A.D. 2010 - LA BUONA NOVELLA

I was looking forward to listen to this album since the date PFM announced they would go into the studio. Production is really good. Instruments sound clear; voices might sound too high to me but considering the lyrics play the first role I can't complain. The mix is good as well. I'd like to point out the 'live recording' feeling that can be perceived in this album. These imperfections as a product of recording altogether at once are present. But we all know there is no other way to transmit real sensations to the listener. I will review each track in a musical approach. I think lyrics deserve they own review.

[Universo e Terra] This song is a completely inedit intro to the Buona Novella. Using great keyboard atmospheres, soft guitar melodies and a consistent rhythmic base PFM takes you into their music in crescendo; a catchy rock riff with some distorted violin sounds, and then a vintage organ bridge prepares for the next track.

[L'Infanza di Maria/ La Tentazione] An acoustic arrangement for this song is complemented with some beautiful passages with a clean electric guitar arpeggio and violin melodies that turn on a "prog ballad". Franco Mussida and Franz di Cioccio voices sound clear and expressive. The slow timing is interrupted by a passage that remains me one of PFM's greatest songs: la Luna Nuova. Tambourine and drums prepare a rich rhythmic pattern which will be complemented with bass line, distorted guitar riff, violin pizzicatos by Lucio Fabbri and overdriven organ, afterwards the song goes back to its original mood.

[Il Ritorno di Giuseppe/ Il Respiro del Deserto] Electric guitar is the hearth of this song. Moog sound and a very expressive guitar solo are remarkable. The guitar and voice passage at the end of this song is superb.

[Il Sogno di Maria] Not much to remark on this song. A very well executed folk song with some moog and guitar solos.

[Ave Maria] Starts with a guitar lead recalling the original Schubert composition with the same name. It is another ballad and as in any rock ballad the electric guitar is the protagonist.

[Maria nella Bottega di un Falegname/ Rumori di bottega] This is a folk song with some good moments and a catchy chorus. The moog plays a principal role in this song, a great solo performed by Gianluca Tagliavini is worth to be listened to.

[Via della Croce/ Scintille di Pena] This song is one of my personal favorites. Although the musical structure and the harmony used are predictable it is full of expression and beauty; a very good prog rock song. Guitar and violin unison is remarkable.

[Tre madri/ Canto delle Madri] A great bass intro by Patrick Djivas goes along with di Cioccio voice. PFM performs again the most beautiful music, a ballad with folk tones.

[Il Testamento di Tito] This is a folk song and I believe there is not much to say musically speaking. Great moog leads, but the real value of this song resides in the lyrics.

[Laudate Hominem/ Ode all'uomo] What a way to finish this album, this is another of my personal favorites. The music is based on the one written for the original album but PFM has made a great job turning the classic arrangement into a prog rock song. Distorted guitar solo sounds great at the end of the song, when PFM recalls another old song: Geranio, just to take the listener to the final stage, when the original arrangement is revisited with church organ, sampled chorus and synth, plus the adition of the PFM's original members in a brilliant collaboration making the musical accents sound so dramatic.

I consider this album is a good addition to PFM's discography. Regardless they had to go away from the prog level reached at Stati di Immaginazione, the music in this album still have the prog spirit. I am sure this album will please PFM and Fabrizio DeAndre Fans.

Legendary RPI band from early 70-s released new album in 2010. What do we can find there?

Nice Italian traditional pop-rock with some prog elements, Baroque touches and even few folk motives. Or let say with plenty of small reminders they were progressive band few decades ago. Very melodic, nostalgic, melancholic music. Plenty of vocal, poetic balladry atmosphere crossing all album.

Music is not too complex to be accepted as serious progressivo, but very competent and professional for vintage Italian prog-rock. Some instrumental moments even show echoes from long ago years glory.

Don't think this album is for progressive music (of any kind) lovers. But for lovers of Italian vintage pop-rock and for fans of melodic and melancholic balladry this album could be quite nice work. For PFM collectors as well.

My rating 2+.

It was with great anticipation that I waited to hear the new album from PFM, having thoroughly enjoyed the all instrumental Stati Di Immaginazione released four years ago. Was it worth the wait? Well, while not entirely disappointing, in fact La Buonna Novella is certainly a good album; it does fail to reach the heights of their previous masterpiece.

La Buonna Novella is not an entirely original piece of work from PFM. It was released forty years ago by Fabrizio De Andre. Having not heard the original I could not say how faithful if at all it remains. What I do know is that the songs have at the very least been re-arranged and new music added. The lyrics apparently remain faithful to the original.

No doubt disappointing to most PA members, on La Buonna Novella you wont much in the way of progressive rock. Where you do is on the instrumental sections which when they happen are sometimes stunning, often with a similar sound and feel to Stati Di Immaginazione. Unfortunately there aren't enough of these moments, the songs in the main taking a light rock approach. At the back of my mind the feel of this album was reminding me of something that annoyingly I couldn't lay my finger on. Then it came to me, this cd has a vibe not dissimilar to Mark Knopfler's (Dire Straits) solo album Shangri-La. In fact a Dire Straits comparison is also valid. Listen to Il Sogno Di Maria for a perfect example of this. It's all beautifully played of course, if a little sterile and safe, but some strong melodies make up for this. There are the occasional folk influences, prog touches here and there but in the main it's that light rock stuff. The vocals are adequate though certainly not spectacular, it's at its best on the instrumental work with some excellent guitar playing in particular. Violin adds a nice touch along with some pleasing keyboard work and the impressive rhythm section.

