MISS BAKER

« PFM » was probably jealous that "Banco" was releasing pretty bad albums in the eighties, so they decided to produce some real bad ones as well. I haven' t heard their previous "PFM? PFM! (nobody's perfect), but after reading the reviews I guess that it is comparable with this one : awful.

The first song "Prima Che Venga La Sera" is a brilliant indicator : some "Saturday Night Fever" in Italian. A bad experience, believe me. "Un Amore Vero" is crooner soft jazzy compositions. A sub, sub, sub par "Me & Mrs. Jones" (but this one was a jewel of a song). This one is a mellow and stinky one.

Disgusting disco beat again for "Finta Lettera D'addio Di Una Rock Star Per Farsi Propaganda". For over six minutes. This is quite a difficult and daunting task to listen to this one in its entirety. But I swear. I did it. How is this possible to go that low??? But we all know it is. Remember the greatest ones.

One has the illusion of a good song while listening to the opening section of "Josephine Baker" but this feeling only lasts for about eighty seconds. The jazzy / bossa nova beat is not really what one could have expected from "PFM".

"Tempo Tempo" is the worst of all (but the race for this title is really tight). A nightmare for almost five minutes. French chorus for the next "La Chanson D'un Aviateur". This won't change anything on the matter. Poor, would you believe?

The only half bearable track is the instrumental and closing "Colazione A Disneyland". But what a title!!! The end of this masquerade.

One good news! The album only lasts for thirty-six minutes.

Second good news. You only have to press "next" six times to skip all these numbers.

But what's the purpose of this album would you ask me then? Well, the answer is quite simple : no purpose AT ALL. Avoid it like the plague. One star of course : totally irrelevant in any prog / rock / music collection. Boredom, boredom.

The most difficult time now starts. It 2 AM in Belgium and I have to try and sleep after this one. Gosh!

Italian pop album (or the name of the genre in italian - estrada),but it's almost without progressive elements. There are interesting jazz elements,but they are developed in extremely boring style. For this album applies the case about making money without mental work. The musicianship is not bad;we know who are PFM,but the songwriting is really boring. When I listen to this album,it's hard for me to listen to the whole album.I listen to it only because I want to rate all albums I have,but the truth is that Miss Baker is almost unlistenable album. The only thing I could do is to recommend the album to some funk and pop listeners,who don't like prog very much. Otherwise, it's not for you, proggers!!!

It is guessed that "Suonare Suonare" announced in 1980 was music of the quality after the revolution of their music characters is splendidly expressed. Works of men who announced in the 80's might be taken the element of POP well and succeed in conversion. However, the 80 year might have been an age of the misfortune for Prog Rock.

As for the flow and the fashion in the age, the revolution and groping for directionality were surely done through necessity for various bands. The introduction of electronic musical instruments has happened frequently in the 80's and in a human performance, having been said until unnecessary is also true. Music also doesn't limit to Prog Rock and have a lot of opinions on which it is made remarks that the band that gradually changes the music character and survives doesn't want also to admit according to the work.

Neither the age nor the idea give a too good impression for the listener though PFM created the work attempting the conversion of some direction. It was reflected in sales of the album to say nothing of it. I do not understand whether it is music that they should do though the level of the performance is certainly high if the career of their music is considered. It did not limit it to PFM to say nothing of it. It might have been a road that a lot of bands had passed.

"PFM?PFM" that had been announced in 1982 might have been a content not to be able to satisfy with all the tune, loose compositions of the idea. The impression that has completely changed into another band is given if it thinks about the history of their music. This holding the attention of disappointment for the fan that knew their histories with a natural part as a flow to some degree and at that time resulted.

The guess flew between fans when the band had dissolved the announcement of the work was not having of them after 1982 the interim. However, they announced this album after an interval of five years.

Music that reflects the times exactly is being carried out by this album produced in the member who adds the drum and Vittorio Cosma of the keyboard and Walter Calloni of Lucio Fabbri in addition to the member of the main of Franz Di Cioccio, Franco Mussida, and Patrick Djivas. And, it is guessed to the guest that the fact that Mauro Pagani partially participates in the composition and production also had some groping when they produce this album and the restructuring of the idea.

