Circus 2000 I Am The Witch - The Anthology (2-CD)

(Grapefruit Records) 26 tracks, digipack.

The first complete anthology of the early 70's Italian psych/folk/prog band that has great collector value.

- Heavily influenced by early Jefferson Airplane with female vocals and English language lyrics.
Circus 2000 was formed in Turin, northern Italy, in late 1969 by Grace Slick-influenced vocalist Silvana Aliotta and sought to emulate their British and American psychedelic idols.
Their debut on vinyl came a year later with a self-titled album that included such great quasi-mystical songs as "Magic Bean," "The Lord, He Has No Hands" and the dramatic "I Am The Witch."
The band had a hard time finding an audience, however, as their guitar-oriented, song-based nature and English-language vocals couldn't keep up with the complex, keyboard-based Italian progressive scene that was flourishing around them.
After developing a more improvisational, underground-friendly sound at the thriving Italian festivals, they returned with their second album, An Escape From A Box.
This five-track album, now considered their masterpiece by European psychedelic collectors, combined their original Jefferson Airplane leanings with expansive arrangements reminiscent of Pink Floyd, culminating on side two with the epic "Need" and the haunting closing track "When The Sun Refuses To Shine."
Failing to achieve commercial success, the band disbanded shortly thereafter, and it would be several decades before Circus 2000's music received the attention it deserved.
I Am The Witch is the first complete anthology of their career, and of course includes both of their coveted albums, as well as individual singles, alternate versions, and tracks that were intended for an aborted third album. The stylish digipak includes a new essay on the band's history, band quotes and some rare photos.