Overall then, La Buonna Novella has to be a slight disappointment but it had a lot to live up to. Nevertheless despite its weak prog credentials it's still an enjoyable listen but I think that today's PFM are better when sticking to the instrumental material, which they are masters at. 3 ½ stars.

Strong candidate for the best album of 2010

A few months ago I found about the release of "2010 AD - La Buona Novella", a Prog Opera by PFM based in the conceptual album composed by Fabrizio de Andre in 1970 and performed by him and PFM. "La Buona Novella" a musical version of an apocryphal Gospel which confers the same importance to the divine and human nature of Christ, reason why it was not well received in a Catholic country as Italy.

In 2010, Premiata Forneri­a Marconi hasn't only resurrected the album to play a cover or a remake, but to create a a new release, modifying all the arrangements and adding complete songs plus new sections to the tracks, for this reason is a new album completely different to the original.

As we know, PFM had to face two problems, the legendary keyboardist "Flavio Premoli" had to leave the band due to health reasons that go back to 2005, but his place is covered by "Gianluca Tagliavini" (who has been playing with the band since 2006), and does an excellent job.

The second problem I find relies in the vocals, "Franz di Cioccio" takes the lead and strangely not "Franco Mussida" (who was the lead vocalist in songs as Dulcisima Maria) sings too much, so being that Franz range is very raspy, becomes an acquired taste, but after a few minutes the listener gets used being that "Di Cioccio" puts the soul in all his performances.

"2010 AD" begins with "Universo e Terra" (Universe and Earth), a very elaborate prelude written by PFM not only to introduce the listener into the concept, but also to recreate the sound of 1970 (The Hammond organ is delightful), with Franco Mussida making an amazing work in the guitars.

"L'infanzia di Maria" (The Childhood of Mary) is an incredibly beautiful song where "Lucio Fabbri gives a delicate violin performance that blends perfectly with the nostalgic lyrics sung by "Di Cioccio", a strong beginning with an extra section added by PFM called "La Tentazioni" (The Temptation),

"Il Ritorno di Giuseppe" (Joseph's Return) is much more dramatic than the previous song, even when they don't loose their fascination for a strong melody, again PFM adds a new section called "Il Respiro del Deserto (The Breath of the Desert) to the already excellent original work.

"Il Sogno di Maria" (Mary's Dream) surprised me, because I expected a more oneiric and dreamy song, but instead the band presents a folksy tune based in "Di Cioccio's" vocals plus the acoustic guitars by "Mussida" and apparently "Fabbri".

"Ave Maria" is a chance for "Franco Mussida" to demonstrate his skills with the electric guitar, well supported by "Di Cioccio" and Patrick Djivas" in the drums and bass. Again PFM gives priority to the melody rather than to complexity, but this doesn't affect the Prog nature of the album and track. PFM adds a new section called "Aria per Maria" (Aria for Mary).

"Maria Nella Bottega di un Falegname" (Mary in a Carpenter's Workshop) is simply fantastic, the instrumental sections with flute, violin percussion and synthesizers are simply breathtaking, the most elaborate track of the album at this point. Again "Mussida, Djivas and Di Cioccio" ad a new section to "De Andre's" work called "Rumori di Bottega" (Rumours from a Workshop).

"Via de la Croce" (The Route of the Cross) starts with a narration supposedly made by Pontius Pilate and when the singing section starts seems that at last "Franco Mussida" has taken the lead vocals (not sure though) and of course we can expect an absolutely dramatic song due to the nature of the lyrics. Again PFM added a new section called " Scintille di Pena" (Sparks of Sadness).

"Tre Madri" (Three Mothers) is a very sad song that reflects the pain of the mother of a crucified son, the arrangements are just perfect mixing Blues based Rock with some Classical and Italian ethnic influences, the touch of the crying violin by "Fabbri" are heartbreaking. As usual PFM added a new section called "Canto delle Madri" (Chant of the Mother), amazingly beautiful and radical changes around the fourth minute with a killer drumming and violin.

"Il Testamento di Tito" (Tito's Testament) is the most respectful tribute to Fabrizio de Andre, retaking his "troubadouresque" vocal style blended with an impressive keyboard performance, a musical time travel to 1970.

"Laudate Hominem" (Praise to the Man) is a song that Fabrizio de Andre made from his perspective of Christ as the first revolutionary, to honour his human essence. PFM decided to close the album with an incredibly complex and elaborate song and added a new section called "Oda all'Uomo" (Ode to the Man) with specially radical arrangements.

After reading the previous reviews I can't do anything else but respectfully disagree with them, in my opinion 2010 AD - La Buona Novella (Opera apocrifa da La Buona Novella di Fabrizio De Andre¨) " is a perfect masterpiece, well composed and with even better arrangements than the original album by "Fabrizio", I would be dishonest with myself if I didn't rated this magnificent album with less than five solid stars.