PER UN AMICO

Premiata Forneria Marconi's (PFM) highly popular full-length "Per Un Amico" ("to a friend") released in 1972 played a role as a manifesto of Prog-Rock subgenre, Rock Progressivo Italiano. It neither the first album of PFM nor of the subgenre; but, it is essentially the most influential album of the whole Prog-Rock culture in Italy. Along with 50s-60s 'booms' in the US and the UK, Italy has experienced an economic boom during 60s. Economic growth also comes up with several developments in civil rights (acts and passed laws about worker's rights, women's rights, and family life) which are both libertarian and profound. Also together with the musical movements in the UK, Italian high-skilled well-educated musicians were extensively influenced by psychedelia and ongoing (mostly left-wing) political movements of the time. They combined psychedelic sounds and classical music components melted into the august local traditional music pot of Italy. Interestingly, almost all of the Rock Progressivo Italiano bands and artists such as PFM, Museo Rosenbach, Il Balletto di Bronzo have used Italian lyrics instead of English lyrics. This characteristic also reoccur in Scandinavian and French Prog-Rock lyrics.

The sense of pastoral romanticism with dominant symphonic themes is the most remarkable feature of Rock Progressivo Italiano. PFM used these elements also in their grabby album "Per Un Amico". Tranquil vocals of Franco Mussida often goes hand-in-hand with choir vocals of the other group members throughout the album and nourish the romantic timber. ELP-style keyboard partitions in both independent ways and collaboration with the ongoing riff are notable. Unlike the other critics, rather than "Il Banchetto", I figured out the Keith Emerson style in "Generale" especially in introduction part. Ethnic-inspired Mellotron melodies feel a never-ending musical feast, even the songs last less than ten minutes, and the whole album is thirty four minutes. Jerky rhythmic arrangements and funny dissonant melodies in the album, so to speak, display Gentle Giant influences on the PFM. And "Il Banchetto" from King Crimson atmospheres (Starless/Lizard) presents us one typical and prominent examples of experimental rock of PFM.

"Per Un Amico", after 40+ years, still remained as Progressive Rock classic and the pioneer of the further works in both Italy and rest of the world. Flavio Permoli presented us one of the best illustrations of Prog-Rock keyboards with his contemporaries Rick Wakeman and K. Emerson. Mauro Pagani's ethereal flutes influenced various European musicians such as Camel. I essentially recommend this album to all Rock, Jazz, and classical Folk listeners. Starting with "Per Un Amico", the whole Rock Progressivo Italiano scene should be re-promoted in a way to reconsider current Prog scene.