April Fool's Prog Parody (humor!)
James Chokey
Hey folks.... Last year, I wrote up this article about an imaginary
prog band as a kind of April Fool's Day joke for the group. Very
few people apparently read it, however, because I posted it as if
it were a real article about a real band that was really going to
appear in the next issue of Expose. As one fellow told me, "I thought
I'd just read it when the final draft comes out in print..." The
fact that it was kind of long probably didn't increase readership either.
Anyway, I'm posting it again, in its entirity. I hope someone
gets a chuckle or two out of this. Happy April "Playing the Fool's"
Day! :-)
******* The Parody *******
This is the draft of an article a friend of mine and I are writing
for an upcoming issue of _Exposé_. I'd like to know if any of
you have any more information about this band, its members, or their
solo releases than I have here. Baal is a real obscurity and
I've found the task of digging up information on them to be difficult.
Anything more you can contribute would be most appreciated.
Spotlight on: Baal
by
James A. Chokey and Rodney Koeneke
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Goblin,
New Trolls, Le Orme, Il Balleto di Bronzo, Semiramis . . . these names send
shivers of delight down the spines of fans of Italian prog from the
70's. One name, however, is sadly absent from this list: Baal. For
reasons that are difficult to explain, this terrifyingly innovative
Italian band has been sadly neglected by fans and labels alike. There
have (so far) been no CD re-releases of any of their original material
and none seem to be planned. The fact that Giovanni Doloroso, the head of
Musica Oscura, Baal's label, destroyed all of the master tapes
in a combination arson/suicide back in 1980, though certainly tragic, does
little to explain why no vinyl transfer to CD has yet been performed.
In its years as a band, Baal went through even more personnel
changes than King Crimson did in the years between 1969 and 1973. Many
musicians were in the band for only a few months-- some for only a few
weeks. The record for shortest stint in Baal probably belongs to
Filipo Allepe, who was in the group for only 3 days-- just
enough time to compose and record the ominous organ intro to
"Vanitas" and play one free gig with the band, before fleeing the country.
(The reasons for his flight seems to have involved charges of pedophilia
that were filed following that concert, which was given at a girl's
convent school just outside of Turin.) There were, however, two constants
in Baal's ever-tumultuous roster of personnel: vocalist Francesco Ciacco
and drummer/percussionist Luigi Marconi. It is to them that
the band's highly distinctive style (as well as the composition of
the overwhelming majority of the band's material) must be attributed.
Luigi Marconi, who is distantly related to Guigliemo Marconi, the
inventor of wireless telegraphy, was born in Padua in 1949.
His father played percussion for the orchestra in the local opera
house and Luigi grew up with a love of music instilled in him.
Following in the footsteps of his father, he began to play percussion
from a young age. Although firmly grounded in the Italian classical
tradition, his true love came to be American jazz-- Davis, Dolphy,
Mingus, Monk, Colman, and especially Coltrane. Upon hearing Coltrane's
_A Love Supreme_, Luigi decided to give up percussion for the saxophone.
Unfortunately, he was unable to convince his parents, who felt that
the sax was not a "proper" musical instrument, to buy him one. They were,
however, willing to indulge his interest in jazz by purchasing
a drum set.
Frustrated but not defeated, the young Luigi set about the task of
adapting Coltrane's inimitable saxophone style to the drum kit. His attempts
to play complex melodic lines on the drums and to imitate the squeaks and
squonks of Coltrane's _OM_ with cymbals made him perhaps the most innovative
drummer in the annals of northern Italian progressive rock. He attempted
to recruit other musicians to play experimental jazz, but found it
difficult to find horn-men and pianists willing to put up with his
insistance that the main melodic ideas and all solos be carried by the
drums. It was not until he met Francesco Ciacco in late 1968 that he
would meet someone with a compatible musical vision.
