01	A Volte Un Istante Di Quiete						06:32
	02	Force Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu						09:49
	03	Profumo Di Colla Bianca						08:26
	04	Cercando Un Nuovo Confine						06:42
	05	Sogno Di Estunno						04:42
	06	Non Chiudere A Chiave Le Stelle						03:35
	07	Vendesi Saggezza						09:38
	08	New York			Bonus Track			04:34
	09	Nuove Lune			Bonus Track			03:55

Possibly one of the most beautiful progressive albums from the italian rock music scene.

Locanda Delle Fate [Italy]

Discography
Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu (77)
Live (93, recorded '77)
Homo Homini Lupus (99)


Reviews
Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu may be one of the best progressive albums recorded. A seven piece - complete with dual guitars and dual keyboards, that takes the best from all of the best progressive bands - most notably PFM, Pink Floyd, and Yes - sounds nothing like any of them, yet is consistently one of the most beautifully crafted albums ever, rivalling any of the progressive greats. If it weren't for peoples attitudes to foreign lyrics, this could have been listed with the recognized classics of the genre. It is of equal stature.

Locanda Delle Fate were another of the Italian progressive rock bands who released one classic and slipped into obscurity. However, unlike many bands whose releases deservedly go nowhere fast, this release is a fine piece of work. The music is lush and full, featuring seven members, centred around keyboards and piano. The best comparison would be to PFM in their better moments, with Italian vocals that are not intrusive. There are half a dozen classic Italian CDs that have been released as Japanese pressings, which are essential additions to the collection of serious prog-heads, and this, in my opinion, is one of them.

One of my favorites. Progressive music doesn't get much better than this. No one in the band stands out but they work so amazingly well together. The vocals are great and the interplay contains enough counterpoint to match classical music.

Italian seven-piece featuring drums/vibraphone, bass, two guitarists, two keyboardists, and lead vocals. Their sound models the best aspects of early PFM (1st two albums) into a more rock sound, not in the way PFM did (by assuming the stylings of Yes, ELP and later Genesis), but by expanding upon the very essence of that sound. This is by and far one of the most spirited examples of the 70's italian progressive scene. Vocals are great.

I think all these people who call this band's album a "classic" are rather overstating the case. Nonetheless, it IS an excellent, but somewhat reserved set of melodic Italian prog tunes, often resembling P.F.M. or Il Volo. Vocally, the singer somewhat resembles Francesco Di Giacomo of Banco, but deeper and not quite as accomplished. The instrumentation includes dual keyboards and flute, and for the most part cruises along gently and pleasantly, but occasionally injects surprising bits of intensity that seem to come out of nowhere. There are also some good vocal harmonies that remind of Latte e Miele. A very good album, yet it lacks that extra "punch" needed to give it the "classic" label. -- Mike Ohman

Another great entry from Italy. Intricate and complex, melodic and enjoyable. Lead vocalist has a rough, but likeable voice. A very sophisticated work, it has a "jazz" sensibility to it, in that the ensemble really plays togther well - it's not a group of virtusos trading solos - but a group playing off each other.

Excellent Italian band who released one album in 1977. A largish band as it goes with two each of guitar and keyboards. Add a drummer, bassist, and vocalist and you've got seven guys with potential to do some complex music. And they do. This is another one of those albums that you have to listen to several times to fully appreciate the melodic interplay. I find these albums to be the most endearing over the long haul. Also relatively unique is that the members contribute rather than showcase. In other words, the entire musical piece and atmosphere is primary; standout solos are minimal. For that reason, upon first listen, you might want to pass the music off as uninteresting. Hardly so! Give it time and it will reveal itself to you. And you will be pleased. Musically, the closest comparison would be to Gentle Giant or Pablo "El Enterrador." Realize that these are vague comparisons. Locanda delle Fate is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu allows the discovery of a typical Italian band of seven members on double- keyboards, double-guitars, vocals (in Italian), bass and drums. The style is a symphonic rock with arrangements and developments that make the most out of a rich and varied instrumentation. The delicate melodic work, shared by vocals, keyboards, guitars and flute, is supported by dynamic rhythms to create a sound that alternates from acoustic to electric. The tasteful double-keyboard work deserves the comparison to Banco as the overall performances to the rest of the Italian "classics." -- Paul Charbonneau

http://www.areacom.it/arte_cultura/locanda/

Locanda Delle Fate
Forse le lucciole non si amano piщ
Polygram Italia (523688-2)
Italy 1977

