Italian Canterbury-style progressive music
02/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Their 1st, self-titled album is a classic progressive/jazz release by an Italian quartet instrumental band. Fender Rhodes piano/synths/cello, guitar/tenor sax, bass & drums. Feels like Nucleus/Soft Machine/National Health. The very rare 2nd lp is much more experimentally leaning, using improvisation, musique concrete, & other 'further out' techniques & styles.
Will appeal to fans of Canterbury-scene jazz-rock."
First one is great fusion, the second one not so great avant
BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 11/20/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Dedalus was the only band to release two albums on the Trident label, then the label went under. In 1973 they released their self-entitled debut, the one with people in trench coats with their faces replaced by clocks, not unlike the cover to Birth Control's Plastic People. This is is a great, but totally overlooked album of fusion. Lots of great jazzy guitar work and trippy use of the electric piano as well as nice sax playing. Also some occasional nice use of synthesizer. Occasionally the passages get experimental. They might not sound like their Italian contemporaries like Area or Arti & Mestieri, but at time reminds me of post-Robert Wyatt Soft Machine (circa Six). Unlike the two aformentioned Italian fusion/prog acts, Dedalus is all-instrumental. This album doesn't seem to be too sought after by prog rock fans, or even by fusion fans, but I really can't understand why (although that doesn't prevent the original LP from fetching large money, as is the rest of the Trident catalog). This is truly one of the great, lost gems of fusion/prog! What possessed them to turn to second-rate avant gard for their next album is a real mystery to me.
Late in 1974 comes Materiale per Tre Esecutiori e Nastro Magnetico, and it's a huge drastic change of direction for the band. Now it's as full-on avant garde as Area's Event '76. Here it seems like a lots of playing around with the piano and just goofing off, but I really got a kick off this one cut where the band recorded their cat purring. I mean some real seriously loud purring which meant they obviously amplified the kitty's purr as I know no real domestic cat that can purr that loud. Where they playing around on the piano, the cat starts meowing and starting to growl. I really don't think they did a great job doing an avant garde album. Area did this so much better on Event '76. The band should have taken a page or two from the avant garde size of Frank Zappa. It's obvious they work so much better as a fusion band as their 1973 debut demonstrated. At least you get both on this CD, but chances are you'll be only listening to their debut, as it's one of the great, unknown gems of fusion."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1