"A Re-reading Of The Music Of King Crimson, Soft Machine, Robert Wyatt, Nucleus, Kraftwerk, Le Orme, Beatles."
Tribute albums are usually a hit or miss affair, and in many cases the 'miss' is a big one due to many of them being note for note renditions of classic songs where the listener would be better off just going back to the original songs. Nostalgia Progressiva takes the complete opposite approach, instead allowing the musicians involved to recreate, reimagine, and 're-read' some classic tunes in directions most would not expect. Involved in this project are:
Maurizio Brunod: guitars, live sampling
Giorgio Li Calzi: trumpet, flugelhorn, flugelhorn, keyboards, electronics
Boris Savoldelli: voice, electronics, vocal synth
Choosing to tackle some of the prog-rock, fusion, and pop classics while injecting a healthy dose of electronica, folk, and jazz elements is no mean feat, but the trio here have done just that, not only making some of these songs unrecognizable but also giving them new life. In some instances, it's a tad jarring, in others it's genius, but the group will certainly get your attention here. The Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" becomes a totally different beast, with layers of multi-tracked vocals, horns, bubbling synths, and guitars all floating around, it's like a psychedelic/space rock trip into someone's worst nightmare. King Crimson's "Formentera Lady" becomes the true jazz piece it might have originally been meant to be, but with loads of electronica poured on top. "Radio Activity" turns into a spooky electronic folk piece, while "I Talk to the Wind/Roots" kicks off with melancholy folk before dub-step collides with sultry jazz. "Starless" is reworked into a yearning slice of sorrowful jazz, Brunod's searing lead electric guitar and gentle acoustic guitar a nice touch, and "Gioco Di Bimba" is transformed into into a dreamy, jazzy, ambient exploration.
While there are parts of Nostalgia Progressiva that don't quite work for me, I have to give these guys a world of praise for taking some real chances here and delivering a covers/tribute album that really injects their personalities into these songs, and makes them new creations in the process. I'd advise anyone who loves any of these tunes to give this album a spin to hear them in a completely new light.
Track Listing
- Formentera Lady
- Matte Kudasai
- Tomorrow Never Knows
- Shipbuilding
- Radio Activity
- I Talk to the Wind
- Starless
- Taranaki
- Moonchild
- Gioco di bimba
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