📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌7 June 2005

Dream Theater
📀 Octavarium
#HeavyMetal #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock

20 years ago Dream Theater from Boston, #USA released their 8th studio album.

Taking its creative concept from the musical octave, Octavarium is highly rated by #DreamTheater fans.
To me it's one of their best albums, most of the songs are pure gems and the final 24 minutes titletrack with LaBrie and Portnoy alternating on vocals is in the Olympus of Progressive Rock ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#JamesLaBrie – vocals
#JohnPetrucci – guitars, vocals, producer
#JordanRudess – keyboards, Continuum, lap steel guitar
#JohnMyung – bass
#MikePortnoy – drums, vocals, percussion, producer, art concept

Additional personnel
Orchestra directed by #ElenaBarere (first violin) and conducted by #JamshiedSharifi
#CarolWebb – second violin
#VincentLionti – viola
#RichardLocker – cello
#7June

🎧Listen to Octavarium 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌Summer 1985

Black Hole
📀 Land Of Mystery
#HeavyMetal #DoomMetal #OccultRock #ProgressiveRock #PsychedelicRock

40 years ago Black Hole from #Verona, #Italy released their debut studio album.

#BlackHole were founded in 1981 as a Heavy Prog band with influences ranging from Black Sabbath to #RPI (Rock Progressivo Italiano).

After years of underground, the band finally recorded this album in Spring 1985 at Diamine Studio in Venice.
Land Of Mystery is Black Hole only album in the original formation, they disbanded in 1987.
Vocalist and leader #RobertMeasles released 2 more albums as Black Hole in 2000 and 2017.

In this album you can hear Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Jacula, Goblin, Death SS, Paul Chain altogether.

Lesson learned, absolute gem🤘

In this album:
"The Mysterious Future" Robert - vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, bass, pedalboard, organ
"The Past" Nicholas - guitars, pedaboard
"The Present" Luther - drums
#ItalianMetal

🎧Listen to Land Of Mystery
👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌28 July 1975

Black Sabbath
📀 Sabotage
#HeavyMetal #ProgressiveRock #ProgressiveMetal

50 years ago Black Sabbath from Birmingham, #UK released their 6th studio album.

Sabotage was recorded in the midst of a legal battle with the band's former manager, Patrick Meehan, its title was inspired by that.

Despite these tensions, Sabotage is widely considered one of the best #BlackSabbath, for sure the closest thing to Progressive Rock they ever did.

Absolute masterpiece, one of my favorites from them ❤️‍🔥🤘

In this album:
#OzzyOsbourne – vocals, synthesizer
#TonyIommi – guitars, piano, synthesiser, organ, harp
#GeezerButler – bass, mellotron
#BillWard – drums, percussion, piano and backing/scat vocals

Additional Personnel
#WillMalone – arrangements for the English Chamber Choir
#28July

🎧Listen to Sabotage 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌August 1975

Area
📀 Crac!
#ProgressiveRock #AvantProg #JazzRock #JazzFusion #RPI

50 years ago Area from #Milan, #Italy released their 3rd studio album.

Crac! is undoubtedly #Area most accessible album, the band gained an increasing popularity thanks to this release and the following promotional tour.

Outstanding performance ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#GiulioCapiozzo – drums, percussion
#PatrizioFariselli – piano, clarinet, synthesizer
#DemetrioStratos – vocals, organ, harpsichord, steel drums, percussion
#AresTavolazzi – acoustic and electric bass, trombone
#PaoloTofani – guitar, synthesizer, flute

🎧Listen to Crac! 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌5 September 1975

Jethro Tull
📀 Minstrel In The Gallery
#ProgressiveRock #FolkRock #HardRock #ProgressiveFolk

50 years ago Jethro Tull from Luton, England, #UK released their 8th studio album.

Minstrel In The Gallery was recorded in Monte Carlo where the band was in tax exile.
In this album #JethroTull went back to their origins in a blend of electric and acoustic songs invested with elements of British folk and pre-Elizabethan sounds.

