Edgar Allan Poe – Generazioni (1974)

What a great album cover! Look at that freaky ape, just look at it! Maybe it is the monkey thing in “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”? Speaking of Poe, this has nothing to do with the author AFAICT (that was a pointless internet acronym I just invented right there. Unless, of course someone already has invented it, in which case they were wasting their time and should have been doing something better with it – like reviewing Italian prog albums.

Sadly, Edgar Allan Poe ain’t no PFM or Banco, they ain’t even no Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno. There’s too much aimless playing and dead time on this album. Some people would say that about any progressive music, but they’re wrong, obviously. The record takes a while to get going although when it does there are some nice moments e.g. the toy piano (?) riff in Considerazioni, and the churchy keyboards in Per Un’ Anima and Alla Ricerca Di Una Dimensione. The former is a pleasant acoustic song, a bit like Jethro Tull until the space church keys come in. The latter (Alla Ricerca…) is more of a “proper” prog song, lots of changes of mood and speed and some guitar riffing, something this band is lacking and of course the space church. No idea who played keys on this record but they shine!

Despite a very cool moog lead on the next song, the rest of the album meanders a bit, but those two songs mentioned above are very good indeed.

Actually, maybe I do like Edgar Allan Poe more than Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno, but they sure ain’t no Quella Vecchia Locanda!