big 3 Italian prog bands

i havent heard enoguh Banco yet...

Right now i choose PFM

EL OSO wrote: ivan_2068 wrote: Most solid career: PFM Best album: Darwin! Banco del Mutuo Soccorso Favorite band: Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, the combination Nocenzi - Del Giacomo is undefeatable. Iván I tend to disagree with you about PFM being the one with the most solid carreer, as a matter of fact I think they only made three good albums, and then they started to decline with even some ugly albums in the eigthies. On the other hand I totally agree with you about Banco´s Darwin  being the best album, but I also think that they also declined a little bit since Capolinea, so as a conclusion I think Le Orme is the better of the three, at least the most consistent.

Lets see, even though I'm talking from a subjective point of view, lets compare the three bands:

Releases:

1. PFM has at least 8 outstanding releases until Chocolate Kings, 10 if you add the Fabricio André and Live in Japan
2. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: 8 until Canto di Primavera and at least two more withhe 2005 Live release and the DVD.
3. Le Orme has at least ten good albums, that's true, but the difference between Felona e Sorona and maybe Florian with the rest is very high.

So I would stay with PFM not only because their good albums are all in thesame level but because their influence in Prog.

Best albums of each band:

1. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: Darwin! the best by a very short margin
2. Le Orme: Felona e Sorona: Second by a very short margin,
3. PFM: Can't choose between Per un Amico, Storia Di Un Minuto and L'Isola di Niente.

So I still believe Darwin is the best, but a good reason to consider PFM the most solid band because I can't choose between 3 albums.

Musicianship:

The three bands have outstanding musicians but Vittorio Nocenzi has enough skills, studies and credential to be considered the most technicall, inspired and solid keyboardist of Prog, only to be compared in technicall abbilities with Patrick Moraz but with much more soul than the Swiss virtuoso.

Francesco Di Giacomo is by far the best voice in Italian Prog and probably one of the top three in all Prog Rock, only compared o Greg Lake and Freddie Mercury, maybe he's not charismatic but his voice is simply outstanding

That duet (Not taking merits from Gianni Nocenzi, Pier Luigi Calderoni  and the rest of he crew) is reason enough  to consider them my favorites.

But as I always say, it's only a matter of taste.

Iván

Banco!!! they are great.. Di Giacomo has an outstanding voice

anyway i love the 3 bands... i agree With Ivan, Darwin is a masterpiece but all bands have outstanding albums...

PFM - Storia di un Minuto

Le Orme - Felona Sonora

Banco - Darwin!

 Love Italian Prog