PER UN AMICO

Less than a year passed after the successful debut album "Storia Di Un Minuto", for Premiata Forneria Marconi to give a second and accurate impact with "Per un Amico". Maintaining the formula that combines the traditional mood of their vernacular music with the undisguised influences of progressive genre icons such as Genesis and EL&P among others, the Italians elaborate their own proposal sustained by their excellent musical quality.

Although "Per Un Amico" shows more dynamics and elaboration than its predecessor "Storia Di Un Minuto", once again the melodious developments are the ones that set the pace of the album. As in the pastoral "Appena un Po'" and its restful acoustic landscapes lulled by Franco Mussida's vocals, Mauro Pagani's flutes and Flavio Premoli's genesian organs and melotrons, passing through the chromatic "Per Un Amico", an exercise of Mussida's rhythm guitars with Pagani's violins, fused in symbiosis with Premoli's all powerful moog, to the crystalline "Il Banchetto" where after an opening rhythm guitars, Premoli again shows off his arsenal of Keith Emerson-style keyboards. One of the best on the album.

And this generalised atmosphere, at times more introspective, at times more luminous, is momentarily contrasted by the combative "Generale". An instrumental maelstrom, where Mussida's electric guitars are unleashed in a compulsive screeching and Franz Di Cioccio's doubled percussion resembles a military march, to round off the album's most contrasting track.

The success of "Per Un Amico" crossed the Alpine borders to such an extent that Greg Lake became interested in PFM to the point that the Italians became one of the star bands represented by the "Manticore" label, founded by E,L&P.

Excellent.

4/4.5 stars