Books

BOOKS TAKEN FROM THIS SITE
	*ITALIANPROG (Updated English edition)* 2nd English edition. 564 pages, more than 600 artists (ISBN: 978-1539472407) CreateSpace 2016 on sale on Amazon The book on sale is the 2024 UPDATE	*ITALIANPROG:* La guida completa alla musica progressiva italiana degli anni '70 Italian version 574 pages, more than 600 artists (ISBN: 978-1536970272) CreateSpace 2016 on sale from Amazon The book on sale is the 2024 UPDATE

	ITALIAN PROG 1st English edition. 784 pages (120 in full colour), hard cover, with bonus CD (first 500 copies), more than 560 artists AMS 2008 (the 2009 reissue has soft cover)	ITALIAN PROG Japanese version. 640 pages (64 colour), soft cover, with bonus CD (ISBN: 978-4434137136) Marquee Inc. 2009

Not too many books and other sources of information on Italian prog, especially for non-Italian language readers.

Here are some of my main sources of information, starting with the Italian ones:

ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND DISCOGRAPHIES

Davide Motta Fre' - Promesse d'amore (2nd edition - self-produced 2021) - completely revised second edition of the nice and complete guide, with pictures and discographies, to the Italian melodic pop groups of the 70's
Paolo Verda - All around the hole / The Italian LP's (All around the hole 2019) - aimed at the collectors, this includes the details of over 450 among the rarest and most important Italian prog LP's and all the record labels that produced them, a rich full colour book with pictures and prices
Mox Cristadoro - I 100 migliori dischi del progressive italiano (Tsunami 2014) - a selection of the essential albums of the Italian prog, presented in detail with passionate words
John N. Martin/Michele Neri/Sandro Neri - Il libro del prog italiano (Giunti 2013) - an historical essay on the Italian prog years, with detailed pages on a hundred of fundamental artists
Franco Brizi - Volo magico - Storia illustrata del progressivo italiano (Vinyl Seduction/Arcana 2013) - an excellent 600 page illustrated book describing the full evolution of the Italian progressive rock of the 70's
Fabio Marchignoli - Pop italiano d'ispirazione cristiana (self-produced 2008) - a full colour book + bonus 24-tracks CD dedicated to the Christian-inspired pop music in Italy during the 70's and 80's. Since 2015 it contains as an additional bonus the reissue of the rare single by the group La Comunità del Villino
Alessandro Gaboli/Giovanni Ottone - Progressive italiano (Giunti 2007) - a pocket guide on the Italian prog albums, detailed and in full colour
Davide Motta Fre' - Promesse d'amore (self-produced 2006) - a nice and very detailed book, with pictures and discographies, on the Italian melodic groups of the 70's
Paolo Barotto/Marco D'Ubaldo - Rock progressivo italiano - The complete discography (Mediane 2006) - a nice (and heavy) photographic book, with full discographies on the Italian progressive of the 70's - includes a 15-track CD sampler of this style
Paolo Barotto - Il ritorno del pop italiano (5th edition - self produced 2003) - in Italian, but an older English version exists, updated to 1997
Paolo Barotto - 100 foto storiche (self produced 2003) - great black & white pictures of 70's artists
Valentino Flesca - Il pop e progressive in Italia (self-produced 1995)
Cesare Rizzi & others - Enciclopedia del rock italiano (Arcana 1993)

