Premiata Forneria Marconi
Stati di immaginazione

Release Date: 2006 | Tracklist

Back in the heyday of progressive rock around the early to mid 70's there were a whole host of Italian bands exploding onto the scene. Collectively these were classified under the banner of RPI or Rock Progressivo Italiano. PFM (Premiata Forneria Marconi) are probably the most famous of these Italian prog outfits and their first two releases are often rated highly up alongside the British classics such as Yes's masterpiece 'Close to the Edge' and 'Selling England By The Pound' by Genesis. After their triumphant golden years PFM released a steady stream of albums that never quite lived up to their reputation and slowly faded into relative obscurity. After a partial return to form on 'Dracula Opera Rock' in 2005 they released their best album for 30 years in the form of 'Stati di Immaginazione' a year later.

Anyone who has heard the undoubted PFM classics such as 'Per Un Amico' and 'Storia Di Un Minuto' will find a rather different approach on this album. The band had been reduced to a three-piece by the time this was recorded and it takes a purely instrumental format in support of a DVD that was released alongside it. Furthermore the experimental days are long gone and the guys seem content to relax and dish up some modern jazzy symphonic prog with a small nod of the head back to their glory days. There is a pastoral quality in the vein of early Genesis to some of the music which had been missing from their work for a long time and there are classical influences in abundance. Highlights include the driving 'Cyber Alpha' which almost acts as a showcase for guitarist Franco Mussida with it's weaving and emotive lead guitar melodies and frantic wahwah soloing. Opener 'La Terra Dell’acqua' with its echoing acoustic guitar intro and eddying synth melodies recalls the glory days of the 70's. Violins overlay the dreamy backdrop until the bass takes over to drive the song into a jazzy middle section which falls away to a beautiful soaring piano melody before Mussida's tasteful lead guitar brings the the song to a close. Alongside the progressive sensibilities there is a fair helping of the romantic leanings that mark out a lot of RPI music, these are Italians after all. The trio sound really tight on this album and there is a live feel to the whole affair, an urgency that makes the music come alive in a way that their releases throughout the last 30 years never managed to.

PFM came across as pretty much a spent force throughout the years leading up to the millenium and one would hardly have expected them to ever approach the genius of their first few releases. However, they confounded fans and critics alike with this incredible return to form in 2006 and while not quite reaching the heights of their formative years 'Stati di Immaginazione' stands as a brilliant entry in their long and varied discography. An essential purchase for RPI fans and indeed any fan of the sort of symphonic prog that was served up by some of the early greats of the 70's.

Tweet

Recent reviews by this author
Hawkwind Live Chronicles	Franco Battiato Sulle corde di Aries
Peter Hammill A Black Box	Motorpsycho Trust Us
iamthemorning Belighted	Monty Python Monty Python Sings

user ratings (24)

rate it Awful - 1 Very Poor - 1.5 Poor - 2 Average - 2.5 Good - 3 Great - 3.5 Excellent - 4 Superb - 4.5 Classic - 5

4.2 excellent

Rank: #0 for 2006