The final result is in my opinion an absolute masterpiece, possibly my favorite album from them along with Aqualung ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#IanAnderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar
#MartinBarre – guitar
#JohnEvan – piano, organ
#JeffreyHammond – bass, string bass
#BarriemoreBarlow – drums, percussion

Additional personnel
#DeePalmer – string quintet arrangements and conducting
#RitaEddowes, #ElizabethEdwards, #PatrickHalling, #BridgetProcter – violin
#KatharineTullborn – cello
#5September

🎧Listen to Minstrel In The Gallery 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌19 September 1995

Dream Theater
📀 A Change Of Seasons
#ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock #HardRock #HeavyMetal

30 years ago Dream Theater from Boston, #USA released their first EP, even though with its 57-minute length it could be considered a proper album.

Side A contains the 23-minute titletrack, an incredible suite which is not only my favorite #DreamTheater, one if my favorite pieces of music ever ❤️‍🔥

Side B is a fantastic collection of live cover songs performed at a fan club concert on January 31, 1995, at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.
Songs covered are of #EltonJohn, #DeepPurple, #LedZeppelin, plus "The Big Medley" containing excerpts of #PinkFloyd, #Kansas, #Queen, #Journey, #DixieDregs, #Genesis.

In this album:
#JamesLaBrie – vocals, production
#JohnMyung – bass, production
#JohnPetrucci – guitar, production
#MikePortnoy – drums, cover concept, production
#DerekSherinian – keyboards, production
#19September

🎧Listen to A Change Of Seasons 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌24 September 1975

Rush
📀 Caress Of Steel
#ProgressiveRock #HardRock

50 years ago Rush from Toronto, #Canada released their 3rd studio album.

Caress Of Steel is considered a landmark album in #Rush career, as they definitively moved from their early blues-based Hard Rock sound towards Progressive Rock.

Surprisingly this album has always been poorly rated by most of the critics who consider it a low point in Rush discography.
To me is a fantastic album, the final suite "The Fountain of Lamneth" is one of my favorites Rush ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#GeddyLee – vocals, bass
#AlexLifeson – 6 and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, steel guitar
#NeilPeart – drums, percussion, lyrics, spoken word on "The Necromancer"

#TerryBrown – co-producer, engineer, arrangements
#24September

🎧Listen to Caress Of Steel
👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌October 1975

PFM
📀 Chocolate Kings
#ProgressiveRock

50 years ago Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) from #Milan, #Italy released their 5th studio album.

Unlike 👉 their previous album, Chocolate Kings came out only with lyrics and vocals in English.
#PFM, already famous internationally, hired former Acqua Fragile singer Bernardo Lanzetti, who had a better English pronounciation.

Unfortunately this release was followed by controversies.
The lyrics highly critical to the American system led to ostracism in that market in which PFM were the most appreciated Italian band.
The vocal performance of Lanzetti was (again) considered too similar (if not an imitation) to Peter Gabriel.
Founding member Mauro Pagani left the band.

Great album anyway ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#BernardoLanzetti – vocals
#FrancoMussida – guitar, voice
#FlavioPremoli – keyboards
#MauroPagani – flute, violin
#PatrickDjivas – bass
#FranzDiCioccio – drums

🎧Listen to Chocolate Kings
👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌November 1975

Crack The Sky
📀 Crack The Sky
#Rock #HardRock #ProgressiveRock #PowerPop #ProgressivePop

50 years ago Crack The Sky from West Virginia, #USA released their self-titled debut album.

The album was critically acclaimed as "best debut of the year" but failed commercially due to distribution problems.

#CrackTheSky never enjoyed the success of contemporary American bands such as Kansas, Styx, Steely Dan, though they toured US opening for all of them.

