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]

Mass Media Stars
Studio album by
Released1974
VenueMilan
GenreProgressive rock
Length37:43
LanguageEnglish
LabelRicordi
ProducerClaudio Fabi and PFM
Acqua Fragile chronology
Acqua Fragile
(1973)
Mass Media Stars
(1974)
A New Chant
(2017)

Reception

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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

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Musicians

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  • 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

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  • Gaetano Ria: engineer
  • Claudio Fabi and PFM: producers
  • Guido Harari: design, photography
  • Bernardo Lanzetti: lyrics
  • Piero Canavera: music

Track listing

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All tracks are written by B. Lanzetti (lyrics) and P. Canavera (music)

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Cosmic Mind Affair"7:19
2."Bar Gazing"5:06
3."Mass-Media Stars"6:53
Side two
No.TitleLength
4."Opening Act"5:40
5."Professor"6:49
6."Coffee Song"5:56

Release history

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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

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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

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b Augusto, Croce (2008). Italian prog: the comprehensive guide to Italian progressive music 1967/1979. AMS/BTF. pp. 18–19.
  3. ^ Lucky, Jerry (2000). The progressive rock files. Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-89652-270-8.
  4. ^ "Acqua Fragile – Mass-Media Stars". Zink Media LLC. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  5. ^ 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.
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