STORIA DI UN MINUTO

The early 70s symphonic prog explosion resonated quite strongly in Italy, with some of the best albums of the genre coming from the Mediterranean country, also home to some of the more beloved retro bands. 1972 was especially monumental for the local progressive rock scene, as the country's two most successful collectives released four albums in total - both Premiata Forneria Marconi and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso presented braces of excellent albums to the world, all of which are now deemed iconic. It is the PFM debut album titled 'Storia Di Un Minuto' that is considered by many the apex of the so-called rock progressivo italiano, released in January of 1972 and recorded entirely in 1971, this little record could be said to be a 'sign of the times', giving a brilliant picture of how prog rock was interpreted in Italy.

Naturally, the sound of PFM on this very first studio release reminisces quite a lot both Genesis and Yes - scenes of 'Nursery Cryme' may be vividly experienced by the listener on tracks like 'Impressioni Di Settembre' or the masterful two-part mini epic 'Dove...Quando...', or flashbacks from the quirkier instrumental episodes on 'The Yes Album' on 'E' Festa' could help us discover the main inspirations behind the writing and the musical direction of the then-newborn band, consisting of legendary drummer Franz Di Cioccio, master guitar player Franco Mussida, also the lead vocalist of the band at the time, keyboardist Flavio Premoli, flutist Mauro Pagani, co-writing the entirety of 'Storia' with Mussida, and bassist Giorgio Piazza.

The album has a very melancholic, soothing, and ethereal sounding, the more pastoral moments blend perfectly with the beautiful vocals, and the prevailing melodicism has to be the dominant characteristic of the sonic collages constructed carefully by the instrumentalists. Interestingly, the songs seem to be mostly structureless, perhaps a songwriting approach the band have taken after their British peers - this leads to some extended instrumental passages that reminisce, as mentioned before, that early 70s Genesis sound, with the pictorial flutes and the gentle 12-string and acoustic guitars. PFM display some masterful control over their instruments, moreover, allowing the songs to softly unfold in the most elegant of manners, displaying the vast array of moods this album contains. The listener is certainly left with the feeling that this is one continuous 35-minute-long piece of music, split into shorter episodes. Excellent symphonic prog compositions, full of all you would expect from a great prog album, with the sheer elegance, the angelic soundscapes, the more intense parts, and the exquisitely melodic approach to the writing; 'Storia Di Un Minuto', despite not being a necessarily perfect album, is a very impressive debut by a band full of gifted musicians, and has deservedly had its place among the genre's best reserved.