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Recorded live in '98 in Naples and Rome featuring many of the classics from PFM's past. This well recorded 2 CD set is a real beauty with some simply stunning musical moments. Line up includes Franco Mussida (guitars and vocals), Flavio Premoli (organ, piano, oberheim, korg, mini moog), Patrick Djivas (bass) and Franz Di Cioccio (drums). The 4 lads are joined also on stage by a few other musicians who help make this album "beyond bitchin" with emphasis in particular on Phil Drummy (sax, flute, bassoon, tinwhistles) and Stefano Tavernese (electric violin). This essential 2 CD set explores some of my personal fav PFM tracks including "Out Of The Roundabout", "Dove... Quando", "Dolcissima Maria", "Suonare Suonare", "Four holes in the ground" and "Impressioni di Settembre". Overall this 2 Cd set offers some wonderful sound reproduction and excellent mic'ing which sounds great over the ol speakers. Musically these guys still have what it takes with some great musical excursions and instrument interplay. Overall a magical little live album with some real character and full of energy.

This album of PFM called as " the best", this fact in alive, I do not remember many albums that be in alive and that be called them the best of, that is why to my point of view not this well fact this concept, although the concert in if is not evil, but I feel that has many songs of the less experimental , that is why spleen My arguments for consider it not so good and therefore i`ll never buy it. I prefer to listen the study albums, that are completely facts for our taste by the progressive one to listen this type of collections.

Here's another proove of the excellent musicianship, huge dedication and enthousiastic attitude towards the crowd by Italian progrock veterans PFM. The line-up of the six piece formation on this live 2-CD (recorded in 1998) contains three members of the very first beginning in 1969: drummer/singer Franz Di Gioccio, guitarplayer Franco Messida and keyboard player Flavio Premoli, they are the awesome backbone of the acclaimed legendary PFM. They deliver a pleasant and varied sound: keyboard prog in Mr. 5 Till 0 (Oberheim organ and virtuosic piano work), classical in teh intro of Dive .. Quando (pianoforte), bluesy in Altaloma (captivating guitarplay) and folky in Il Banchetto and Dolcissima Maria (flute, acoustic guitar and warm vocals). The 'classic tracks' are very strong, fresh and tastefully arranged and performed: Four Holes In The Ground contains wonderful interplay between violin, Minimoog and flute, Celabration delivers a modern sound with exciting Minimoog runs and Impressioni Di Settembre features great work on guitar and keyboards. Despite some more polished and less captivating newer tracks, every PFM freak will enjoy this 2-live-CD although there is better live work on CD. My rating: 3,5 stars.

I wouldn't say that this album is a best of "PFM" . It holds too many jamming moments, not enough songs from their classic period (early mid seventies) even if more than half of "Storia Di Un Minuto" is featured (four tracks).

The first blunder is this reduced version of "Il Banchetto". It was the best song out of "Per Un Amico" and to reduce these almost nine minutes song to a mere three minutes is just a nonsense. Several songs start with an additional and instrumental intro (four in total). Not unpleasant since it brings some added value.

From their later repertoire, only two songs can be catalogued as good ones : "Sei" and "Ulisse" but the first highlight of this live album is the excellent version of "Out Of The Roundabout" from "Chocolate Kings" (the intro being a bit too long though)

One great instrumental and unreleased album track is "Altaloma 5 Till 9". Jazzy mood and a fantastic guitar performance. One might think to listen to "Caravanserai" (from "Santana"). One of the highlight IMO.

Another beautiful moment is "Dolcissima Maria" : marvellous melody, emotional flute and so sweet piano. Another one of my fave form this live album.

Since "Si Puo Fare" is the last song of their show, it is nothing else than a long presentation of each member of the band (over nine minutes) combined to some jamming. Might be good while attending, but as such it is frankly boring.

We'll get a bilingual version for "E Festa / Celebration". This song is always pleasant of course, especially while playing live. One of my preferred "PFM" song is "Impressioni di Settembre". Great mellotron and beautiful melody. A very good rendition indeed.

The closing number comes from their collaboration with Fabrizio De Andrè. I didn't like these two albums. Pure Italian folk music. This version won't help to change my mind.

All in all, it is a good live album, but nothing extraordinary due to the excess of average songs.

Three stars.