PHOTOS OF GHOSTS

Surprisingly enough this album was my introduction to Premiata Forneria Marconi! At the time I knew nothing about the band nor the material that this compilation had to offer so I explored it with great enthusiasm and an open mind.

For everyone who is already familiar with the band's two previous albums this release basically represents a re-recorded English-version of the album Per Un Amico with two added bonuses in the form of Celebration, which is a E' Festa from Storia Di Un Minuto, plus a new instrumental titled Old Rain. From what I can tell the material here is completely re-recorded and in some cases the tracks are somewhat re-arranged which can still make this music worth a while even for the those who already know this material. One of the biggest surprises might be the added vocal sections on Generale which here is titled Mr. 9 Till 5.

Since I've already covered most of my favorite compositions here in my previous Premiata Forneria Marconi-reviews I'll skip the whole track-by-track walk-through especially since my opinion of this material hasn't changed all that much with the addition of the English vocals written by Peter Sinfield. I'm not sure if it has to do with the fact that it was my first album experience from this band but I don't have any problem with the vocals and the pronunciation here. Maybe it's the vocal harmonies that still make the music pleasant enough but I still find my indifference quite unexpected especially since I can't stand the vocals on the only English-sung track off the band's next album.

Photos Of Ghosts is a very employable album for anyone who is willing to keep an open mind about this whole experience but if you're a purist then I suggest getting your Premiata Forneria Marconi-kicks somewhere else.

***** star songs: River Of Life (7:01) Il Banchetto (8:37)

**** star songs: Celebration (3:53) Photos Of Ghosts (5:23) Old Rain (3:41) Mr. 9 Till 5 (4:11) Promenade The Puzzle (7:30)