They remain one of the best hidden gems of the 1970s, and this is fantastic album ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#JohnPalumbo – vocals, keyboards, guitar
#RickWitkowski – guitar, percussion
#JoeMacre – bass, backing vocals
#JimGriffiths – guitar, backing vocals
#JoeyDAmico – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians
#MichaelBrecker, #RandyBrecker, #DavidSanborn — Horns
#GeorgeMarge — Woodwinds
#TomJones — Trombone

🎧Listen to Crack The Sky
👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌2 December 1985

Demon
📀 Heart Of Our Time
#HardRock #ProgressiveRock #NeoProg #AOR

40 years ago Demon from Staffordshire, #UK released their 5th studio album.

Heart Of Our Time came out few months after 👉 their previous album, which already showcased #Demon evolution of sound and style as compared to their early 👉 New Wave Of British Heavy Metal years.

This is an absolute hidden gem for a band that surely deserved more recognition🤘

In this album:
#DaveHill - vocals, effects
#JohnWaterhouse - guitars
#GavinSutherland - bass
#JohnWright - drums, percussion
#StevenWatts - keyboards, synthesizers

Additional musicians
#KeithAndrews "Archie" - bass
#LeslieAnkrah, #SylvieGatrill - backing vocals
#2December

🎧Listen to Heart Of Our Time 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌December 1975

Le Orme
📀 Smogmagica
#Rock #RockBlues #ProgressiveRock #PopRock #ProgressivePop

50 years ago Le Orme from #Venice, #Italy released their 6th studio album.

The band moved to Los Angeles, California to record Smogmagica and the entire album, both musically and lyrically, is inspired by their American experience.
Its title refers to the polluted atmosphere they encountered in the city and the cover artwork by #PaulWhitehead (designer for Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator) is also inspired by Los Angeles.

But what makes this album unique in #LeOrme career is its guitar-driven sound, different from all other works from them: the band hired in fact wonderful guitarist Tolo Marton from #Treviso (his only appearance with Le Orme), who actively took part in the songwriting and brought in his bluesy style, even introducing elements of Country and Boogie Rock.

🎧Listen to Smogmagica
👉 here

📀 Album of the Year @Venice_Rocks

📌12 September 1975

Pink Floyd
📀 Wish You Were Here
#ProgressiveRock #ArtRock

50 years ago Pink Floyd from London, #UK released their 9th studio album.

All has been said and written about Wish You Were Here. I don't know if this is the best #PinkFloyd, if this is the final "real" Pink Floyd, the ultimate of an unrepeatable era or the best album ever.

I only know that this is the album I would give, recommend, dedicate to my best friend... as they did to their best friend!

An endless, timeless, heavenly ballad of the finest Rock music ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#DavidGilmour – vocals, guitars, bass
#NickMason – drums, timpani, cymbals
#RogerWaters – vocals, bass
#RichardWright – vocals, keyboards, piano, vibraphone, minimoog

Additional musicians
#RoyHarper – vocals on "Have A Cigar"
#VenettaFields, #CarlenaWilliams – backing vocals
#DickParry – saxophone
#StephaneGrappelli – violin
#12September

🎧Listen to Wish You Were Here 👉 here

🎧Listen to Wish You Were Here - 50 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌1976

Picchio Dal Pozzo
📀 Picchio Dal Pozzo
#ProgressiveRock #ExperimentalRock #AvantProg

50 years ago, in an undocumented date, Picchio Dal Pozzo from #Genoa, #Italy released their self-titled debut album.

The band was founded by Aldo De Scalzi, key figure for the development of Progressive Rock in #Liguria and #Lombardy regions. He owned a studio and record label along with his brother Vittorio, founder of New Trolls, and in the years worked with Latte e Miele, Museo Rosenbach, Alphataurus, Pholas Dactylus to name a few.

After finally publishing
👉 Celeste debut album that year, De Scalzi gathered with friends and collaborators to record and release this album which is considered unique in the Italian Progressive Rock panorama.

#PicchioDalPozzo is rather different from all #RPI releases, often associated with the #Canterbury scene (the album is in fact dedicated to Robert Wyatt) and even compared with some of Frank Zappa's finest compositions.

