Il Rovescio della Medaglia ~ Italy

La Bibbia (1971)

---Jun 2005

This is one of the more misunderstood of the Italian progressive rock albums. Most known for Contaminazione, this has about as much relevance to that album as Tangerine Dream’s Electronic Meditation has to Phaedra.  A concept album around that always popular topic of the Bible, this mixes studio electronics and an experimental edge with primal blues hard rock. It’s not that it’s simple music - just unrelenting. A trio with more hard guitar than you’ll find on almost any Italian album. I had forgotten there was flute interspersed in a couple of places. 'Sodoma E Gomorra' is almost like a big band swing jazz track as done by a hard rock trio. Too funny given the topic.

---12/8/25

My viewpoints today are, predictably, very similar. I didn't mention it above, but there are similarities to Krautrock here, especially in the atmospheric sections with studio manipulation, flute, feedback, and other like-minded ideas.

Ownership: 2005 BMG (CD). Papersleeve. Contains a replica of the original circular insert.

1990 (LP reissue acquired); 6//05 (CD acquired / review); 12/8/25 (update)

Contaminazione (1973)

Contaminazione is Il Rovescio della Medaglia's 3rd album and quite a departure from their heavier early works. Now with a keyboardist, and fully orchestrated in the same way as the New Trolls Concerto Grosso and Osanna's second album, RDM brings about some Bach n' Rock to the table. Take away the window dressing though, and it's your prototypical Italian prog album, mixing harder passages with romantic songwriter tendencies. Many twists and turns, but with a highbrow flavor. Highlights are the more radical heavier pieces such as 'Il Suono del Silenzio', 'Scotland Machine', and in particular the heavy metal riffing 'Alzo en Muro Elettrico'. Contaminazione is considered table stakes for any self respecting Italian prog collection, and it's easy to see why. Though it's by no means the best album Italy offered in those days, it is indeed very representative.

Found this album in the Classical section of a Houston record store way back in 1988. I had presumed I would luck out that way again, but it never happened.

Ownership: 1973 RCA (LP). Gatefold. 

8//88 (acquired); 2004; 8/29/22 (review)

Also own and need to review Io Come Io

Also once owned Giudizio Avrai

8/9/22 (new entry)