Maxophone, their self-titled debut album from 1975.
Maxophone is one of the most refined and technically accomplished bands on the Italian progressive rock scene of the 1970s. Formed in Milan in 1973, the band is a sort of supergroup of musicians with solid academic training. Six of the original members graduated from the Conservatory and have integrated instruments unusual for rock, such as the French horn, clarinet, and harp, into their sound.
The original lineup consisted of Sergio Lattuada (keyboards and vocals), Roberto Giuliani (guitars, piano, and vocals), Leonardo Schiavone (wind instruments) (clarinet, flute, saxophone), Alberto Ravasini (bass, acoustic guitar, and lead vocals), Maurizio Bianco (drums and percussion), and Sandro Colombini (vocals, present only in the early stages and as a lyricist).
Maxophone's goal was to break down genre barriers, and they succeeded. Their debut album and masterpiece demonstrates that classical training and the energy of rock can coexist without one overpowering the other. It's not "simply" rock with orchestral additions, but a fusion of genres in which the French horn and clarinet are as important as the electric guitar.
In 1975, they released their only self-titled album, Maxophone, on the Produttori Associati label, a perfect fusion of symphonic rock, jazz, classical music, and complex vocal harmonies.
Strongly believing in the project, the label also released the album in English for the international market, a rare occurrence for Italian bands at the time.
Despite their exceptional artistic quality, the group failed to achieve the commercial success they deserved, and after a final single in 1977, Maxophone disbanded, with its members pursuing careers as session musicians or music teachers. They reunited many years later, releasing a live album and a new studio album, La fabbrica delle nuvole, in 2017.
Their style is a fusion of genres that few other groups of the time could achieve, a refined sound featuring splendid classical wind instruments, French horn, clarinet, and flute. Their arrangements were not simple accompaniments, but orchestral scores integrated into the rock sound. They also boasted a great vocal complexity, featuring polyphonic vocal interweavings, multi-part choirs, and extremely complex vocal counterpoints.
The influences of classical symphonic music are evident, with majestic openings and jazz-rock influences, with syncopated rhythm sections and improvisations by wind instruments and keyboards. There are also reminiscences of sacred music, with solemn and choral atmospheres, extensive use of the organ, and a strong, typically Italian melodic component.
Maxophone sought an almost crystalline purity of sound; each instrument was clear, audiophile-level.
"C'è un paese al mondo" (There's a Country in the World) is the band's true manifesto, beginning with a rare a cappella chorus followed by a splendid interplay between wind instruments and keyboards, alternating symphonic moments with explosive rock, one of the most important compositions of Italian Progressive Rock.
"Fase" is an instrumental piece with syncopated rhythms and jazz-rock influences, featuring a splendid dialogue between Leonardo Schiavone's clarinet and Roberto Giuliani's electric guitar, complex and executed with masterful technique.
"Al mancato compleanno di una farfalla" (The Missed Birthday of a Butterfly) is a melancholic and delicate piece with a dreamy atmosphere generated by the French horn and flute parts, featuring a splendid melody within an otherwise complex structure.
"Elzeviro" features a beautiful, dynamic piano, a punchy rhythm section, and impressive wind work.
"Antiche conclusione negre" is a long, experimental piece that begins with a mysterious atmosphere and evolves into a complex jazz-fusion, with sweeping vocal interweavings and a virtuoso instrumental crescendo.
"Mercanti di pazzie" is a powerful and solemn piece that closes the album with a majestic organ and excellent electric guitar part, concluding with a grandiose symphonic theme.
An album centered around cultured musicians with impressive technique, who, despite releasing only one studio album during their golden age, left their mark on avant-garde music. One of the ten most beautiful and important albums of Italian Progressive Rock for its complexity and arrangements. A must-have for the genre. Essential.
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. C'è Un Paese Al Mondo (6:39)
2. Fase (7:04)
3. Al Mancato Compleanno Di Una Farfalla (5:52)
4. Elzeviro (6:47)
5. Mercanti Di Pazzie (5:21)
6. Antiche Conclusioni Negre (8:54)
Duration 40:37
LineUp
- Alberto Ravasini - lead vocals and backing vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, recorder
- Roberto Giuliani - electric guitars, piano, backing vocals
- Sergio Lattuada - piano, electric piano, organ, lead vocals and backing vocals
- Maurizio Bianchini - horn, trumpet, percussion, vibraphone
- Leonardo Schiavone - clarinet, flute, alto and tenor saxophone
- Sandro Lorenzetti - drums
With:
- Tiziana Botticini - harp
- Eleonora de Rossi - violin
- Susanna Pedrazzini - violin
- Giovanna Correnti - cello
- Paolo Rizzi - double bass
