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Pier Niccolò "Bambi" Fossati — ...Il Castello Tira Sassi...
(Black Widow BWR284, 2014/2025, CD)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2026-02-14

...Il Castello Tira Sassi... Cover art

Italian singer, guitarist, and composer Pier Niccolò “Bambi” Fossati is noted for his time with the band Garybaldi and with Gleemen. He passed away in Genoa on June 7, 2014. Born in the same city on April 28, 1949, he got his nickname from his grandmother because of his habit as a young boy of wandering off into the forest while playing. Fossati learned to play the guitar at the ripe old age of thirteen and in 1965 he founded the group Gleemen, the precursor to Garybaldi. He spent time performing on the street and in clubs, covering The Rollling Stones and the Beatles. In 1970 the Gleemen recorded their first album and then morphed into Garybaldi, which went on to record Nuda in 1972 an Astrolabio in 1973. Then Fossati was involved in numerous other musical ventures in groups and as a solo artist. This present album Il Castello Tira Sassi was released ten years after his passing, something totally unexpected for his fans, reviving interest in Fossati, one of Italy’s greatest rock guitarists. The album title means "The Castle Throws Stones," a phrase he often uttered in the studio, roughly meaning “Come on guys, let’s get a move on.” The album features several previously unreleased studio tracks from 2004, some live tracks recorded on some old cassette tapes, and a version of “Madre di Cose Perdute” (“Mother of Lost Things”). This collection is superior to his work with Garybaldi. I hear hints of Osanna on the hard-hitting “Reprimenda Mores,” some Hendrix styled guitar wizardry on “Qualcosa non va” and “26 Febbraio 1700 (Live),” a very interesting and Italian take on Bo Diddley’s “Mona,” the exquisite “Madre do Cose Perdute,” and the raw and engaging live studio recording “Toledo.” Quite a nice posthumous release of some great tracks.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases, 2014 recordings

Related artist(s): Gleemen, Garybaldi, Pier Niccolò "Bambi" Fossati

 

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