Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)
Label: Aereostella
Release: 2015
Length: 40:35
Rating: 4.5/5
In 1973, the champions of Italian symphonic prog rock, Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), released their third studio album, »Photos Of Ghosts«, which was also their first with English lyrics. »Photos Of Ghosts« was mostly made up of re-recorded songs that originally appeared on the previous album, »Per Un Amico« (1972), while a few tracks got brand-new lyrics from former King Crimson poet Peter Sinfield. The response to »Photos of Ghosts« was excellent, and with this album PFM became one of the few bands from the Italian prog scene of the seventies to break out beyond their national borders.
In 2014, PFM, led by charismatic singer/drummer Franz Di Cioccio, superb guitarist/occasional singer Franco Mussida and versatile bassist/flutist Patrick Djivas, kicked off a series of live albums featuring complete performances of this legendary band’s classic records. »A Ghost« was the third release in that series, catching the band ‘live’ at Shibuya Duo Music Exchange in Tokyo, Japan, where they played the entire »Photos Of Ghosts« on May 31, 2014. With the help of guest keyboardist Alessandro Scaglione, guest violinist/keyboardist Edoardo De Angelis and guest drummer Roberto Gualdi, Di Cioccio, Mussida and Djivas managed to recreate the full atmosphere and retro sound of that album. On top of that, Di Cioccio’s English singing has noticeably improved since the seventies, over the decades in between, so in that respect »A Ghost« sounds even better than »Photos Of Ghosts«.
PFM opened the show with the instrumental »Rain Birth«, which wasn’t on the original »Photos of Ghosts« but has served as the intro to the classic »River of Life« since 2002, and then played every composition from that masterpiece down to the last detail, allowing themselves only a minimal amount of improvisation. Even so, »A Ghost« sounds very ‘alive’ and not at all studio-‘polished’, and you can feel the whole time that the band enjoyed every minute of playing the entire »Photos Of Ghosts« and radiated a youthful drive. Especially good are their best-loved classic »Celebration«, which got a lot of airplay on radio stations beyond Italy’s borders in the seventies, the title track, »Il Banchetto« and Sinfield’s poetic treat »Promenade the Puzzle«, which Di Cioccio, just like on the studio original, sings in an utterly extravagant way.
»A Ghost« is a very lovely concert document, one where PFM revive one of the brightest chapters of their career ‘live’, with passion and a touch of nostalgia. Opinions on live releases like this are usually divided, and some are convinced that even older prog acts should always offer something new and innovative at their shows instead of ‘resting on their laurels’. But in the case of PFM, who ‘did their work’ back in the seventies, when they secured their legendary status, and who now mostly play just for the fun of it and to delight their loyal fans, that’s far from necessary. So far, the series of live versions of their studio classics has also yielded, besides »A Ghost«, »Un’ Isola« (a re-recording of the album »L’Isola Di Niente), »Un Amico« (a re-recording of »Per Un Amico«), »Un Minuto« (a re-recording of »Storia Di Un Minuto«) and »The World« (a re-recording of (»The World Became the World)«.
Lineup
Franz Di Cioccio – lead vocals, drums, percussion
Franco Mussida – electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
Patrick Djivas – bass guitar, flute
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Edoardo De Angelis – violin, keyboards
Alessandro Scaglione – keyboards, backing vocals
Roberto Gualdi – drums, percussion (8)
Production
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Track list
1. Rain Birth (1:54)
2. River of Life (6:55)
3. Celebration (4:19)
4. Photos of Ghosts (6:17)
5. Old Rain (4:12)
6. Il Banchetto (5:21)
7. Mr 9 till 5 (4:44)
8. Promenade the Puzzle (7:00)
