STORIA DI UN MINUTO

WONDERFUL! A real great opera. One of the best known progressive rock bands to come out of Italy is Premiata Forneria Marconi, or PFM. They actually had the benefit of having international exposure because they recorded for ELP's Manticore label and recorded in English (with help from Peter Sinfield, the same lyricist for King Crimson and later ELP). But their first two albums, Storia di un Minuto and Per Un Amico, both from 1972, were released only in Italy and sung in Italian, but both are very highly regarded as some of that country's greatest prog rock. The fine playing of Mauro Pagani, Franco Mussida and Flavio Premoli, despite the lack of a good role singer (always one of their limits), create a highly regarding sound that's still valid today Possibly the best album ever released. Songs like the second one IMPRESSIONI DI SETTEMBRE or E FESTA are beautiful! They took the best of early genesis, gentle giant, the sound of the symphonic early King Crimson and made it their own. Simply one of the all-time great Italian prog albums. While many people might be more familiar with the English-language conterpart, Photos of Ghosts, to me, I think the original Italian language version is much superior, as they aren't stumbling with the English language, and it sounds more natural. This was their second album in one year (1972). Mauro Pagani does some amazing playing on flute. The band was obviously influenced by English prog groups, Genesis in particular. I usually criticize bands that are overly imitative of other groups, but this album is a perfect example of the difference between being influenced by something and just imitating it. PFM have enough originality to make the Genesis style of symphonic prog their own/ A must.