Housed in a great cover designed by drummer Massimo Guarino, with an inner gatefold painting by singer Lino Vairetti (some of the band members came from the Naples Academy of Arts and also had an artistic career), the album contains nice tracks. The band was trying to play abroad and the album was also intended for the foreign markets, so five of the seven tracks are in English, but due to the split it had to be finished with the help of Corrado Rustici (Danilo's younger brother from Cervello) and drummer Enzo Vallicelli (then with Uno). Faithfully restored in the original gatefold sleeve cover.

LP > PROGRESSIVE   Now available from BTF: a classic italian prog album in a new deluxe reissue LP edition. Procession's "Frontiera" has been faithfully reissued on 180 gr. white vinyl edition and it's packaged in a superbe gatefold cover sleeve.

LP > PROGRESSIVE   Their only album, Per... un mondo di cristallo, housed in a curious gatefold cover containing a nice drawing from the Up&Down Studio (as in Procession's Fiaba), mixes a typical italian prog sound with acoustic guitar, flute and keyboards in evidence, with jazz influences with great tracks such as "Un palco di marionette" mixed with jazzy tunes like "Il mondo cade su di me". The 1972 debut album for this early italian progressive band has been now reissued in 180 gr. vinyl.