Biography
One
of the more highly regarded of the 70s Italian symphonic groups,
QVL released two albums which are both considered essential
releases from that particular scene. QVL was fairly typical
of the style, especially on their second album, Il Tempo
Della Goia, which ranks as one of the finest examples of
classical, pastoral Italian symphonic along the lines of PFM,
Celeste, Alusa Fallax or Locanda Delle Fate. The first
album is widely adored, being an amalgamation of early 70s hard
rock and typical Mediterranean influences, but hasn't done as
much for me as of yet. As far as I know, the group disappeared
after the second release, though I believe a posthumous live
album may be floating around. -
Greg Northrup [May 2001]
Quella
Vecchia Locanda (1972)
Quella
Vecchia Locanda's debut album is considered a classic of Italian
progressive in some circles, and differs slightly from the more
refined and classically inspired atmosphere of their second
album, Il Tempo Della Goia. The most frequently made
commentary on this album is the early Jethro Tull feel.
There are definitely moments that come off as Tull-ish, especially
considering the manic flute playing, which when combined with
the chunky guitar riffs gives off a strikingly similar vibe.
The hard rock feel of the album is one of its defining characteristics,
and one of the reasons why its so beloved, but I definitely
prefer the more distinctive and romantic feel of the subsequent
release. To me, many of the structures depend too much
on emphatic guitar and bass riffs, without as much surrounding
complexity. Additionally, the mix suffers somewhat, as
the potentially fantastic piano lines are stifled by the bass
and guitar, further emphasizing the hard rock aspect over the
"romantic" and pastoral potential. Still, "Prologo" is
a pretty fantastic opener, utterly phenomenal melodies highlighted
by violin and flute. On the other hand, "Un Villagio,
Un'Illusione" is a hefty bore, pretty much a straight ahead
rock song with a painfully dull main riff. The same goes
for "Immagini Sfuocate" and "Il Cieco", which feature the vocalist
simply singing along to the fairly boring main guitar/bass theme,
although the latter does feature a fantastic instrumental interlude
with some phenomenal flute playing. "Sogno, Risveglio
E..." is a fine closer, a piano led piece that foreshadows the
more classically inspired direction of the next album.
Overall, this album is nice, but certainly not a classic.
I think its worth getting, but its just not as good as Il
Tempo Della Goia. -
Greg Northrup [May 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
Il
Tempo Della Gioia (1973)
Il
Tempo Della Gioia is
Quella Vecchia Locanda's second album and is one that actually
wasn't a huge priority, but when I finally got around to getting
it I was definitely pleased. In many ways, this album
is almost prototypical Italian prog, extremely classical and
darkly romantic, with a heavy emphasis on beatiful string orchestrations.
Think the folkiness of PFM mixed with the baroque classicism
of Locanda Delle Fate and ability to rock out in the vein of
early Jethro Tull. A great combination filled with depth
and nuance that makes this album better every time I listen
to it.
"Villa Doria
Pamphili" is a phenomenal opening track with great vocal melodies
and that build into a bombastic classical chorus riff.
The second track, "A Forma Di..." is one of the best instrumentals
I've ever heard, the piece is utterly gorgeous. It features
an very slow lead-in into a melodic wordless vocal part, before
shifting into a brilliant classical theme with churning cello
(or contrabass?) rumbling away beneath a soaring violin melody.
The title track is similarly brilliant, and the band tends to
stretch out more on the second half of the album, created some
beautiful and dynamic instrumental portions along with the style
fantastic vocal melodies. This is among the finest Italian
releases and I rank it among my favorites in the school of mellow,
symphonic Italian prog, preferring it even to releases from
such luminaries as Celeste and PFM.
- Greg Northrup [2001]