While Marconi was developing his revolutionary percussive,
style, Francesco was plying his trade at the New Opera House
in Ravenna. Contrary to popular belief, however, Francesco
was not a singer with the opera; he was a carpenter who worked
on set and prop designs for performances. That did not stop
him from singing though: He had a love both of Italian bel canto
opera and the rock-n-roll of American artists like Jimi Hendrix
and Janis Joplin and frequently sang both while he worked. He also had a
fondness for American surf music, although it is probably apocryphal that
the two musicians met when Luigi, on a visit to the Ravenna Opera House
with his father heard Francesco hammering out the drum solo from "Wipeout"
(literally, with a hammer in each hand) on a piece of dismantled
stage backdrop while singing the Stone Guest's entry lines from _Don
Giovanni_. It nevertheless seems clear that the two men did meet at
some sort of musical setting in northeastern Italy in the fall of
that year. They quickly became friends, and agreed to the
idea of forming a rock band, although nothing came together till
the next year when Luigi, unable to find any local musicians
still willing to try playing with him, joined his friend in Ravenna.
At length, they recruited two other musicians: pianist/organist
Marcello Ficino and guitarist Ugo 'Wiggles' Maledetti. In September
of 1969, the band that was to become Baal played their first
gig under the name 'La Citta Dolente'. This performance, at a free
festival just outside of Venice, consisted primarily of cover
tunes, including a now-legendary performance of "All Along the
Watchtower" that stretched out for a full thirty-four minutes, including
a nineteen minute segment of vocal/percussion improvisation that was
descibed by one reviewer as "sublimely terrifying in its absolute
lack of restraint . . . these musicians can and will do anything!"
The reviewer, however, also perceived what was to be a chronic problem
with the band: "It seems that the singer and drummer are
overbearing in their demand for the audience attention,
Neither ever lets up, which makes for a powerful, original sound,
but one wonders whether the guitarist and organist will
ever get to share in their exaltations." Ficino apparently
thought not-- he left the band two months later, just
before they were signed by the budding Musica Oscura label.
The lineup was not the only thing to change. The name changed
as well when the band discovered that there were already two other
Italian prog bands with the name La Citta Dolente. Luigi, Francesco, and
Wiggles toyed with a number of other names over the next several months
(including, apparently, Premiata Forneria Marconi!), but found them all
unsuitable for various reasons. Eventually, the band decided upon the
name Baal, which, in the words of Ciacco, "perfectly captured
the spirit of the music we wanted to play: proud, fertile, and full
of possibilities, but dangerous, threatening, foreign, improper
and even immoral-- much like rock-n-roll itself appeared to musicians
of our parents' generation."
The three musicians spent most of 1970 at work writing, recording
and searching for a replacement organist, which they eventually found
in Guillermo della Vigne. They also played a handful of gigs in and
around Sicily thanks to Guillermo's family connections. In January of 1971,
they released their first album, _Selva Selvaggia_ [Savage Forest]. Though
certainly flawed in many respects, it was a valiant first effort and
hints of what would later become know as the the band's trademark
'sacrifice of sound' are clearly evident: Luigi's unnervingly melodic
percussive assault, Francesco's abrasively soaring vocals (covering
a range of pitches from low baritone to a mezzo soprano falsetto),
and a relatively subdued seasoning of rhythms and psychedelic sounds
laid down by Wiggles and Guillermo. The album, of which only 500
copies were pressed, is regarded as a mega-rarity among collectors,
sometimes fetching prices of up to $2000-$2500.
A few months after the release of _Selva Selvaggia_, Guillermo
left the band due to "musical differences". Three different
keyboardists were called in to complete the piano and organ
parts for their second album, _Beyond Good and Evil_, which came out
just before the end of 1971. A marked success after the unevenness
of _Selva Selvaggia_, Baal's sophomore effort is considered by many
to be the band's finest release. The sheer brutality of Francesco's
near-incomprehensible vocals, intertwined with the raw melodicism
of Luigi's drumming and the increasingly adventurous axe work by
Wiggles (who actually breaks out of rhythm mode and plays a few
solo licks here and there) clearly demonstrate what music critic Bruno
Lete called "the arrival of a startlingly new musical presence whose
power may not be denied." One of the noteworthy features of
_Beyond Good and Evil_ is that four of the six songs were in
English while the closing piece "Nachgesang" is in German.