ESSAYS AND STUDIES

Claudio Pescetelli - Giorni strani, giorni pop (Cronache romane 1970-1976) (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2017) - an interesting and detailed essay on the Rome groups and concerts in the first half of the 70's
Athos Enrile - Le ali della musica (Zona 2016) - interviews to the musicians and personal recollections about the concerts of the Italian rock and progressive
Alessio Marino/Massimiliano Bruno - Terzo grado-Indagine sul pop progressivo italiano (Tsunami 2015) - interviews and information on some of the lesser known artists from the Italian 70's prog scene; also issued in limited 300 copies issue with bonus single by Lydia & gli Hellua Xenium
Francesco Schianchi/Franz Di Cioccio - Libro Lambro - I festival giovanili, sogni e utopie di ieri per oggi (Aereostella 2014) - the legendary 1976 Festival through the words and recollections of two participants
Antonio Oleari/Renzo Stefanel - Storia di un minuto - Il primo disco di PFM (Aereostella 2012) - the making of one of the essential records of the Italian prog through the words and recollections of the musicians
Claudio Pescetelli - Nudi & crudi (Piccola storia dei Festival Pop Italiani) vol. 3 (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2012) - third and last book on the Italian Pop Festivals, covering the timespan between 1974 and 1979
Fabrizio Galvagni - Dante e l'armonia delle sfere (Vololibero Edizioni 2012) - a study on the connections between progressive rock and the Divine Comedy, also includes a CD
Innocenzo Alfano - Storie di Rock. Gli anni Sessanta e Settanta attraverso dischi, festival, libri, luoghi, suoni e molte curiosità (Aracne 2011) - an essay on rock music in the 60's and 70's, with a chapter dedicated to the Italian groups
Claudio Pescetelli - Nudi & crudi (Piccola storia dei Festival Pop Italiani) vol. 2 (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2011) - the second book in this series on the Italian Pop Festivals, covering the timespan between 1972 and 1974
Matteo Guarnaccia - Re Nudo Pop & altri festival-Il sogno di Woodstock in Italia 1968-1976 (Vololibero Edizioni 2010) - a very nice retrospective on the Italian Pop Festivals, also includes a CD and a DVD
Claudio Pescetelli - Nudi & crudi (Piccola storia dei Festival Pop Italiani) vol. 1 (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2010) - excellent and well documented history of the pop festivals in Italy between 1968 and 1972
Cristina di Giorgi/Ippolito E.Ferrario - Il nostro canto libero - Il neofascismo e la musica alternativa: lotta politica e conflitto generazionale negli anni di piombo (Castelvecchi 2010) - history of the so-called "alternative music" scene, born in the 70's in the right-wing political movements
Riccardo Storti - Rock map (Viaggio in Italia dal 1967 al 1980) (Aereostella 2009) - an essay on the roots of Italian rock and the evolution of progressive music in Italy
Al Aprile/Luca Majer - La musica rock-progressiva europea (Gammalibri 1980 - reissued by Calypso 2009) - very difficult to find in its original form, this has finally been reissued; an interesting essay on the less commercial European progressive productions, but with few Italian artists
Maurizio Galia/Claudio Aloi/Giuseppe Di Spirito/Roberto Vanali/Franco Vassia/Donato Zoppo - Prog 40 (Edizioni Applausi 2009) - an essay on 40 years of progressive music in the world, including the italian scene
Massimo Forni - Lungo le vie del prog (Storia del rock progressivo italiano - Personaggi e opere dal 1971 al 2008) (Palladino 2008) - history of progressive rock in Italy since the early 70's
Innocenzo Alfano - Verso un’altra realtà (Aracne 2006) - a study on the methods of composition used by rock musicians, the book also contains a part specifically dedicated to progressive music
Giordano Casiraghi - Anni 70: generazione rock (Editori Riuniti 2005) - interviews with the main witnesses of those years, also includes a part on discographies, but rather incomplete
Innocenzo Alfano - Fra tradizione colta e popular music: il caso del rock progressivo (Aracne 2004) - an academic introduction to the progressive rock, also including some pages dedicated to the Italian 70's scene
Riccardo Storti/Donato Zoppo/Paolo Carnelli - Racconti a 33 giri (CSPI/MovimentiProg/Wonderous Stories 2003) - detailed reviews of 50 essential Italian LP's
Umberto Bultrighini/Gianni Oliva - Dopo i Beatles: musica e società negli anni settanta (Carabba 2003) - the proceedings of a 2001 meeting on music and society in the 70's, with interesting contributions by PFM members Mussida, Di Cioccio and Djivas
Riccardo Storti - Progressive in Italia (Associazione Nonsolomorego/CSPI 2002) - historical review of the Italian prog evolution
Pio De Bellis - Ricerche per una apoteosi del pop italiano (self-produced 2000)
Piersandro Pallavicini - Quei bravi ragazzi del rock progressivo (Ritmi Theoria 1998)
Lodovico Ellena - Storia della musica psichedelica italiana (Menhir 1998)
Francesco Mirenzi - Rock progressivo italiano voll. I & II (Castelvecchi 1997)
Saverio Angiolini/Enzo Gentile - Note di pop italiano (Gammalibri 1977) - now difficult to find and highly questionable in their statements
(Anonymous) - Libro bianco sul pop in Italia (Arcana 1976) - now difficult to find and highly critical of the whole music scene

