Gong - Camembert Electrique, 1971

1. Radio Gnome Prediction (0:27)
2. You Can't Kill Me (6:18)
3. I've Bin Stone Before (2:36)
4. Mister Long Shanks/O Mother/I Am Your Fantasy (5:57)
5. Dynamite/I Am Your Animal (4:32)
6. Wet Cheese Delirium (0:31)
7. Squeezing Sponges Over Policemen's Heads (0:12)
8. Fohat Digs Holes In Space (6:22)
9. And You Tried So Hard (4:38)
10. Tropical Fish/Selene (7:36)
11. Gnome The Second (0:27)

Christian Tritsch - guitar, bass
Didier Malherbe - sax, flute
Gilli Smyth - vocals, space whispers
Pip Pyle - drums
Daevid Allen - vocals, guitars, bass
Eddy Louiss - organ & piano
Constantin Simonovitch - phased piano

AMG:
"This is a classic, the epitome of the band's early Daevid Allen phase with Ph.P.'s (pothead pixies) in full, blazing glory. In its infancy, Gong was a unique prog rock band that branched out in all directions at once while most other prog bands chose simply one path or another. Camembert Electrique is a testament to that. The band's eclectic "electric cheese" rock is a mixture of psychedelic rock, spacy atmospherics and lyrics, and doses of jazz often presented with a pop sensibility, yet always intense. From the first cut on Camembert, you are transported to planet Gong via the voice of a "radio gnome" who drops in intermittently to remind you you're not in Kansas anymore. Daevid Allen leads the band through several compositions musically (not lyrically) reminiscent of, and possibly influenced by, early King Crimson -- a hard, raw-edged sound propelled by a strong guitar-sax-percussion combo. Drummer Pip Pyle played on only a few Gong sessions; he is a major figure here, as is saxophonist D+6idier Malherbe. Both are up front on the wailing progressive rocker "You Can't Kill Me," which also features guitarist Allen in top form. Allen's declarative "I've Bin Stone Before," the first part of an inventive three-song medley, is of particular interest; introductory church organ and avant-garde sax make this another unique Gong experience. But the real gem on Camembert is "Tropical Fish: Selene." This jazzy composition is the most involving and intricate piece on the recording. The band moves tightly through several progressive movements and Gilli Smyth scores with her trademark "space whispering." Camembert Electrique remains undated after almost 30 years and hovers "strong and steamin'" over most of the Gong catalog."


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I Flashmen (Italy) - Pensando, 1972

1. Ingresso
2. Ma Per Colpa Di Chi?
3. Unpugno Di Mosche
4. Amo Mia Madore
5. Maria
6. Sogni E Delusioni
7. Fortuna E Ragione
8. Nella Tua Mente
9. Qualcosa Per Sognare
10. Sortita

Silver Scivoli - keyboards, vocals
Luciano Spotti - guitar
Giuliano Quarantotto - bass, vocals
Roberto Caroli - drums

Italianprogrock:
"This melodic pop band was formed in Cremona around 1967, and had a rather anonymous career with the early production, their only interesting album being the nice Pensando from 1972.

Their first album "Cercando la vita" contains the typical Italian melodic pop of that era, with the voice in evidence and the organ as the main instrument, a short (around 30 minutes long) LP that includes eight tracks all around three minutes with the sole exception of the long title track; the album was re-released a year later as Hydra with just an extra track.

Pensando their third album is a surprisingly good album, mainly organ-driven and with some hard fuzzy guitars. Only this album belong on this site.

The band disbanded around 1975 and their last production was again in a commercial direction, their last single Piccolo amore was presented at that year's Disco per l'Estate contest."


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Murple (Italy) - Io sono Murple, 1974

1. Antartide
2. Metamorfosi
3. Pathos
4. Senza un perché
5. Nessuna scelta
6. Murple rock
7. Preludio e scherzo
8. Tra I filí
9. Variazioni in 6/8
10. Fratello
11. Un mondo cosí
12. Antarplastic

Pier Carlo Zanco - lead vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, bowed contrabass, chorus
Pino Santamarià - lead vocals, guitars, chorus
Mario Garbarino - bass, bongos, triangle
Duilio Sorrenti - drums, timbales, gong, tympani

Progarchives:
"MURPLE was one of those bands that only made one album and then disappeared. Typically symphonic Italian progressive, as always quite inspired by classical music. On their release, this four-piece group from Rome plays a long suite divided on the two sides, based on the story of a penguin. The music is very good, with classical inspirations especially in the keyboards playing and nice guitar parts. I really don't find any bands that would make a good comparison, indeed I urge you to buy this album about the penguin MURPLE and his long strange journey. You will for sure find some very nice moments here. A CLASSIC AND FIRST QUALITY OPUS. "


