FEATURED CD : PFM : Per Un Amico

[Duncan Glenday]

Credit for this featured CD : neuroticdog

Based on a CD received from the collection bequeathed to Progressive Ears by Chris Buckley (Winkersnuff)

neuroticdog's comments:

It's very possible that I'm the only person on this board that was not familiar with the album. I enjoyed them at NEARfest but that was the extent of my PFM interactions. After two listens, I realized what I was missing and, although the old adage of "Better late..." comes into play here, I just wish it was under better circumstances. That being said, hats off to Chris for facilitating what may become a deeper dive into PFM for me...safe journeys brother!

The album opens with some downright gorgeous mellotron/organ chording that builds into a symphonic climax as an electric guitar comes in with an earworm of a short melody. After that, it's off to the races. The playing from all is superb (you all probably know that already) but shout outs to Flavio Premoli's keyboard antics (sounding at times like Oscar Sala going ballistic on his Trautonium) and Franco Mussida who was doing some wonderful things, not only on electric but his acoustic passages were sublime.

At 34 minutes, a relatively short album...but that's ok, because it was packed to the gills with detail. So much detail that I need to go back for a few more helpings to start to decode this thing musically. Lots of so called "prog" composing is stitching disparate musical "parts" on to each other. That way, they can say..."hey man, I wrote this "suite" and it's quite sophisticated with all its different passages, it's like a labyrinth man." The problem though is, unfortunately the parts really don't flow naturally and what you have is a 20 minute epic comprised of something like 10 totally unrelated musical events or ideas that don't work as a whole. Well, that AIN'T HAPPENING with this record. Yes, there are tons of ideas being presented here, and the transitions from one to the next is completely natural. At the end of each song I felt I was really listening to a cohesive and fully developed statement instead of a hodge podge of ideas Dr. Frankenstein-ed together.

So, great start for me on a PFM journey. These guys were the real deal and I now totally get why they are a favorite around here. Looking forward to my next step.

[battema]

Stone cold classic, and a great review from Mike!

[aith01]

Yeah! Great review, man!

I'm glad to see someone else getting to know PFM. Per un Amico is indeed a stone cold classic. One of the most beautiful things ever made by human hands.

[100423]

Stone cold classic, and a great review from Mike!

What he said!
I think I'll listen to it now.

[Monet]

With their second record "Per un amico", which was released shortly after their fine debut "Storia di un minuto", Premiata Forneria Marconi show that they have matured further. Very ethereal, flowing, beautiful sympho-rock still prevails, but the individual songs and parts are even more complex, multi-layered and a little more demanding, as well as more Classical music references appear and also - it seems to me - the tempo is increased more often without that is now rocking violently, but the music is less like an idyllic river like "Storia di un minuto", but the sea with ebb, flow and swell. Perhaps this also expresses the fact that the songwriting is now mainly determined by flautist Pagani, while on "Storia di un minuto" the guitarist Mussida was in charge.
In any case, the whispered, gentle vocals have stayed the same, as well as the wonderful interplay of acoustic (flute, violin, acoustic guitar) and electric (Mellotron, synths, electric guitar) sounds. It is still difficult for me to really describe the music, and I can hardly think of suitable comparison bands. The most moving, electrically driving "Generale!" with its diverse lines and complex interplay is reminiscent of something like Gentle Giant in your wedding.
There is just a lot to hear: after a typically gentle beginning, for example, "Appena un po" offers an almost baroque instrumental intro (flute, harpsichord, etc.), until suddenly the sound becomes electric, electric guitar and drums kick in, but still could the lines come from a dramatic cantata movement, until suddenly this breathy song reappears and the Mellotron gently swells under a wonderful synth melody. Or "Il banchetto": symphonic 'tron plus harp glissando, then all of a sudden an extended weird synth interlude, followed by a Classical piano interlude.
Well, somehow the words of this music don't do it justice. That's why I just stop here with fruitless attempts to describe it! All in all, "Per un amico" is an unobtrusive and unpretentious, but experienced, amazingly refined, incredibly beautiful and pioneering sympho-rock album, so that the status of 'classic masterpiece of the genre' is certainly deserved here.

[chalkpie]

Masterpiece. I mean an actual masterpiece. Nice review Michael!

[mozo-pg]

Yeah, nice review Michael. Definitely my favourite from PFM's full catalog. I can't imagine your joy in hearing this for the first time.

[neuroticdog]

Thanks guys (and more importantly, thanks Chris!), appreciate you all.

These were only very rough initial thoughts as I've only spun this three or four times. I plan on listening with a more critical ear this week.

