Over 20 years ago, I wrote the following, edited for relevancy:The Trip were but one of many Italian bands combining rock, classical, jazz, pop, and folk to produce what is now known as the Italian rock renaissance. While most of their fellow countrymen were in their own sealed world, trying to outdo each other in the creative sweepstakes, The Trip were more impressionable, mostly by influences outside of Italy. Perhaps this is due to having full time English members? All four of their albums are completely different and bear the stamp of another international group or movement. The Trip were also one of the few Italian bands to utilize English vocals... On their third, Atlantide, The Trip looks squarely at Emerson Lake and Palmer for inspiration. Tossing guitarist William Gray, the newly formed keyboard trio lineup could not resist temptation. So we have all the elements of ELP bombast: Dramatic Ben-Hur anthemic sequences offset by jazzy keyboard jamming and even the requisite ten-minute drum solo. Some of this is exhilarating, and yet at the same time, frustrating. I hear a band with high musical talent trapped within the confines of another man's mind.
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4 years after that, I wrote further: On this album they go for the ELP sound – as they had just been reduced to a keyboard trio. ‘Manticore’ and other ELP styled Tarkus organ anthems abound. As always, the sound is stunning. Did you know The Trip once featured Ritchie Blackmore as a member? (they were once an all British band who moved to Italy and eventually became a majority Italian group). This is the first album to feature monster drummer Furio Chirico, who formed Arti + Mestieri in 1974. I can see them wanting to exploit his skills, but he gets too much space on the overlong drum solo in ‘Distruzione’. The clarity of this recording points to how strong the organ playing really was here.
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While listening to this album again last night, I was thinking it might go +1 as those "jazzy keyboard jamming" parts are pretty cool. More Aardvark than ELP that is to say. But, oh yea poop, the stupid drum solo at the end mars whatever potential Atlantide might possess. Ibis' Sun Supreme suffered a similar fate.
Ownership: LP: 1972 RCA. Incredible triple fold out cover. Also comes with a 45 SP with picture sleeve. Acquired from a collection buy (1997), which replaced the RCA reissue that I purchased in 1991.
1991; 1997; 3/17/01 (Gnosis); 2//05; 8/3/23 (new entry)
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