Giorgio Gardino, drums, vibraphone;
Luciano Boero, bass, Hammond;
Ezio Vevy, 12-string, acoustic, electric guitars, voice, flute;
Alberto Gaviglio, acoustic, electric, 12-string electric guitars, voice;
Michele Conta, pianos, Moog, clavinet, synths;
Oscar Mazzoglio, Hammond, piano, Moog, synths;
Leonardo Sasso, voice


Mark Gaines:
Simply put, this is one gorgeous piece of Italian music that needs to be heard by young progsters as well as older ones. From the delicate flute renderings of Ezio Vevey on "Cercando un nuovo confine" to the rolling keyboard style of Michele Conta, Locanda Delle Fate represent the positive side of all that went wrong in the mid 70's. "A volte un istante di quiete", the opening track, welcomes you into their musical canvas with such power and synchronization of keyboards, guitar, flute and drums you'll wish it was longer than the 6 min allotted; it ranks with the best of any Italian composition of the last 20 years. With the interaction of keyboard work from Oscar Mazzoglio and Michele Conta they accomplished what so many were seeking in 77: lush and melodic heartfelt driven symphonic sounds mixed with intense expressive vocalization from Alberto Gaviglio and Ezio Vevey. Drummer Giorgio Gardino, along with bass player Luciano Boero, carry the rhythmic melodies that comprise Locanda Delle Fate. With very little promotion behind them in Italy upon its release, Forse le lucciole non si amano piщ sank without a trace. I look back and wonder with amazement as I listen to this masterpiece if 1977 in the United States would have been different had Locanda Delle Fate been introduced to an unsuspecting progressive audience here and Forse le lucciole non si amano piщ had found a home in the American heartland.
Steve Hegede:
This is my favorite Italian progressive rock album. A beautiful masterpiece that only few other albums can match. Locanda Delle Fate were a 7-piece band consisting of two keyboardists, two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, and a singer. The music is very symphonic with tons of countermelodies (I'm still discovering new countermelodies, and I've had this album for the past 4 years!), theme-developments, and tempo changes. Leonardo Sasso, the singer, reminds me a bit of Ian Anderson. His voice is also quite operatic, and might remind some of Banco's singer. Anyway, music doesn't get much better than this!

Sean McFee:
Perhaps the finest release of Italian progressive rock there ever was. For some on rec.music.progressive this is their favorite album period; I won't go that far, but I will certainly sings its praises.
Locanda Delle Fate did not invent any new styles. They have the dual keyboards, used with a healthy amount of flute to contribute softer parts while the guitar and gruff vocals often provide the harsher counterbalance. This isn't something unique in Italian progressive rock. They were, however, able to do so much with that style that the earlier bands didn't seem to. Melodies are layered on top of counter-melodies with a subtlety often lacking in the symphonic prog world; in fact, you could listen to this album for months before it hits you with its full force. While the arrangements can be dense, they never seem that way and the often clinical feel of such arrangements is not here.
Each track on this album is a success. The longer numbers tend to be developed intelligently, with a logical progression of themes that stops short of milking them for length. The shorter ones hit the listener with an idea or two, and tend to be somewhat simpler. Highlights would have to include the opening instrumental and the title track.
For those looking for comparisons to other bands, I could offer perhaps early PFM, Celeste and Maxophone. In my opinion, however, LDF is better than all of these bands. This is on my short list of albums that every progressive rock fan should own. Any further superlatives would be redundant. Get it.

Eric Porter:
My latest endeavor has been to search the archives of my favorite reviewers on prog.net and start buying up the 5 star reviews. Since the Italian bug bit a few of them (I think it ate Theron) it was time to delve in for myself. Outside of PFM this is the only other Italian CD I own and it is an absolute gem. The Italian vocals do not bother me in the least, though I wish I could understand what the songs are about. The music is sweeping, majestic, complex, and at many points just beautiful. The guitarist seems to be heavily influenced by Steve Hackett and the piano/keyboard playing is just superb. The use of a flute only enhances what is already a fabulous blend of influences both classical and progressive. Yes, another 5 star review which hopefully will tell you all something: get it. I would label this as essential.