Some of Baal's fans were upset by the fact that only one piece, the
venomously satirical " . . . del cul fatto trombetta"
(allegedly about Guillermo's sudden departure from the band) was in
Italian, though most were consoled by the fact that Francesco's vocals were
even more incomprehensible in other languages than in his native tongue.
Baal's third effort, _Unclean_ came out in late 1972. The classic
Baal sound is at its height on this album, as Francesco's unrelenting vocals
find themselves locked in a sonic war with Luigi's all-or-nothing drumwork
for the listener's attention. Yet, it also begins to explore new directions.
Luigi's percussive palette has been expanded so as to include a host
of non-western instruments, including a whole battery of Balinese
gongs. Francesco began exploring the possibilities of what might be
done with vocals in the studio to make them sound even more expressive.
Electornic manipulation, for instance, made it possible for his
vocals to be effectively lowered by approximately 5 octaves
so that he could sing in the contra-contra-bass range in the middle
section of the side-long "Holocaust". (As a side note: the title
of "Holocaust" led some to condemn Baal as anti-Semitic-- or at
the very least, exploitative of one of the great tragedies of the
20th century. Fans defended it as a requium to the victims
of the Holocaust. According to Luigi, the song is in fact
neither, but is merely a meditation inspired by archeological reading he'd
been doing on sacrificial practices in the ancient Mediterranean, with
"holocaust" simply meaning a sacrifice that was burned until nothing
was left but ashes.) Another change on this album was the absence of
Wiggles Maledetti, who had left to join the band I Peni Grandi. At least
four different keyboardists and three different guitarists are known to
have played on _Unclean_, but for complicated reasons (apparently
involving legal troubles on the part of Musica Oscura), none of their
names appear on the album jacket.
In 1973, Baal released _Savonarola_, a 2-LP concept album based on
the life of the fifteenth century Florentine theocrat and dictator.
Fans are divided on this album. Although most agree that it is essential
listening for any fan of Italian prog, some see it as the band's
magnum opus, while others view it as the prelude to Baal's
decline. Although Musica Oscura was hoping that the album's
conceptual bent would produce some political controversy and thus
draw more attention to the band, _Savonarola_ in fact paints a
surprisingly tender portrait of the ex-monk's life, focusing on the
warmth of his personal relationships and his profound religiosity
rather than his political failings. The music on the album
broke surprising new ground for Baal. The band again relies
upon an unfeasibly large number of keyboardists and guitarists to
provide rhythm, but also allows them more room to expand and
explore (e.g. the aforementioned organ intro to "Vanitas"). It
also uses guest musicians to expand the range of the tonal pallette to
include flute, violin, cello, harp, choir, trumpet, and tuba (the last
played by Luigi's brother!). Luigi does more work with tuned percussion
on this album than any other, while Francesco explores the possibilities
offered by completely wordless vocals on the 15 minute 'instrumental'
track that closes the album: "Burn Him!"
Following quickly on the heels of _Savonarola_, Baal released
_Egg_ in early 1974. Composed and recorded in much the same way as the
previous disk, _Egg_ is a mixed bag. Gems like "Parthenogenesi"
and "Lizards" showed the inspired spirit of previous releases, while the
quirky "Platypus" showed a surprisingly whimsically spirit, but fans felt
that the other tracks simply lacked the over-the-top frenzy that
that they had come to expect. The sidelong cover of Stravinsky's
_The Firebird_ seemed to many, including Francesco Ciacco himself,
a sign that the band was running out of original ideas.
The band decided to take a break in 1974 until, as Luigi put it, they
could "once again find the muse that had before possessed us so fervently".
