Alphataurus

Michele Bavaro (vocals)
Pietro Pellegrini (keyboards, vibes)
Guido Wasserman (guitar)
Alfonso Oliva (bass)
Giorgio Santandrea (drums)

A group from the Milan area of which little is known, Alphataurus were one of the many unknown Italian bands who suddenly had a recording deal, made an album and disappeared into oblivion.

Their only album, Alphataurus, the first on the newly born Magma label, is a masterpiece, so well crafted and played that it seems impossible that's been made by a group of unknowns. The singer Bavaro has a very original voice, keyboard player Pietro Pellegrini plays with competence and no self-indulgence, guitar-playing of Guido Wasserman is well cared and the rhythm section of Oliva and Santandrea creates a powerful background.

The album includes five long compositions of which Peccato d'orgoglio and La mente vola are the best, the latter featuring a nice moog intro and a stunning vibes solo.

Soon after this the band split while recording a second album. This has been reissued on CD as Dietro l'uragano but only includes the instrumental parts and no vocals, the result is good though it sounds incomplete at times.

Drummer Giorgio Santandrea was briefly in Crystals, while keyboardist Pietro Pellegrini has long collaborated with Riccardo Zappa and PFM.
Singer Michele Bavaro released a commercial solo album near the end of the 70's. He's probably the same Bavaro that has recently released a CD of Italian songs for the brazilian market.

LP
Alphataurus	Magma (MAGL 18001)	1973	triple gatefold cover
	AMS/BTF (AMS LP 09)	2009	reissue of 1973 album with triple gatefold cover and yellow vinyl
CD
Dietro l'uragano	Mellow (MMP 132)	1992	recorded in 1973 by original line-up less singer Michele Bavaro
Alphataurus	Vinyl Magic (VM CD 051)	1995	reissue of 1973 album - mini-LP triple gatefold cover

Alphataurus is a very rare album in its original issue, with a distinctive nice triple gatefold cover.
A Korean issue was made in 1000 copies (Si-Wan SRML 2001) with the same triple gatefold cover design as the original. Later Korean issues had a single cover.
Also a Japanese issue exists (King K22P328) with single cover.
The first italian vinyl reissue ever made came out in 2009 on AMS, with a reproduction of the original triple foldout cover, and yellow vinyl.

Alphataurus has had a 2003 CD reissue by the Japanese label Arcangelo (ARC-7020) with a mini-LP cover. This is also part of an 8-CD box set dedicated to Grog (that includes in fact only three Grog releases along with five albums originally on Magma).
Even the CD reissue on Vinyl Magic has a triple gatefold mini-LP cover.

Alphataturus - front cover

Alphataurus - triple gatefold cover

Alphataurus - cover inner

LP label

Dietro l'uragano - CD cover