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌February 1996

Pendragon
📀 The Masquerade Overture
#ProgressiveRock #SymphonicRock #NeoProg

30 years ago Pendragon from Gloucestershire, England, #UK, released their 5th studio album.

The Masquerade Overture is widely considered #Pendragon best album, amazing from start to finish ❤️‍🔥

🎭The cover artwork is clearly inspired by #VeniceCarnival, #SanMarco Square is easily recognizable.

In this album:
#NickBarret – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, effects
#PeterGee– bass, moog bass
#CliveNolan – keyboards
#FudgeSmith – drums
#TracyHitchings, #TinaRiley, #AnthonyPlowman, #GwenRoss, #SimonClew – backing vocals

🎧Listen to The Masquerade Overture 👉 here

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌26 March 1976

Camel
📀 Moonmadness
#ProgressiveRock

50 years ago Camel from Surrey, England, #UK released their 4th studio album.

Moonmadness is the last #Camel album recorded by the original formation, the final 4 songs are a loose concept with each track based on the personality of each band member.

As I wrote for their previous albums, Camel are probably my favorite Progressive Rock band and Moonmadness is another heavenly masterpiece in their discography ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#AndrewLatimer – guitars, flute, vocals
#PeterBardens – keyboards, vocals
#DougFerguson – bass, vocals
#AndyWard – drums, percussion; voice
#26March

🎧Listen to Moonmadness
👉 here

🎸🎧 Existence, the second album of The Mayor Is Stoned from Venice, #Italy.

#PsychedelicRock #JazzRock #ProgressiveRock

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌25 June 1976

Soft Machine
📀 Softs
#JazzRock #ProgressiveRock #InstrumentalRock #JazzFusion

50 years ago Soft Machine from #Canterbury, England, #UK released their 9th studio album.

Like 👉 their previous album, Softs features a wider use of guitars as compared to the band's past discography.

During the recording of the album, #SoftMachine last remaining original member, Mike Ratledge, left the band.
This is probably why many see this album as a complete loss of the band's identity.

In any case this is amazing music from beginning to end ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#RoyBabbington – bass
#JohnEtheridge – acoustic and electric guitars
#JohnMarshall – drums, percussion
#AlanWakeman – saxophones
#KarlJenkins – piano, electric piano, Hohner Pianet, Minimoog, string synthesizers, orchestrations

Additional musician
#MikeRatledge – synthesizer
#25June

🎧Listen to Softs 👉 here

📌🎸👉 Al Vapore is possibly the most famous and enduring live music club in Venice area.
Located in #Marghera, opened in 1986, it's celebrating 40 years!
They've hosted uncountable Rock, Blues, Jazz concerts of local, Italian and international artists.

The amazing local band 👉 The Mayor Is Stoned is playing there next Sunday, 13 September.
If you like Psychedelic Jazz Rock vibes you don't want to miss them🤘

#TheMayorIsStoned
#ProgressiveRock
#VeniceMusic

📀 Album of the Week
     @Venice_Rocks

📌30 September 1996

Porcupine Tree
📀 Signify
#ProgressiveRock #PsychedelicRock #PostRock #Ambient

30 years ago Porcupine Tree from England, #UK, released their 4th studio album, their 2nd as a proper band.

Signify is often addressed as the #PorcupineTree #Krautrock album for the wider use of electronics as compared to their 👉 previous album and the presence of Ambient tracks.

Whatever... another amazing work from this fantastic band ❤️‍🔥

In this album:
#StevenWilson – guitars, piano, organ, mellotron, samples, tapes, banshee guitar, drum programming, chimes, musical boxes, vocals
#RichardBarbieri – synthesisers, Hammond organ, electronics, piano, tapes, texture, sequencers
#ColinEdwin – bass, double bass
#ChrisMaitland – drums, cymbals, percussion, vocal harmonies, drum loops, keyboards, voices on "Light Mass Prayers"

Additional
#Terumi – voices (track 1)
#30September

🎧Listen to Signify 👉 here