Officina Meccanica - 2007 - La Follia Del Mimo Di Fuoco (1976-1978)

Officina Meccanica

2007

La Follia Del Mimo Di Fuoco (1976-1978)

01. Suite bambini innocenti (6:50)

02. Primo turno (6:23)

03. Via non esiste (10:33)

04. Insieme al sole (3:11)

05. Nel grattacielo delle idée il pensiero piu alto e la pazzia (10:51)

06. Amanti di ieri (5:06)

07. Il viaggio di un uomo non piu uomo nella valle del tempo (13:22)

Bonus track:

08. Angelo (3:12)

Luciano Maiozzi: lead vocals & mime

Gianni Barbati: guitars, moog, harpsichord, chorus

Randolfo Canini: bass, backing vocals

Luigi Canini: trumpet

Bruno Dionisi: drums and percussion, chorus

Vincenzo Bentivegna: saxes

Guest:

Gaio Chiocchio (of Pierrot Lunaire): mellotron and moog in "Bambini Innocenti"

Officina Meccanica (OM) may not be well known but they are one of the most original and exceptional Italian progressive bands of the 1970s. The band members convened from two cities near Rome (Anzio and Nettuno) in the early '70s and by 1974 they were one of the most important acts in Italy doing shows with Banco and PFM among others. There are a few things that make this band unique and memorable. First, their sound was extremely provocative and daring, incorporating horns into the mix reminiscent of VDGG with even some lesser nods to funk and fusion. Second was their highly theatrical stage shows featuring a mime-faced lead vocalist pushing Ange-level expressiveness. OM rest firmly in the more challenging bracket of Italian Prog. While there are moments of great melodic beauty the main emphasis is on the edginess, tension and passion. This band is every bit as saucy as Semiramis, Balletto Di Bronzo, Osanna, or Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno in my view.

The band featured self-taught guitarist Gianni Barbati, vocalist Luciano Maiozzi, bassist Randolfo Canini, trumpeter Luigi Canini, saxophonist Vincenzo Bentivegna, and incredible drummer Bruno Dionisi. The main reason they did not get the credit other groups did is that they never released their album at the time. The material was there to be sure, worked up to fine form over many live gigs, but released only individually as singles and a rare (for that time) conceptual video for Italian television ("Bambini Innocenti" which can be viewed on YouTube.) Gianni Barbati recalled that the video "was shot in a magnificent garden in the Tor di Quinto area of Rome. I remember that we had a real film crew, and the video was shot in 35mm, just like a real movie - we even used a clapper board at the beginning!" The band continued their busy touring schedule rather than cutting the album in '74 and by the time they came back from Tunisia the opportunity to record cut the full length album had gone. Thankfully that tragic lost opportunity was remedied by BTF/AMS in 2007 with the long overdue release of "La Follia del Mimo di Fuoco" (The Madness of the Fire Mime.) The beautifully assembled project includes the essential recorded pieces from the 1970s along with live versions of the tracks that did not see release at that time. All of the live tracks were recorded in 1976. The two sides of OM (live and studio) condense beautifully on this monster of an Italian classic.

Recently, guitarist Barbati shared some of his memories of his time in OM : "You see, what is nowadays called 'prog' for us was nothing more than the expression of our worries and fears, of our constant search for new sensations, for musical emotions related to the pleasure of being able to play at every hour of the day and of the night. I have very fond memories of those long improv sessions with ever-changing musicians - let's say that playing together was a way to get to know each other. I remember a special evening while travelling on a ship bound to Africa... In one of the lounges we were playing acoustic instruments, me on guitar, Enzo Bentivegna (aka "Bitto") on flute, and in a very short time we were joined by another five people on violin, percussion, guitar... They were members of other four bands who were travelling on the same ship, and together we created a magical, unique mood, playing some incredible stuff... I think our most distinctive feature was our unusual line-up, with a basic power trio structure (bass, drums, guitar) plus trumpet and saxophone, but without any keyboards - which lent a special quality to our music. In fact, I find it hard to compare our sound to that of other bands of the same period."

