pfm

It went downhill fast.

I love their early stuff, in Italian, not the translated stuff and the confusion that the American releases made of the albums themselves.

However, I have heard, recently on SPACE PIRATE RADIO a bunch of the new/latest (don't know where it fits yet), and while different, to my ears it was like this was going back to the very early feel that you had in the first 2 albums, but I have to listen to it again. 

I had a similar reaction to the new BANCO album (both the live and regular album) and after another go, it starts to grow on you ... and even though you are always remembering Giacomo's voice, the new material was still very nice and the singing parts did not let me down (so to speak) ... and that usually makes for a good album ... Had the same feeling about PFM ... which, really, was the same thing that happened to us when these first came out ... you had to play it again, and all of a sudden both bands clearly hit your inner space very well!

Chocolate Kings could have been perfect but for Paper Charms. 

There are a couple of great 2 CD compilations of the band that cover pretty much everything (one is Italian for the language 'snobs').

The Manticore releases are beautifully produced at the same studios that ELP recorded at. Pete Sinfield was heavily involved in the process including the English translation of the lyrics.  Don't let the natural animosity towards ELP influence you. These are great versions and worth having imo.