Brandon Wu:
This one was quite a surprise. I hadn't paid much attention to this band before I ran across their only full-length release in a CD shop in Florence, Italy. On a whim, I picked it up, and holy shit - I'm glad I did! This is one of the most purely beautiful albums I own. Dual keyboards and dual guitars lead the band, along with a male vocalist whose voice is somewhat gruff but nevertheless extremely expressive, emotional, and even beautiful. The piano work is wonderful, and the guitar is tasteful, never too obtrusive. The compositions are sometimes breathtakingly (but subtly) complex, as the band breezes smoothly through swift time and theme changes, packing countless melodies into mid-length songs. I do think that the keyboards sometimes get a little too synthy-sounding, but I suppose that's par for the course for a 1977 release. The only real problem is that this is a pretty long album, and things begin sounding samey after a while; with a little more punch and variety, this would be a real classic; but it's still a fine effort. It has more in common with PFM than Banco; my beef with the former is the same as my complaint with this album: almost too nice and pretty, missing some muscle. Nevertheless, this delicate release is one of the best Italian prog discs I own.






LOCANDA DELLE FATE



Leonardo Sasso (vocals)
Ezio Vevey (guitar, flute, vocals)
Alberto Gaviglio (guitar)
Michele Conta (keyboards)
Oscar Mazzoglio (keyboards)
Luciano Boero (bass)
Giorgio Gardino (drums)



WIth a rich twin guitar and twin keyboards line-up and an excellent musicianship, Locanda delle Fate from Asti went totally unnoticed at the time their only LP came out, arriving too late for the declining italian prog movement.

It's a pity, because their rich, symphonic blend of progressive rock is well inspired and original, despite the obvious influences by the romantic side of english prog bands. Forse le lucciole non si amano piu has late become an example of the italian classical-oriented prog, with the nice interplay between the multiple keyboards, dreamy atmospheres and good vocal parts, like in the long title-track, Profumo di colla bianca or the closing Vendesi saggezza.

Disappointed by the lack of interest, the band released two commercial singles in 1978 and 1980 before disbanding.

In 1996 a reunion with five of the seven original members (less singer Sasso and keyboard player Conta) that have released a new album in 1999, Homo homini lupus, an 11-track work good but far from the dreamy sound of their great album.


LP
Forse le lucciole non si amano piu Polydor (2448 055) 1977 gatefold cover with inner
Album also reissued on CD with one extra track (Polydor 523 688-2)


SINGLES (with picture sleeve)
Non chiudere a chiave le stelle
Sogno di Estunno Polydor (2060 148) 1977 both tracks from Forse le lucciole non si amano piu
New York
Nove lune Polydor (2060 169) 1978 both unreleased tracks
Annalisa
Volare un po' piu in alto RiFi (RFN NP 16802) 1980


CD
Live Mellow (MMP 140) 1993 recordings from 1977
Homo homini lupus VM 2000 (VM 066) 1999


Forse le lucciole non si amano piu is a very rare album though one of the latest italian prog releases. Despite good press reviews at the time it probably sold very little, becoming an expensive collector's item since quite a few years. Original copies had a gatefold cover and a lyirc inner sleeve.
The album has also been released in Japan (on Polydor, with two different catalogue numbers, 18MM0584 and 23MM0148) and Korea (Si-Wan SRML 0010) with the same gatefold cover as the original, but with no inner.

No counterfeits or other foreign issues exist.

The band has an official website with discography and information at http://www.areacom.it/arte_cultura/locanda/default.html



Locanda Delle Fate - Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu (1977)

Fans of lush, complex symphonic progressive rock will adore Forse... . Indeed, this album represents an often formulaic style at its most sophisticated, while retaining an extraordinary level of pure, unadulterated emotion. The music is meticulously constructed around dazzlingly pretty, complex piano motifs, while a supporting cast of all kinds of synthesizers, flutes, guitar and bass weave interlocking melodies that build to exciting climaxes around the main themes. The album's tone is defined by the languid tempos, enchanting melodies and melancholy feel. The vocals are deep and emotive, typical of the Italian style in their quasi-operatic effect, and coming off as similar to those of Franceso DiGiacomo from Banco or Jimmy Spilateri from Metamorfosi.

One of the major attributes of the album iis the manner in which a mind-boggling array of instruments can play at any given moment, yet without replicating each other. While the complexity and care put into the arrangements is laudable, alongside the obvious instrumental virtuosity, what's really impressive here is the fact that virtually no part of the album seems superfluous or unnecessary. Amazingly, there is virtually no wankery on this album, as every note is essential to the overall mood and intention of its respective piece.

It's difficult to single out any particular song here as being a highlight, as they are all great. This one of the few albums I've heard that might actually be perfect. So much so that it's scary. Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu is sort of a final fulfillment of the potential of the symphonic progressive rock style. A masterpiece. - Greg Northrup [September 2001]