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Alpha Centaury (France) - Alpha Centaury, 1976

1. La montre (6:03)
2. L'Arbre (5:50)
3. La Rire des Pierre (2:01)
4. Cage en Béton (2:43)
5. Passant de la Nuit (6:35)
6. Sans nom (5:56)

Serge Nevez - keyboards, vocals
Bruno Nevez - guitar, bass, vocals
Gilles - bass
Daniel Abherve - drums

Progarchives:
"ALPHA CENTAURY is a rare French band from the seventies. Like many others, they recorded one album, and that was it. As you can imagine, information is very hard to find. This is evidenced in the discrepancy in the spelling of the name. On the album, Cenaturi is spelled with a Y. However, if you try to search with that spelling, you find nothing. The band was comprised of Daniel Abherve on drums, Serge Nevez on keyboards and vocals, Bruno Nevez on guitar, bass and vocals, and Gilles on bass

The have a lot in common with other French arists of the time, but not entirely. The closest comparison could be made to Asia Minor. There is that darkness that was prevalent with others, but they have more of a jazz influence. That is mixed with a bit of spacey, almost psychedelic, element. There is even a bit of an operatic tinge in some of the vocals. Their self-titled album was released in 1976."


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Atlantide (Italy) - Francesco Ti Ricordi, 1976

1. L'Uomo Ed Il Cane
2. Sporcandosi Di Sangue
3. Quando La Luna
4. Se Perdessi La Vita Cosi
5. Il Pagliaccio
6. Francesco Ti Ricordi

Mimmo Sanseverino - guitar, vocals
Leonardo Sanseverino - organ, synth
Mario Sanseverino - bass
Matteo Sanseverino - drums

Progarchives:
"Like their contemporaries HERO, ATLANTIDE was an all-Italian band active in Germany in the Seventies. Its four members, the Sanseverino brothers (Mimmo, Matteo, Leonardo and Mario), originally came from Cirigliano, a town in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. They already used to play together as a band before their move to Rottweil (Germany) in 1973, where they still live (though one of the brothers, Leonardo, died in 2006).

In their new country ATLANTIDE engaged in a lively concert activity, mainly as a support act to local bands, such as THE SCORPIONS, and gained critical acclaim from the press. However, their only, self-produced album, "Francesco ti ricordi" (1976), released exclusively in Germany, had very little commercial success (though it seems to have been printed in relative large quantities). It is a good heavy progressive rock album, strongly influenced by the likes of DEEP PURPLE, featuring six tracks one of which, "Quando la luna", is over 11 minutes long."


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Anonima Sound Ltd (Italy) - Red Tape Machine, 1972

1. The Red Tape Machine (5:24)
2. The Last Debutante (5:12)
3. Window On The City (4:10)
4. Metro Song (4:57)
5. Dog's Life (4:13)
6. Triangle (7:00)
7. Freedom (3:19)
8. The Roofer (4:34)

Richard Ingersoll - vocals, flute
Massimo Meloni - guitar, vocals
Claudine Reiner - vocals, percussion
Lamberto Clementi - guitar
Peter Dobson - guitar
Piero Cecchini - bass, vocals
Velio Galazzi - drums

Progarchives:
"Formed in 1964 in the Italian city of Urbino, ANONIMA SOUND were a beat-pop trio that recorded four singles, including the hit single "Fuori piove", released in 1967. In 1970, lead vocalist and guitarist Ivan Graziani left to pursue a career as a solo artist, which would see him become one of the most popular Italian singer-songwriters of the Eighties.

At this point, after having recruited new members, the band changed its name in ANONIMA SOUND LTD. After the release of the single "Io prendo amore" in 1971, they became a seven-piece that included one English and two American musicians, and completely changed their musical orientation. In 1972 they released an album, "Red Tape Machine", entirely sung in English and influenced by British psychedelia and progressive rock. It's an interesting effort, featuring obvious JETHRO TULL influences: the singer tries in places to imitate Ian Anderson, and one of the main instruments used by the band is the flute. However, ANONIMA SOUND LTD. were also one of the most distinctive-sounding bands on the Italian prog scene of the early Seventies.

Anonima Sound Ltd. are a rare, very interesting example of an Italian prog band of the Seventies influenced by psychedelia rather than by symphonic prog."


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