Luigi chose to spend this time with his wife and newly born daughter,
Laura, while working odd jobs for money. He also released a solo
album called _Sounds_ that consisted entirely of percussion
intermixed with electronics. (The fifteen-minute long "Duet for
Therumin and Triangle" is the standout track.) Francesco used the time to
travel around America and to fulfill a lifelong dream of surfing in
California. He also released two extremely unfortunate solo albums. The
first, _Serf's Up at Malibu Manor_ was a failed attempt to fuse together
the surf rock sounds of the 60's with medieval folktunes. His second
album, _Farfallone Amoroso_, was recorded in New York and consisted
entirely of famous opera arias backed by an orchestra and a disco beat.
Francesco concedes that these albums were "largely misguided", but he still
insists that his rendition of the Queen of the Night's aria from _The
Magic Flute_ would have been a Top-10 hit in the States were it not for
poor marketing.
During this period of hiatus, Musica Oscura was making efforts
to attract more of an international audience for its bands.
In co-operation with Atlantic Records, it arranged for the American
distribution of _Having a Baal!_, a compliation of various material from
_Beyond Good and Evil_ through _Egg_. The record was pressed in
very small numbers, however, which is probably just as well
since sales were dismal.
When Francesco and Luigi returned to the studio in 1978,
Musica Oscura was hoping that a new musical direction might
enable the band to break the lucrative American market, in spite of
the failure of _Having a Baal!_. Encouraged by Francesco's
solo exploration of more accessible dance music, it prodded
the two to release the abysmal _Disco Baal_ in 1978-- an
apalling collection of tunes that, as the musicians themselves
now freely admit, was good neither as progressive rock nor as disco.
In spite of their disenchantment with Musica Oscura,
Francesco and Luigi released one more album on the label
in 1980. With the title _Recovery_, they hoped to
send the signal that the band had regained its fire. Such promises,
however, fell short. Musically, the disc is fairly generic
AOR material, with only a worn-out hint of the overbearing and
experimental spirit that characterized their early work (although
it is still a far cry from the horrors of _Disco Baal_!)
Still, the lyrics to many songs do contain some clever observations
about the superficialities of American culture (e.g. "Wide Load," about
three weeks Francesco spent at a fat farm in western Massachusetts).
The album was the band's last-- as well as Musica Oscura's. The label
came to an end when Giovanni Doloroso immolated himself a month later.
Today, Baal is no more. Luigi Marconi currently lives in Padua, where
he teaches music and works part-time for the T-shirt concession at a local
soccer club. Francesco has moved to San Francisco, where he is rumoured to
be a regular customer at The Steps of Rome cafe in North Beach.
Thus endeth the careers of one of the most creative and most
neglected Italian bands of the 1970's. Let us hope that one
label-- Mellow, Vinyl Magic, Fonit Centra, it doesn't really matter which--
will see fit to release this band's classic back catalog (at
least up through _Egg_) so that proggers today can enjoy this
innovative and undeservedly rare music.
To find out more about Baal, send for their free fanzine,
"Burn Them!" at:
Burn Them!
Uniwajihito-kia 12
Sakiye 329
Kaje JAPAN 305-300
DISCOGRAPHY:
BAAL
_Selva Selvaggia_ (1971)
_Beyond Good and Evil_ (1971)
_Unclean_ (1972)
_Savonarola_ (1973)
_Egg_ (1974)
_Having a Baal!_ (1976) [compilation]
_Disco Baal_ (1978)
_Recovery_ (1980)
LUIGI MARCONI
_Sounds_ (1975)
FRANCESCO CIACCO
_Serf's Up at Malibu Manor_ (1976)
_Farfallone Amoroso_ (1977)
****** END PARODY *******
-- Jim C.
Now Playing: Nothing :-(
==========================================================================
| James A. Chokey jch...@leland.stanford.edu |
| |
| 'Do you think that the sciences would ever have arisen and become |
| great if there had not been magicians, alchemists, astrologers, |
| and wizards who thirsted and hungered after hidden, forbidden |
| powers?' |
| -- Nietzsche |
==========================================================================
Webb171097
it and had forgotten about it. If I remember correctly, a few people fell for
this one hook, line and sinker! :-) Funny stuff!
Tim