Italian folk-pop icon Angelo Branduardi was born February 12, 1950 in the Milanese countryside in a small town called Cuggioni. Branduardi experimented with a few instruments before settling on guitar, playing piano at age six, and violin as a soloist at the Conservatory Niccolo Paganini…
A huge live recording that is making a great dissection of Angelo Branduardi's career (up to 'Gulliver'). This lengthy live record is a bit of an oddity: for a folk or progressive rock or italian music enthusiast it could be considered a gem. The biggest flaw - in my opinion - is actually the same characteristic that could be applied to the entirey Branduardi's catalogue - it's a bit soft , even from a folk point of view I think it's often missing the 'beef'. But don't let that discourage you, it's not 'new agey', and it's not to poppy neither. Musicianship is great - and if you enjoy RENAISSANCE for their technical side, you will enjoy this one too, it's only less 'hollow'.
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.
Appearing Alan Stivell
As I have written in my review of "81" I have missed Branduardi in the 80s, but the label has reprinted the whole collection in a nice price series so at least in Italy you can find all his 70s and 80s production at 5euro each.
This 3rd Branduardi album has been described in some quarters as his breakthrough. Since a breakthrough can be distinct from a peak, I cannot refute this claim, but I am more inclined to refer to it as a move in the right direction.
Parting the curtain behind the big 3 or so progressive ensembles to come out of Italy in the 1970s, one of course discovers a myriad of other agglomerations of varying longevity.
Angelo Branduardi was born in Cuggiono, in the Milan area.
Alan Simon is a French folk-rock musician and composer, best known for his rock operas performed with noted rock musicians guesting. Simon is associated with Breton Celticism, and his most ambitious works are typically on themes linked to Celtic myth and history. Simon achieved fame with his rock opera Excalibur, La Légende des Celtes (Excalibur, The Legend of the Celts) (Sony) in 1999, of which he was both songwriter and producer. The first part of an intended trilogy, Excalibur blended musical styles and was performed by Roger Hodgson (ex-Supertramp), Fairport Convention, Dan Ar Braz, Tri Yann, Angelo Branduardi, Didier Lockwood and Gabriel Yacoub. Within weeks, the album went top 10 and gold in France. Five concert performances took place between October 1999 and June 2000, including one at Paris-Bercy.