OM disbanded in 1978 although three members continued with another rock band called Stazione Termini. Today guitarist Barbati plays with the Genesis cover band Estra. While three members of the original line-up have passed away, Barbati and Maiozzi are said to be working on a new OM project. Bentivegna is a successful theatre actor. BTF/AMS calls this title one of the best releases they have ever done, "a very theatrical, dramatic and complex Mediterranean prog like Osanna or Semiramis, but with a large use of horns that can remind Van der Graaf Generator." Fans of provocative 1970s Italian school prog will want to jump on this CD while it is available.

Equal parts theatrical weirdness and captivating accessibility, Officina Meccanica never had the chance to release an album during their lifespan. La Follia Del Mimo Di Fuoco is a compilation of singles and unreleased recordings, resulting in a surprisingly cohesive and fluid listening experience. Often described as a cross between Chicago and Van Der Graaf Generator, Officina Meccanica (OM) employ horns in conjunction with the grand RPI tradition; an interesting combination to be sure, but one that works amazingly well due to the outstanding musicianship on display. OM was fronted by the charismatic and mysterious Luciano Maiozzi, whose voice is a cross between that of Alusa Fallax and Corte di Miracoli; at times I hear Hunka Munka as well, but Maiozzi always manages to create his own unique identity. This is evident to some degree on the three included singles (and bonus track "Angelo"), but especially so on the live studio tracks - they capture the OM experience perfectly. That this material would remain unearthed for so long is offensive as the quality is immeasurably high...La Follia Del Mimo Di Fuoco is a five-star effort for me personally, but a four-star compilation.

The "Bambi Innocenti" video was broadcast on RAI in 1974, the exposure allowing Officina Meccanica to successfully tour in support of the single; unfortunately this delayed recording of the album proper, and the live studio material was not recorded until 1976. By 1978 OM had folded, closing the book on this incomparable chapter of Italian rock history. "Bambi Innocenti" crams about eight different songs in its relatively short seven-minute length, but never feels random or contrived. The first three minutes specifically are magical, with Maiozzi singing tenderly and aggressively, often in the same breath; jarring horn blasts and overdriven amplifiers share equal time with spacious ambiance and classical guitar. "Bambi Innocenti" is one of those songs that manages to summarize the entire RPI movement while sounding nothing like it. If there was ever an argument about why RPI deserves its own subgrenre classification, this song makes it.

The other two singles, "Insieme al Sole" and "Amanti di Ieri," showcase the songwriting talents of the group and though the instrumentation is relatively sparse in comparison, stack up well against "Bambi Innocenti" if somewhat less successfully. That brings us to the live stuff - this is the real meat of the compilation, and does a better job at capturing what an OM show would have been like: "Primo Turno" sounds like Osanna with Claudio Canali singing; "Via Non Esiste" relies on a funky beat and plenty of trumpet manipulation before a heavy prog breakdown demolishes any semblance of danceability; "Nel Grattacielo Delle Idee il Pensiero...Piu Alto" starts with jerky Area rhythmicity, unison stacatto in the horn section, and plenty of Maiozzi weirdness; finally, the lengthy "Il Viaggio di...Nella Valle del Tempo" begins as a reveille, with languid cornet and a march beat, before guitar and bass float in seamlessly...then, as if out of nowhere, a frantic unison figure bursts forth and propels the song forward for much of the remaining ten minutes.

The hauntingly beautiful "Angelo" may well be my favorite track on the album; its inclusion is a treat and helps to flesh out the idiosyncratic identity of this odd collection of characters. Officina Meccanica, in my opinion, is one of the most important historical finds ever, on par with Buon Vecchio Charlie and Sensitiva Immagine; all RPI devotees will need to track it down if they have not already done so. The conventional progressive rock fan may not have the patience for this collection, but fans of VDGG and Gentle Giant won't have any trouble with it. A bitter pill to swallow this is, but one that cures what ails you.