Officina Meccanica (OM) may not be well known but they are one of the most original and exceptional Italian progressive bands of the 1970s. The band members convened from two cities near Rome (Anzio and Nettuno) in the early '70s and by 1974 they were one of the most important acts in Italy doing shows with Banco and PFM among others. There are a few things that make this band unique and memorable. First, their sound was extremely provocative and daring, incorporating horns into the mix reminiscent of VDGG with even some lesser nods to funk and fusion. Second was their highly theatrical stage shows featuring a mime-faced lead vocalist pushing Ange-level expressiveness. OM rest firmly in the more challenging bracket of Italian Prog. While there are moments of great melodic beauty the main emphasis is on the edginess, tension and passion. The band featured self-taught guitarist Gianni Barbati, vocalist Luciano Maiozzi, bassist Randolfo Canini, trumpeter Luigi Canini, saxophonist Vincenzo Bentivegna, and incredible drummer Bruno Dionisi. The main reason they did not get the credit other groups did is that they never released their album at the time. The material was there to be sure, worked up to fine form over many live gigs, but released only individually as singles and a rare (for that time) conceptual video for Italian television .Gianni Barbati recalled that the video "was shot in a magnificent garden in the Tor di Quinto area of Rome. The band continued their busy touring schedule rather than cutting the album in '74 and by the time they came back from Tunisia the opportunity to record cut the full length album had gone. Thankfully that tragic lost opportunity was remedied by BTF/AMS in 2007 with the long overdue release of "La Follia del Mimo di Fuoco" (The Madness of the Fire Mime.) The beautifully assembled project includes the essential recorded pieces from the 1970s along with live versions of the tracks that did not see release at that time. All of the live tracks were recorded in 1976. Line-up / Musicians Luciano Maiozzi/vocals Gianni Barbati/guitars,moog Randolfo Canini/bass,vocals Luigi Canini/trumpet Bruno Dionisi/drums,percussion Vincenzo Bentivegna/sax Discography(Album) La Follia Del Mimo Di Fuoco 2007
1.Suite bambini innocenti 2.Primo turno 3.Via non esiste 4.Insieme al sole 5.Nel grattacielo delle idée il pensiero piu alto e la pazzia 6.Amanti di ieri 7.Il viaggio di un uomo non piu uomo nella valle del tempo
Procession - Fiaba 1974PROCESSION formed in Turin in 1972. They came out that same year with an album titled "Frontiera" for the small Help label (an RCA subsidiary that als…Read More