BEAT, SIXTIES, EIGHTIES

Paolo Dovico/Luigi Riganti - Vinile italiano '80 (Onde Italiane 2021 - 3rd edition) - great work, mainly focused on punk/wave/indie, but there is some prog too. The 3rd edition is in a limited 350 copies pressing and is a huge hardback book with 550 pages and colour pictures

Massimo Salari - Rock progressivo italiano. 1980-2013 (Arcana 2018) - a complete guide to the Italian progressive rock italiano from 1980 onwards, with information on the bands and interviews

Alessio Marino - BEATi voi n.5 (Beat Boutique 67 - 2010) - pictures and interviews with some musicians from the 60's and 70's, this issue is mostly dedicated to progressive bands

Alessio Marino - POPzzolo - Viaggio tra i complessi beat e pop degli anni 60 e 70 del basso Alessandrino (Beat Boutique 67 - 2009) - pictures and interviews with some 60's and 70's musicians from the Alessandria area, including some which played in progressive bands

Alessio Marino - BEATi voi nos.1-4 (Beat Boutique 67 - 2007/2009) - pictures and interviews with some musicians from the 60's and 70's, including some which played in progressive bands

Claudio Pescetelli - Una generazione piena di complessi (Zona 2006) - a detailed guide on the Italian beat groups until 1970

Roberto Iurza - Il beat..cos'è (Puleio Press 2006) - a history of beat in Italy

Tiziano Tarli - Beat italiano (Castelvecchi 2005 - updated 2nd ed. with bonus CD Castelvecchi 2007) - not specifically on the 70's prog music, but an enjoyable reading on the Italian youth and society in the 60's. The 2nd edition includes a bonus CD with 14 original tracks from "Beat masses"

Claudio Pescetelli - Ciglia ribelli (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2003) - as above, this is on the 60's all-girl Italian beat groups, but an interesting book, useful to understand the Italian youth of those years

Giovanni Berti - Catalogo dei 45 giri del beat italiano (Paludi 1998)

MUSIC IN THE CITIES

Claudio Pescetelli - Gioventù suonata - Gruppi musicali romani 1964/1976 (I Libri del Mondo Capellone 2021) - everything on the musical groups from Rome, with details and discographies

Daniele Sabatucci - Palermo al tempo del vinile (Dario Flaccovio Editore 2012) - pop and rock music in Palermo from the Sixties until today

Antonio Rosetti - Senza tempo noi 1964-79: il rock a Forlì (self-produced 2008) - the history of rock in Forlì

Riccardo Storti - Codice Zena (Aereostella 2005) - a great in-depth analysis of the rock in Genoa since the late 60's, with interviews and discographies

Gianpiero Madonna - I Beatles e i Genesis in Canavese (Lampi di Stampa 2005) - a nice booklet on the diffusion of rock in the Canavese area, between 1962 and 1974, with all the groups and the musical events of those years

