Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM)
Label: Aereostella
Release: 2014
Running time: 36:59
Rating: 4.5/5
On May 30 and 31, 2014, the titans of Italian symphonic progressive rock Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM for short) played two ambitious concerts at Tokyo’s Dome City Hall and Shibuya Duo Music Exchange, where they performed their most popular albums from the first half of the seventies in full in front of fanatical Japanese fans. On May 31, 2014, they also played a live version of the classic album »L’ Isola Di Niente« (1974), which, apart from one song in English, features lyrics in Italian and is also known as the record where longtime bassist Jan Patrick Djivas joined PFM. Djivas, who, alongside original drummer/vocalist Franz Di Cioccio, is today the last remaining member of the classic PFM lineup (original guitarist/vocalist Franco Mussida recently decided to bow out), brought somewhat more jazzy influences into the band, which showed on most of the »L’ Isola Di Niente« songs, and the album rightfully ranks among the high points of the PFM discography.
The band was also helped in reviving the »L’ Isola Di Niente« standards by a local Japanese choir, which shone in the dramatic intro of the title track. Most of the vocals were once again sung by drummer Di Cioccio, while guitarist Mussida got a few minutes at the mic too. He’s definitely the weaker singer of the two, but he makes up for it with brilliant playing on both electric and acoustic guitar. The only song with English lyrics, »Is My Face On Straight«, also works well. Peter Sinfield (ex-King Crimson) contributed the poetry for it way back when, and a playful harmonica spices it up further, though their strongest creations have always been the ones with Italian lyrics/vocals.
Among the highlights of the recording are the positivist symphonic prog march »La Luna Nuova« and the epic treat with jazz fusion elements »Via Lumiere (Have Your Cake And Beat It)«, while the somewhat syrupy love ballad »Dolcissima Maria« confirms that PFM have always had a good feel for pop sensibility too, even if in smaller doses. The end result of this tireless and passionate concert revival of the ‘L’ Isola Di Niente« songs is the excellent live album »Un’ Isola«, where the legends of the Italian prog scene can’t be faulted for a single thing on the technical or atmospheric front, even though for them too the years really do keep marching mercilessly on.
»Un’ Isola« sounds just as good live as the original album »L’ Isola Di Niente« did forty years ago, while PFM prove beyond a doubt that they haven’t gotten the least bit ‘rusty’ when it comes to reviving old material. This is one more in a series of live releases from both Tokyo shows that will make all the longtime fans happiest, while for those who are only now discovering the band, it’s still best to reach for the original studio versions, from the days when cult keyboardist/vocalist Flavio Premoli and flutist/violinist Mauro Pagani were still in the band. So far, the series of live versions of their studio classics has included, besides »Un’ Isola«, »A Ghost« (a fresh run-through of the album »Photos Of Ghosts«), »Un Amico« (a fresh run-through of »Per Un Amico«), »Un Minuto« (a fresh run-through of »Storia Di Un Minuto«) and »The World« (a fresh run-through of (»The World Became the World)«.
Lineup
Franz Di Cioccio – lead vocals, drums
Franco Mussida – guitar, vocals
Patrick Djivas – bass guitar, flute
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Alessandro Scaglioni – keyboards
Roberto Gualdi – drums, percussion
Eduardo De Angelis – violin, keyboards
Production
Premiata Forneria Marconi
Track List
1. L’isola di niente (11:15)
2. Is My Face On Straight (6:20)
3. La luna nuova (7:50)
4. Dolcissima Maria (4:08)
5. Via Lumiere (Have Your Cake And Beat It)(7:24)
