Oldish Psych and Prog

 

Style: prog, folk
Country: Sweden
Audio: mp3 (192k)
Size: 73mb
Year: 2004 (compilation '73-'78)

unknown:
'Swedish Family' was one of the top bands in the late sixties and they kept on going for almost 10 years. The band was a true inspiration to most of the bands during this period.

'Swedish Family' picked up there melodies from the tradition of Swedish folk music, rock and classic styles. They blended it all into a unique mix, that came to be so well known and loved.

 

Style: prog
Country: italy
Audio: mp3 (320k)
Size: 128mb
Year: 1997 (compilation)

Wiki:
The band was founded around mid-1960s, when musicians Vittorio De Scalzi, Nico Di Palo, Mauro Chiarugi, Giorgio D'Adamo and Gianni Belleno decided to form a band called New Trolls, after the name of the previous band of one of them, The Trolls.

After a first series of concerts in local clubs, New Trolls gained popularity to the point they were chosen as supporting act for the Rolling Stones, on their Italian tour dates. Soon after, they released their debut single, "Sensazioni" (1967), the first of a very long series of chart hitting songs. The band was one of the best live acts in Italy at the time, and Hendrix-inspired guitarist Nico Di Palo was one of the first Italian guitar heroes.

Their first full-length album, Senza orario senza bandiera, came in 1968 with lyrics written for it by famed singer-songwriter Fabrizio de André. This release was very successful at the time. A second album, simply titled New Trolls, followed two years later (1970) as a compilation of their singles. By the end of the same year New Trolls would have faced their first line-up change, when Mauro Chiarugi left the band. The other members managed to go on as a quartet.

In 1971 they released the album which was to become their trademark: Concerto Grosso Per I. The album was a fantastic example of early symphonic rock experimentation, with classical music arrangements written by composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov. As the first effort in Italy to merge rock music with classical treatments, this album is still considered one of the most important Italian progressive rock releases.

The second line-up change came by 1972, when bassist Giorgio D'Adamo was replaced by the Italo-Canadian Frank Laugelli. With the new line-up the band released Searching For A Land, a double album with some live tracks and mostly sung in English. This new record was a disjointed album and not a great success, as most of the English-sung albums by Italian artists. That same year brought another New Trolls album: Ut, introducing a heavier sound similar to hard rock. Even though the release was successful creative differences emerged and the band broke into two parts, with Di Palo and De Scalzi going in two different ways. A legal struggle began for the use of the band name ensued.

Vittorio De Scalzi reunited with Giorgio D'Adamao, effectively forming another band called New Trolls. The De Scalzi incarnation of the band released a single Una Notta Sur Monte Calvo, a popular rendition of Mussorgsky's A Night on Bare Mountain, as New Trolls. A legal battle followed and the next album was released with the title N.T. Atomic System as a result, keeping the style of New Trolls prior to Ut. Despite some accounts on the web De Scalzi never intended to call the band New Trolls Atomic System. An Italian court ruled in De Scalzi's favor and Di Palo and the other three band members released their next album with a question mark replacing the name of the band. The quartet was later dubbed Ibis, a band oriented towards hard rock.

The De Scalzi led lineup, often mistakenly referred to as New Trolls Atomic System, released their first album in 1973 with arrangements similar to the ones used previously in Concerto Grosso No. 1. In 1973 De Scalzi founded Magma Records which released the album. De Scalzi himself played the flute, keyboards and guitar in this work. The second album, Tempi dispari, was an instrumental jazz-rock fusion album, completely different from the previous New Trolls sound. With the court case settled De Scalzi was again able to use the name New Trolls, despite this Tempi Dispari was rather unsuccessful.

The disappointment of Tempi Dispari triggered the break up of the De Scalzi led incarnation of New Trolls. Amazingly, De Scalzi rejoined his old friend/rival Di Palo and drummer Belleno for a new chapter in New Trolls' history. Bassist D'Adamo remained and singer/guitarist Ricky Belloni was hired to complete the line-up. In 1975 the band released a live album on Magma simply titled N.T. L.I.V.E. which contained songs prior-breakup and some excerpts from the forthcoming studio album Concerto Grosso No. 2, which was released in 1976. Concerto Grosso No. 2 revisited the style of their best selling album, but this time the critics considered it to be "pale" and too "pop-vein". Magma Records eventually released both Concerto Grosso albums in a single package.

1978 brought a new member to the band, keyboardist Giorgio Usai. Then the band slowly begun to abandon its progressive style in favour to a mainstream pop rock sound that gave them many more hits (Quella carezza della sera and Aldebaran among them). The New Trolls kept in this line until early 1990s.

From then on the name New Trolls has appeared sporadically in the music scene. Along the 1990s Vittorio De Scalzi recruited several musicians to make tours playing old New Trolls songs. Some album remakes and best-hits collections have appeared too. In 1999 Di Palo, Belloni and Belleno tried to regroup the band (again) but came into legal conflict with De Scalzi.