Renato Marengo/Michael Pergolani - Enciclopedia del pop rock napoletano (RAI-ERI 2003) - updated story of rock and pop in Naples

Bruno Casini/Ernesto De Pascale - Anni di musica - Itinerari musicali in Toscana dal 1960 (Materiali Sonori 2003 - includes 2 audio CD's) - the rock scene in Florence and Tuscany, mainly in the 60's and 80's

Andrea Tinti - Enciclopedia del rock bolognese (Punto e Virgola 2001) - mainly focused on the 80's and 90's artists

Luigi Di Fonzo - Il rock in Abruzzo (EcamLab 2000) - history of rock and prog in Abruzzo since the early 60's

Manuel Emanuelli/Fabrizio Marcheselli - Storia della musica leggera parmigiana dal 1950 al 2000 (TLC 1999) - the history of popular music in Parma, including some pages dedicated to the progressive groups of that area

Renato Marengo/Michael Pergolani - Song 'e Napule (RAI-ERI 1998) - rock and prog in Naples

Giampiero Bigazzi/Ernesto De Pascale/Bruno Casini - Firenze sogna! Itinerari musicali 1976-1983 (Materiali Sonori 1993 - includes audio CD) - the rock scene in Florence

GROUPS AND ARTISTS OF THE ITALIAN PROGRESSIVE

NEW Andrea Pintelli/Athos Enrile/Angelo De Negri - Racconti e schegge di Acqua Fragile - L'intensa vita di Gino Campanini (Arcana Edizioni – 2022) - the story of Acqua Fragile through the recollections of their original guitarist

Vittorio Nocenzi/Francesco Villari - Nati liberi. La storia del Banco del Mutuo Soccorso (Tsunami 2021) - Banco's story told by one of the founders; a limited 300 signed copies issue

Vittorio De Scalzi/Massimo Cotto - Una volta suonavo nei New Trolls (Azzurra Music 2021) - a 96 page book accompanied by 2 CD's with the best from New Trolls including 3 unreleased tracks and the DVD “Il Suonatore Jones” taken from a 2005 concert at Teatro della Tosse in Genoa

Diego Protani/Viviana Vacca - Sulle labbra del tempo (Area tra gesti, musica e immagini) (LFA Publisher 2017) - the story of Area and the whole music movement of the 70's, with interviews, pictures, drawings

Luciano Boero - Prati di lucciole per sempre. Locanda delle Fate e dintorni (Araba Fenice 2017) - the story of Locanda delle Fate told by one of its founders

Various - Le Orme dal beat psichedelico al rock progressivo (1966-1982) (Youcanprint 2017) - an illustrated history and detailed discography of one of the most important Italian prog groups

Enrico Olivieri - Purgatorio (Unica Meta 2016) - 78 pages with CD; lyrics and drawings based on the Metamorfosi album; the CD is numbered (200 copies) and signed

Eduardo Vitolo - Magister dixit - La leggenda esoterica di Jacula e Antonius Rex (Tsunami 2015) - the biography of one of the most mysterious and disquieting figures in the Italian scene of the 70's (and over)

Maurizio Marino - Gianni Sassi fuori di testa (Castelvecchi Editore 2013) - An essay on one of the most significant and innovative (and lesser known) figures which created the Italian music scene of the 70's

Fabio Capuzzo - Goblin, sette note in rosso (Autoprodotto - 2011) - A giant 450 pages book containing everything you'd like to know about Goblin

Brunetto Salvarani/Odoardo Semellini - Terra in bocca (Il Margine 2009) - A nice monograph on the bravest album by I Giganti, includes a CD with the original album and a bonus track

Patrizio Fariselli - Storie elettriche (Auditorium 2008) - The story of Area seen from the inside through a series of short stories

Antonio Oleari - Un viaggio lungo 40 anni - Senza orario, senza bandiera (Aereostella 2008) - A book entirely dedicated to New Trolls and their legendary first album

