CHOCOLATE KINGS

Chocolate Kings is the first album of PFM to divide fans. The reason is basically the introduction of a stable vocalist: BERNARDO LANZETTI from ACQUA FRAGILE. I never hated his voice. On the contrary I always found it interesting as it reminds me a sort of mix between PETER GABRIEL and DAVID COUSIN of SRAWBS. Not bad. Not bad at all. Ok, I still prefer to listen to an italian band who sings in THE native language, but that's not a serious problem for me.

On about the musicianship, Chocolate Kings is where the band touches the apex, in my humble opinion. I like soft electric piano here and there. I like also the exciting crescendos as you can hear in Harlequin, a classic with sparkling acoustic guitar playing. They seems to create a more liquid sound this time. Just slightly less pompous and more fluent, more elegant. This is probably the foreshadowing of what would have happened later with the album Jet-Lag. These jazz- fusion touches really enriches the whole work.

For now music is still very solid and mesmerizing thanks also to the vague GENTLE GIANT light reference and to the massive use of synth. This is also the last album to feature MAURO PAGANI as violin and woodwind player since his departure just after the recording sessions.

An essential record. The last great contribution of PFM during the seventies, just fefore entering the downfall phase.