PER UN AMICO

Per Un Amico has become the breakthrough album for Premiata Forneria Marconi and a centerpiece of their career for years to come. It's difficult to explain what makes this release so much better than what this Italian band has or will achieve with any simple answer, but I will try my best.

I consider the material here only slightly better than the other albums although there is a definite improvement in the sound recording department compared to Storia Di Un Minuto. I guess that the success of this record has to do with a combination of solid material, its early release date and the sound quality. At the same time this description implies that if you enjoy the music featured here then you still have quite a few other great Premiata Forneria Marconi albums just waiting to be discovered. And you'll probably be fine picking any of them as long as you stay away from their '80s and '90s material!

If I may use the previous proclamation of this album being the centerpiece of Premiata Forneria Marconi's career then it would make Appena Un Po' the centerpiece of this album! The song features an acoustic build up of the highest RPI-caliber which then goes into a completely unexpected hard rock territory. (Un)Fortunately this section doesn't stay around for too long and the rest of the album doesn't feature another trace of this direction. This type of surprises are rare and it's definitely something that I would have loved to hear more often on studio albums!

Il Banchetto is this album's second highlight and it starts with a very familiar-sounding guitar intro from that same year. The middle section will also probably ring a bell with most ELP fans and especially their album Trilogy but I'm not mentioning all this in order to bash the band for any lack of creativity. On contrary, I believe that there are just not enough albums with this distinct 1972 flavor out there and I cherish everyone I can find. Instead I use these comparisons as mere points of reference for anyone not familiar with Premiata Forneria Marconi and their music. This 9 minute composition goes in many different directions but ultimately maintained an excellent flow throughout all of the section.

The rest of the album has its share of highlights but these two compositions are the ones that I immediately think about whenever Per Un Amico is mentioned. It would have been nice to give this album the highest possible rating but I feel that the excellent material overweights the essential pieces and therefore I'll settle for a strong excellent addition recommendation.

***** star songs: Appena Un Po' (7:44) Il Banchetto (8:39)

**** star songs: Generale (4:18) Per Un Amico (5:24) Geranio (8:04)