Riccardo Storti - New Trolls: dal pesto al sushi (Aereostella 2008) - The story of the most popular group from Genova and one of the most important and well-loved bands in Italy

Oronzo Balzano - Le Orme - Il mito, la storia, la leggenda (Bastogi 2007) - All about one of the most important and loved Italian prog groups

Banco Music Club - ...e mi viene da pensare (Banco Music Club 2006) - An illustrated book with all the lyrics and discography of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, by their Fan Club

Donato Zoppo - Premiata Forneria Marconi - 1971-2006, 35 anni di rock immaginifico (Editori Riuniti 2006) - A very detailed history of one of the most important Italian rock groups of all time

Gian Piero Trifirò - Storia e leggenda (Orme Music Club 2006) - 300 pages with the story of Le Orme!

Compagnia dell'Anello - Altre storie (Compagnia dell'Anello 2006) - All the lyrics from their 3 albums "trilogy" in an illustrated book on Compagnia dell'Anello

Giovanni Aloisio - Goblin (Un Mondo a Parte 2005) - Everything you may want to know about Goblin

Alessandro Pomponi - Franco Battiato (Coniglio 2005) - An illustrated discography, rich of colour pictures and details

Gianpaolo Chiaricò - Area / Musica e rivoluzione (Stampa Alternativa 2005) - The story of Area, with interviews and detailed analysis of their record production, includes CD "Parco Lambro 1976"

Carmine Aymone - Je stò ccà.....James Senese (Guida/Suonidelsud 2005) - The story of the leader of Showmen and Napoli Centrale, with a bonus 6-track CD

Franco Fabbri - Album bianco (Arcana 2001 - updated 2nd ed. Arcana 2002) - Stormy Six guitarist traces a story of his band and the whole "Italian pop" scene. Very interesting

Carmine Aymone - Osanna / Naples in the world (Afrakà 2001) - the story of Osanna with details on other Naples connected bands

Cesare Monti - Lucio Battisti e la Numero Uno (Zargo 1999) - Nice photo book with the story of Numero Uno label

Franz Di Cioccio - PFM Due volte nella vita (Mondadori 1996) - PFM story written by the band's drummer

here's a few English written books on the subject:

NEW Steven e Alan Freeman - A fistful of spaghetti (Audion Publications – UK 2022) - an encyclopedia of Italian prog, experimental, electronic music, from the 70’s to current artists; 276 pages

Andrea Parentin - Rock Progressivo Italiano: An introduction to Italian Progressive Rock (Createspace 2011) - a detailed introduction on the Italian prog for foreign fans willing to investigate

Dag Erik Asbjornsen - Scented gardens of the mind (Borderline - UK 2000) - in English, with a large chapter on Italian artists

Thierry Sportouche/Jacques Toni - Storia di un minuto (Acid Dragon - France 1994 - a small booklet that could serve as a good introduction for the novices)

the French ones:

Louis De Ny - Patrick Djivas, Via Lumière. La biographie autorisée du bassiste d'Area et de PFM (Camion Blanc 2020) - the author keeps investigating the Italian prog scene of the 70's with an authorized biography of the well-known Area and PFM bass player

Louis De Ny - Plongée au cœur du Rock Progressif Italien - Le théâtre des émotions (Camion Blanc 2018) - the second book dedicated to the Italian prog by the author, this includes a section on the 80's productions and some of the contemporary progressive scene

Louis De Ny - Le petit monde du rock progressif italien (Camion Blanc 2015) - a nice guide to the Italian prog, from the 70's to current productions, for the French speaking fans

and a Japanese one, containing black & white pictures of all the records described, but difficult to understand for non-Japanese readers.
Please notice that my own ItalianProg book (see the top of this page) is also available in Japanese.

Encyclopedia of Italian rock (Marquee - Japan 1993) - in Japanese with English titles