It exists as ..this album.. position when thinking about the history of Music of PFM very slight. It offers in the album and if the construction of existing theme and quality is considered, it offers it to the listener in good shape of existence as Music. It cannot know whether it is certainly music that they should do. This album can be very caught as Music of fine quality one Music however if it considers it as one work. A lot of ideas and melodies made only PFM are blocked though music like AOR is progressed overall. It can know the composition of the theme and the tune that they took to the album very if it catches purely as music. And, profound feelings might be able to be found to the tune at the same time.

Making the sound in which Genesis in the 80's is recalled carries us to the world of the relaxation with the theme that is overall consistent and exists in the album.

"Prima Che Venga La Sera" to which the section of the wind instrument is boldly taken attracts the listener with the element and the dash feeling of POP.

"Un Amore Vero" ..tune of POP/AOR of giving the relaxation and the quality.. has finished. The idea of Violin of Pagani is suitable for the tune well and gives a moving impression. Woman's chorus has succeeded partially indispensable for the tune, too.

"Finta Letteria D'addio Di Una Rockstar Per Farsi Propaganda" is a tune that reflects the times with the element of POP. The tune changes the rhythm without ending like ..POP.. element and it shifts to a moving flow with Solo of Violin. It is guessed that the idea of Pagani is blocked in this tune.

"Josephine Baker" that is the theme of this album challenges progressing the tune along the theme with a nostalgic flow. This tune that makes the woman of real existence a theme has the flow that may be expressed by their performances.

"Tempo Tempo" advances with the element of bright POP. The idea that doesn't end simply talks about their creations at that time. The atmosphere of the whole volume never disturbs the flow of the tune. An ad-lib ..Jazzy.. piano might succeed, too.

It is likely to be thought about the atmosphere of "La Chanson D'un Aviateur" as a usual power ballade. However, it is guessed that a part on the way of chorus's flow and tune was kneaded valuing the composition.

If the listener looks for the one's favorite song with this album, it might be "Colazione A Disneyland". An overwhelming technology to perform and the composition of the tune will touch the listener. It might be one of Highlight of this album. The composition of the performance and the tune where the guitar flows is a suitable tunes for the decoration of the end of the album.

"Miss Baker" might be too much one of the albums that do not lift in the topic momentarily at the time of thought about the history of their music. It is likely to be able to catch as Music one fine quality if it thinks as Music in this age however.

Like most other seventies' progressive rock bands, Premiata Forneria Marconi gave their distinct sound a massive overhaul once the eighties' approached. Miss Baker shows the legendary Italian proggers at the peak of their pop-oriented era; this album bears almost no resemblance to albums like Storia Di Un Minuto or Per Un Amico. Although you won't find any dynamic symphonic prog here, Miss Baker is pretty decent as far as eighties' pop/prog is concerned - this is substantially better than what Yes and Genesis were doing around this time period. Miss Baker doesn't contain anything too special or memorable, but there are enough decent moments here for me to consider this a step above the atrocity that many others make it out to be.

Musically, Miss Baker may come as a bit of a shock to those only acquainted with PFM's early seventies' efforts. Gone is pastoral and bombastic progressive rock, and in its place is sleek, commercial, and funky pop/prog. There's actually a pretty strong jazz/funk influence in the music, and that's especially heard in "Colazione a Disneyland" (my personal favorite on the album). Not all of the songs are all that memorable, but there are some good melodic hooks throughout the album, as well as some progressive sections to keep the more open-minded prog audience entertained. The songwriting, while still very competent, strikes me as pretty formulaic and uninspired, and that's ultimately my biggest issue with Miss Baker. Premiata Forneria Marconi are still a tight-playing, professional group of musicians, but the sheer emotion that made their early albums so great is almost entirely absent. The flat eighties' production definitely doesn't help the album sound any more inspired, either.

With all of that said, Miss Baker is still a fairly good effort from Premiata Forneria Marconi. It's far from a great album, but there are enough decent tunes and progressive overtones to prevent me from considering this to be a complete artistic failure. Although this is entirely unessential within PFM's fantastic discography, I must give credit where credit is due and rate Miss Baker with 2.5 stars. I personally have quite a few gripes with this release, but the quality is still respectable enough for me to passively recommend this to fans of eighties' pop/prog. Just keep in mind, however, that there are still many more albums within the pop/prog spectrum that are far more essential than this one.