I'm really glad Monet jumped in with a better deconstruction of the record, this part resonated with me:

With their second record "Per un amico", which was released shortly after their fine debut "Storia di un minuto", Premiata Forneria Marconi show that they have matured further. Very ethereal, flowing, beautiful sympho-rock still prevails, but the individual songs and parts are even more complex, multi-layered and a little more demanding, as well as more Classical music references appear and also - it seems to me - the tempo is increased more often without that is now rocking violently, but the music is less like an idyllic river like "Storia di un minuto", but the sea with ebb, flow and swell. Perhaps this also expresses the fact that the songwriting is now mainly determined by flautist Pagani, while on "Storia di un minuto" the guitarist Mussida was in charge.

These are great (and valuable) insights so thanks for posting that...and the comparison with the "idyllic river" vs. "the sea with ebb, flow and swell" make sense and are very relatable to me (even though I haven't heard Storia di un minuto). When I listen to music, I almost always think in metaphors and comparisons and sometimes, given the type of music I've been living with for a while, it's really the ONLY way to think about it.

best
Michael

[bill g]

Such a beautiful album. One of my favorites ever. The opening track and the title track are my 2 favorite PFM tracks.

[NogbadTheBad]

Stone cold classic and probably my favorite Italian album.

[Sputnik]

My favorite of their first three. Really fine album. After hearing this and L'isola di Niente which was the first one I got, I pretty much abandoned any hesitations I may ever have had about non-English Prog Rock. I have no idea what they're saying, but I know exactly what they're talking about.

Bill

[Paulrus]

A dine album, indeed.

Interestingly, I exposed my son to lots of classic English prog but he glommed onto PFM with no urging from me. I think he was checking out someone's prog playlist and the rest is history. I think he's a bigger Italoprog fan than I am!

[Digital_Man]

Total classic. I recently bought a kind of digipack version that says something like Italiano Progressive on the front cover which I don't like but the music is the important thing. I always suspected this album was an influence on Selling England By the Pound but I have never actually read that anywhere and so can't really prove it.

[Digital_Man]

Such a beautiful album. One of my favorites ever. The opening track and the title track are my 2 favorite PFM tracks.

My favorites are the opening track and the closing track(geranio). The whole thing is great though.

[LeFrog]

There's some beautiful pastoral stuff on this but I can't stand the crazy synth interlude in Il Banchetto. It totally ruins the whole thing for me, it sounds so terribly dated and out of place.

[TheH]

One of the best Prog albums ever made!

[aith01]

There's some beautiful pastoral stuff on this but I can't stand the crazy synth interlude in Il Banchetto. It totally ruins the whole thing for me, it sounds so terribly dated and out of place.

There's an edited version of Il Banchetto that takes out that middle interlude section, and it can be found on their compilation 35...e un minuto. Might be available to purchase digitally as an individual track too. I've gotten used to the album version myself, but the edited track is nice to have as an alternative.

[aith01]

Interestingly, I exposed my son to lots of classic English prog but he glommed onto PFM with no urging from me. I think he was checking out someone's prog playlist and the rest is history. I think he's a bigger Italoprog fan than I am!

Now that is really cool.

How old is your son?

[chalkpie]

There's some beautiful pastoral stuff on this but I can't stand the crazy synth interlude in Il Banchetto. It totally ruins the whole thing for me, it sounds so terribly dated and out of place.

It's so utterly out-of-place and bizarre that I have nothing but total admiration for it! Wouldn't change it for anything.....

[battema]

There's some beautiful pastoral stuff on this but I can't stand the crazy synth interlude in Il Banchetto. It totally ruins the whole thing for me, it sounds so terribly dated and out of place.

I agree...they should have scrapped the rest of the pastoral stuff and just stuck with the synth

[moecurlythanu]

You forgot the "n" in Denatured CD.

[Digital_Man]

You forgot the "n" in Denatured CD.

I think the "f" was the letter he forgot. Lol.

[mozo-pg]

I wouldn't change a single note.

[soundsweird]

I think the reason I always had such a problem with the "crazy synth section" in Il Banchetto is because the section before it is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard by any prog band, and it ends waaaaay too soon. I've finally come to terms with it, and do enjoy it...

[Progatron]

I think the reason I always had such a problem with the "crazy synth section" in Il Banchetto is because the section before it is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard by any prog band, and it ends waaaaay too soon. I've finally come to terms with it, and do enjoy it...

Funnily enough, PFM are also responsible for one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard in a prog band, and that's the piano break in La Terra Dell’acqua, the first track on Stati Di Immaginazione . And it also ends way too soon. I have not come to terms with it. (Starts around 5:20 or so if you're looking it up.)