Contaminazione

Coming from Rome, Il Rovescio della Medaglia ("The Other Side of the Coin") was founded in 1971 by guitarist Enzo Vita, bassist Stefano Urso and drummer Gino Campoli, with Pino Ballarini eventually joining on vocals. Their debut album, La Bibbia, was a live recording from late 1971, and very much a heavy rock album. Vita's guitar playing was rugged and hard-riffing, and the band quickly developed a reputation as a premier live act. Their second album Io Come Io was released the following year; it continued where the first had left off, with Urso's bass now competing in volume with Vita's guitar. Adding keyboardist Franco Di Sabbatino and collaborating with Argentinian composer Luis Enrico Bacalov, RDM made the switch to the symphonic; and like Osanna and New Trolls, ushered forth a classic, Contaminazione in 1973. Like Bacalov's other collaborations, the concept was simple: contaminating classical music with rock, here taking on "short preludes and fugues" from J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier. "Ora Non Ricordo Più" bursts open, revealing a mix of playful keyboards and a substantial rhythm underneath. It's rock progressivo Italiano of the highest order. "Il Suono Del Silenzio" continues the push, but "Mi Sono Svegliato E.. Ho Chiuso Gli Occhi" reveals the concept more prominently, with the strings playing counterpoint to Vita's guitar, and Bacalov arrangements in full swing. "Scotland Machine" and "Alzo Un Muro Elettrico" show just how powerful the combination can be, as does the closing "La Grande Fuga." The album was re-recorded in English and released the following year in the US on the Peters International Cosmos label. Unfortunately for the band, their gear was stolen; and despite efforts to resuscitate RDM, the band effectively collapsed.