In 2001 a two-disc set was released credited to De Scalzi: La storia dei New Trolls. Recorded live, the first disc includes reworkings of old tracks, while the second is a complete rendition of Concerto grosso per i New Trolls with full orchestra.

By 2002 the band lead by De Scalzi kept touring with the Storia dei New Trolls repertoire. Di Palo and former band members regrouped as Il Mito dei New Trolls, only touring and performing old songs, not releasing any record yet.

2007 saw what is currently the latest reunion of De Scalzi and Di Palo. Reuniting elements from both members' bands, the reformed New Trolls released Concerto grosso: The Seven Seasons, a continuation of their classical/rock blending "Concerto Grosso" series. For this issue, the band returned to English lyrics, written by Shel Shapiro. The record was produced and released by the band's own label, Aereostella.

Style: symph folk prog
Country: Argentina
Audio: mp3 (192k)
Size: 40mb

Dreams Fantasies & Nightmares:
A duo, probably helped by session musicians, that made the above melodic progressive albums, which are keyboard dominated. They were from Argentina and they also contributed Canción Para Mi Muerte to the live compilation Haste Que Se Poyga El Sol (1973). This track is an acoustic ballad with guitar, piano, drums and harmony vocals.

Vida was recorded with assistance from various members of La Pesada. It contained catchy folk rock tunes and lyrics which dealt with everyday problems youngsters faced. Among its finer moments were Dime Quién Me Lo Robo and Cuando Comenzamos A Nacer.

García penned all the material on their second album Confesiones De Invierno. It followed a similar formula to their first. It produced some memorable songs Aprendizaje and Rasguña Las Piedras and again many La Pesada members participated.

Their third album was more symphonic and featured more socially aware lyrics. The duo was supplemented by Rinaldo Rafanelli (ex-Color Humano) (bs) and Juan Rodríguez (ex-Los Mentales) (drms). Parts of the album were censored and some songs were removed. A number of other musicians guested on parts of the album. It proved to be their swan song so far as studio albums were concerned, for García and Mestre decided to go their separate ways.

A farewell concert was held at Buenos Aires' Luna Park Stadium on 5th September 1975. The two night show was filmed for a movie and a two album set (available separately) Adios Sui Generis.

Charly Garcia went on to form La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros and later Seru Giran (which included David Lebón). They became the country's top band in the late seventies and early eighties. He later went solo and became phenomelly successful. Nito Mestre went solo too, but with far less success.

oe: Amazing group!

Tapestry of Delights:
An archytypal progressive rock outfit, formed in mid-1968 by husband and wife Chris and Pauline Adams. Although their debut album bears little resemblance to their subsequent work, being full of US West Coast-influenced breezy harmony-pop, only 100 copies were pressed and it's now inevitably rare and sought-after.
In 1972 they expanded the line-up, with Graeme Smith a classically trained violinist from the Scottish National Orchestra, Bill Hatje and Colin Wilson. The same year they signed to Charisma and released an eponymous album which enjoyed considerable critical acclaim. Characterised by Chris Adams' hard bitten lyrics and doomy vocals and Graham Smith's wailing violin playing, their 'sound' had built up a strong following on the club/college circuit. 1972 also saw them on tour in the U.S. with Genesis.
There is no doubt that The Machine That Cried although musically far stronger than their first Charisma release, was very doom-laden and apparently written while Chris Adams was hospitalised with a collapsed lung. The band too were suffering problems with Charisma. They recorded the album with a drummer against the express wishes of their label who thereafter insisted that the band demo all output for their final approval. Charisma also rejected the bands original title, Heartfeeder.
Colin 'Billy the Kid' Fairley (ex-Ruby and Beggars Opera) also drummed on The Machine That Cried. Soon after the albums release, the Adams' left the band and Graham Smith took over its leadership assembling a new line-up. Apparently, however, an unreleased album exists featuring the Adam's, Graham Smith, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg. This was recorded just before the demise of the Adams-led band and examples from it are included on the Discotomy CD.
Their two subsequent albums were OK but never attracted the same attention as the previous two. One curious fact is their It's A Game 45, which was later a hit for The Bay City Rollers! The link between the two was Shel Talmy who produced String Driven Thing and also produced/managed The Rollers.
After the band split Graham Smith went on to work with Van Der Graaf Generator in 1977 and later with Peter Hammill. Colin Wilson went on to record a solo folk rock album Cloudburst (Tabibla ) 1975. Chris Adams too made a solo album The Damage 1992. Kimberley Beacon made some solo albums as Kim Beacon. Today Colin Fairley lives in Canada and runs a tartan import/export business, Colin Wilson works in computers in the Home Counties and Graham Smith teaches the violin.
The most famous String Driven Thing song remains Circus.