VA - The Spaghetti Epic [2004-2010] (4 x CD's)

SPAGHETTI WESTERN

VA - The Spaghetti Epic [2004-2010] (4 x CD's)

VA - The Spaghetti Epic [2004]
What Colossus (the Finnish progressive rock association, not the band) is doing in collaboration with the French progressive rock label Musea borders upon pure genius. Their concept of themed collaborative projects may not be reinventing the wheel, but it has brought a gust of fresh air to the prog rock scene, simply because it approaches the compilation album from an original angle and attempts to bring a new golden age for the "concept album." Following the already impressive Kalevala set (a three-CD compilation based on the Finnish epic tale), The Spaghetti Epic features six bands from Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and the U.K. Each band had to choose a character from Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West and write an original progressive rock suite of at least 20 minutes, in the vintage Italian style of the '70s. No digital keyboards or drum programming were allowed and singers could sing in their mother tongue if they so desired. The result is a highly coherent and gripping double album of very fine and highly focused prog. The project is concerned solely with Leone's storyline and cinematography, not with Ennio Morricone's score, so please don't approach The Spaghetti Epic as a Morricone tribute or you will be in for bitter disappointment. That being said, Haikara's song about "The West" (rightly considered here as a character in itself) acknowledges the composer's role in the movie. It is mysterious, soft-spoken, dust-filled, and simply gorgeous in its moods, scope, and melodic contents. Tilion's "Cheyenne" and La Voce del Vento's "Harmonica" also stand out. The latter is not an Italian group, but Parallel or 90 Degrees and the Tangent members Andy Tillison and Guy Manning working as a two-man unit for this project only. There is not a single weak piece on this album and, as happened on its companion release, The Colossus of Rhodes (another Sergio Leone-related Colossus project following the same guidelines), each band involved has pulled out all the stops to deliver some of its best work (the other groups involved are Randone, Taproban, and Trion). One must also mention the generous booklet, which includes a presentation of the project, an analysis of the movie, a synopsis, a comic book, and lyrics (with English translations where applicable) to all songs. Highly recommended, especially to supporters of old-school progressive rock. (AllMusic Review by François Couture)

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 2 [2007] The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Spaghetti Epic, Vol. 2 is intended -- and successful -- as a second round of the first volume. Three bands already featured on The Spaghetti Epic have been asked to write and perform a long suite (over 20 minutes) of Italian-styled progressive rock, using for inspiration a classic Sergio Leone spaghetti western. The original Spaghetti Epic released in 2004 featured six bands over two CD's tackling Once Upon a Time in the West. This time around, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly gets a three-band, single-disc treatment. It seems that the projects were meant to be released closer together, but the untimely death of Haikara leader Vesa Lattunen set the second volume back, until Randone were able to step in, and compose and record their own suite. The novelty effect may be wearing off by now, but The Spaghetti Epic, Vol. 2 is musically successful, at least as much as its older brother. Randone's "The Good" opens with Ennio Morricone's unforgettable theme, before launching into a roller-coaster depiction of Clint Eastwood's character, with a lot of vintage Italian prog rock feel. Again, here is a band turning in one of its best-ever songs for a Colossus-Musea thematic project. Putting "The Bad" into music befell to "La Voce del Vento" (aka the Tangent's Andy Tillison and Guy Manning masquerading as Italian musicians -- they are billed as "Andreas Tillisoni" and "Guy De M'Anningi"). A bit lighter in tempo, arrangements and lyrical content than the other pieces, their epic song provides a breather of sorts, and some very nice organ playing. Their take on Italian prog rock occasionally verges on the pastiche (especially in the first chorus, a bit too Banco-like for comfort). Tilion close the proceedings with "The Ugly," a raucous piece full of yearning themes, clever dissonances and over-the-top tension. The suite is clearly a case of love-it-or-hate-it, but it undoubtedly succeeds in portraying Eli Wallach's despicable character. Tilion's piece requires several listens before it unveils its beauties, but, in the long run, it may be the most endearing one on this set. Highly recommended, again. ( AllMusic Review by François Couture)

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 3 [2010] The Great Silence
The third volume of the Spaghetti Epic series is, in my humble opinion, also its best. To that it contributes, in big part, the inclusion of one of my favorites: Russian band Little Tragedies, though Hungarian Yesterdays and Italy’s NOT are also contributing in good style to this three part story. Musea Records has been involved for some time now with Finnish Colossus Society in releasing a series of conceptual, epic releases with tons of bands, both renowned and emerging, and their combined efforts has been receiving high praise from the prog community. Spaghetti Epic 3 – The Great Silence is dedicated to the movie by Sergio Corbucci with the same name, and it’s the final release of the tributes to the fantastic Cowboy movies that have been filmed in Italy, and that are best known as the Spaghetti Westerns.  With 3 bands playing an opus clocking around the 20 minute mark each one, Little Tragedies open the album with a seventies oriented track (as they all are) that, nevertheless, does not take an inch out of this bands trademark: eastern neo-classic approach with complex and bombastic keyboard driven musicality that is always epic in its core. In fact, Little Tragedies has delivered a track that would perfectly fit in any of the albums from their inexhaustible discography. A major start for this collection indeed.  Hungarian Yesterdays have recently released a very good album, and here they are displaying their qualities: full but calmer symphonic progressive with some intrusions of a more jazzy attitude and then the add of medieval folksy melodies to enrich the package. Their style is somehow more quiet and introspective than that of LT, so it does bring a change in direction to this album. The usage of analog equipment has, nevertheless, changed a bit their usual sounding, but the characteristics that have been praised about this band are kept and well in display.  Italian NOT is perhaps the less known band from the 3 that compose this release, and again, they incorporate a change in direction and approach to this particular album. Their music is a tad darker than the previous and it has that Italian touch that made the sympho coming out from that country so much appreciated since the 70’s. Overall this is a very good proposition and works both as a collector’s item and an enjoyable release. The booklet, as always in this Muse/Colossus collaboration, is very informative and complete. Check this out! (Amazon)


===========================================================

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 1 [2004] CD1+CD2
https://www90.zippyshare.com/v/tLNjzd0t/file.html

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 2 [2007] The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
https://www90.zippyshare.com/v/6UYDgWhY/file.html

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 3 [2010] The Great Silence
https://www90.zippyshare.com/v/GeP8v4RB/file.html

or

VA - The Spaghetti Epic   ALL
https://pixeldrain.com/u/GbYEBGCw

===========================================================

Track lists

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 1 CD1

01    Haikara    The West    20:05
02    Randone    Jill    21:52
03    Tilion    Cheyenne    21:49

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 1 [2004] CD2

01    La Voce Del Vento    Harmonica    22:00
02    Taproban    Morton    23:26
03    Trion    Frank    24:58

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 2 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

01    Randone    The Good    25:09
02    La Voce Del Vento    The Bad    24:28
03    Tilion    The Ugly    26:57

VA - The Spaghetti Epic 3 The Great Silence

01    Little Tragedies    The Voice of Silence    19:10
02    Yesterdays    Pauline    20:04
03    N.O.T.    Epilogo    23:25

=============================================================
=============================================================