Mass Media Stars
| Mass Media Stars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Venue | Milan | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 37:43 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Dischi | |||
| Producer | Claudio Fabi and PFM | |||
| Acqua Fragile chronology | ||||
| ||||
Mass Media Stars is the second album by the Italian progressive rock band Acqua Fragile. The album was released by Dischi in 1974.[1] The album is sung entirely in English, as was the band's first album Acqua Fragile, but it also received a release in the United States which was unusual for an album by an Italian progressive group.[2]
Reception[edit]
Dag Erik Asbjørnsen in Scented gardens of the mind compared Acqua Fragile's sound to Genesis, Yes and Crosby, Stills & Nash, combining Lanzetti's nasal voice with "majestic guitar licks" and three-part vocal harmonies.[1]
Augusto Croce in Italian prog commented that the album was similar to their first, but with slightly better production.[2] Jerry Lucky in The progressive rock files said: "Sounds like early Genesis. Two LPs [Acqua Fragile and Mass Media Stars] produced by PFM and it shows in their sound."[3]
Personnel[edit]
Musicians[edit]
- Bernardo Lanzetti: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 8-string guitar
- Gino Campanini: electric guitar, mandolin, vocals
- Piero Canavera: drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Franz Dondi: bass
- Maurizio Mori: keyboards
Others[edit]
- Gaetano Ria: engineer
- Claudio Fabi and PFM: producers
- Guido Harari: design, photography
- Bernardo Lanzetti: lyrics
- Piero Canavera: music
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by B. Lanzetti (lyrics) and P. Canavera (music)
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cosmic Mind Affair" | 7:19 |
| 2. | "Bar Gazing" | 5:06 |
| 3. | "Mass-Media Stars" | 6:53 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Opening Act" | 5:40 |
| 5. | "Professor" | 6:49 |
| 6. | "Coffee Song" | 5:56 |
Release history[edit]
Discogs[4] lists 23 versions of Mass Media Stars including two unofficial (bootleg) versions. Versions have been released on LP, CD, cassette and 8-track cartridge from 1974 to 2021, starting with the original LP (SMRL 6150) and cassette (RIK 76150) versions released by Dischi in 1974.
Plagiarism[edit]
In 2018 Bernardo Lanzetti and Acqua Fragile accused the rapper Busta Rhymes of plagiarism because in "Genesis", the song that gives the title to his 2001 album, he used a sampling of "Cosmic Mind Affair", taken from Mass Media Stars, without declaring it and indeed attributing it to himself.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Asbjørnsen, Dag Erik (2000). Scented gardens of the mind: a guide to the golden era of progressive rock (1968-1980) in more than 20 European countries. Borderline Productions. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-89985-512-4.
- ^ a b Augusto, Croce (2008). Italian prog: the comprehensive guide to Italian progressive music 1967/1979. AMS/BTF. pp. 18–19.
- ^ Lucky, Jerry (2000). The progressive rock files. Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-89652-270-8.
- ^ "Acqua Fragile – Mass-Media Stars". Zink Media LLC. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Moretti, Carlo (9 November 2018). "Busta Rhymes, "Genesis" e l'accusa di plagio dagli italiani Acqua Fragile" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
External links[edit]
- Mass Media Stars at AllMusic
- Mass Media Stars at Discogs (list of releases)
- Mass Media Stars at MusicBrainz
- Mass Media Stars at Prog Archives
- Mass Media Stars at YouTube
- Acqua Fragile at Italian Prog website
