At the 1st time I've heard this album 2 years ago. For those moment I've already listened all albums of the greatest art-rock bands and I thought that I couldn't get something new of art-rock bands of 70s. But it was a big mistake. Then I discovered some very interesting bands, and PFM was one of them. Unfortunately but I have only 2 PFM albums. I'm going to buy their albums in future. It's worth it, I'm sure. If you like symphonic art-rock you ought to buy (by minimum) 2-3 albums of PFM. They are very strong musically and rather extraordinary (though their music can remind you early GENESIS or KING CRIMSON or GENTLE GIANT sometimes). Also PFM is influented with Italian Renessance and Barocco music. Sometimes it seems that their producer was Da Vinchi, Carlo Gozzi or Scarlatti. By the way, P.Sinfield wrote lyrics for some PFM albums. Wish you good listening!
It's the 1st PFM album with English lyrics, written by Peter Sinfield left King Crimson recently. All lyrics are rather symbolic as almost all of Sinfield's ones. The album contains only one song with Italian lyrics LA BANCHETTO (unfortunately but I cannot speak Italian, though I'm gonna to study it in the next year). 1st song is a classical art-rock number. RIVER OF LIFE consists of all typically art-rock compounds ' polyphonic sound, 'European' acoustic passages, complicated structure, etc. Maybe it's the best song of the album. Then CELEBRATION follows. It was the one of the most popular PFM hits, influented with Italian Medieval Carnaval. I'm sure, almost all people would be enjoyed of it. The next two songs ' PHOTOS OF GHOSTS and OLD RAIN ' are maybe not produced to the end, they are some damaged with arrangement, but in any case they are listenable and rather pleasant. The 5th number LA BANCHETTO is really excellent with its basic ballad themes and very interesting avant-gardic and jazzy improvisations. Also this song contains some parodies on classical composers (Bach, for example). Great song! The next MR.9 TILL 5 is based on excellent rhythm-section and powerful sound: speed art-rock! : ) it also contains soldier marches, mad violin passages and themes from 3rd song PHOTOS OF GHOSTS. The last song PROMENADE THE PUZZLE sounds some apart to all the album. As the 3rd and the 4th songs it's not completed in arrangement. That's why it sounds some raw. Though there are some interesting passages and musical ideas. In conclusion I want to say that album is some uncompleted. But, I'm sure, all intellectual listeners will find a lot of interesting and pleasant moments there. Buy it without fear!
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My wows! This album could be a diamond in your musical collection! I was falling in love with it since beginning of 1st-time listening. All songs except 2nd one were sung with Italian language, and maybe that's why there were sung more sincerely then on previous album PHOTOS OF GHOSTS. It seems to me that album were produced with one breathing and a huge enthusiasm. The 1st song L'ISOLA DI NIENTE begins from singing of Gregorian Choir. You are plunging into late-medieval atmosphere of gothic-singing and romantic adventures of Medicies ages. All the song based on monumental sounds of organ, polyphony and excellent prophetly singing. The voices sounds as if from nowhere, and it determines mystic feelings. Masterpiece! The next song IN MY FACE ON STRAIGHT is great too, but it's absolutely another. This song can remind you art-jazz-rock of Steve Hillage or Eddie Jobson's UK. It sounds perfectly really and optimistically and makes a picture of nowadays (not Renessance or Gothic). The next song LA LUNA NUOVA sounds the same ' lightly, joyfully and with touch of jazz-rock with excellent rhytm-section (by the way, all instrumentals are such virtuoso as in English classical art-rock bands, and the drummer and guitarist are such good as Collins and Hackett, for example). The 4th song is one of the most beautiful rock-ballads that I ever heard. This song DOLCISSIMA MARIA has wonderful parts of acoustic guitar and flute. It gives you the highest and lightest feelings. The last song VIA HIMERE is another case of synthesis of Barocco music with fusion. Of course, it's clearly PFM production; they never stole ideas of, for example, Greenslade, Hillage, King Crimson or someone else. Very solid song. I think this album has no really weak places on it. The quality is guaranteed by me. Buy the album certainly! (or you'll be killed J).
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