All Prog From Italy Appreciation Thread

When you listen to the opening number, the sound of ELP fully surrounds you. Maybe this is something one wouldn't expect from an Italian band but I have to say that it sounds really pleasant. These keys are superb, but it will be so during the whole of this album. A true symphonic one (just a bit ojazzy during "Acquario").

But it is not only Michele who is great; all the other band members are on par. Very nice fluting, complex drumming, strong bass and good vocals. Maybe that the guitar is a bit in the shadow; but you won't miss it.

There are no real outstanding tracks on this album; it is the type of record that you need to listen to as a whole because there are no weak tracks either. The album is of course fully dominated by Mutti Michele : a real maestro this guy.

Lots of nice and melodic passages, short format songs for the majority (except "Acquario" ) which gives the sensation of a varied album. There will be a classical number to highlight Michele skills which is probably useless.

Besides "Eclisse", my fave is "Lo Gnomo" : violent keys and tranquil flute afterwards. Almost folkish at times.

This is a good debut album, maybe lacking in some grandeur and brilliant compositions. Three stars.

PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI (PFM)

Is brilliant, they are released two albums in english three whit this. But this is not a reedition of any album in Italian. Is almost Genesis, jazzy feel like Yes and Focus a little of King Krimson but after all is very particular, the voice is like Peter Gabriel but most finest. Have exelent guitar work and the keyboards have an great job. Is fast, this album is very fast and the album title "Chocolate Kings" is weird. In my opinion this album worth, not only are the third job in english because is very pleasant. Really worth five stars

PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI (PFM)

With apologies to the ones who think the original italian version is better, I must say i do prefer the english one. The main reason is that recording sound is far lower than this one. Ok, I love italian and I think it´s more suited to the music than english, but it works anyway. Besides, the italian version did not have their biggest hit, Celebration. That song is one of italy´s best exemple of a truly prog song that has an unmistakeable national mark.

Nevertheless, Photos Of Ghosts does not have the same impact as The World Became The World. I think it´s a little ragged at times and some songs do not work very well together. Make no mistake, none is crap and the good ones are excellent, like the opening River Of Life. Those guys are brilliant muscians and their work is, deserverly, considered italy´s best in the 70´s.

This is in my opinion PFM´s second best after The World Became The World, and a must have for any prog fan.

— First review of this album —

Little known modern day Italian gem.

Mindflower is an Italian band with English-language lyrics featuring Fabio Antonelli on guitar, Fabrizio Defacqz on keys and vocals, Alberto Callegari on bass, Micaela Gotelli, vocals, and Corrado Bertonazzi on drums. This album blew my mind because I wasn’t expecting much as there were no reviews on the Archives, now I wonder how that could be! Stylistically the band visits many avenues. There is traditional prog along with neo-prog, rock sections, and pastoral gentle soundscapes. While they have their own unique sound, if I had to make comparisons to some others I would mention Renaissance, Genesis, Magic Pie, Galahad, and early Ragnarok (Sweden). But they are not a clone of anyone, trust me.

The music is really unique sounding, magical, spacious, and intriguing. There are long gentle acoustic interludes, passages with acoustic guitar and piano together, with soft dreamy vocals. There are sections that are quite rocking, with heavy distortion laden guitars chugging away to nice heavy bass and good inspired drumming. I love the occasional use of strange, less common chords. There are smartly employed keyboards which add color and texture without taking over the sound. All of the musicians are very good players who are tasteful without being overly flashy, though the drummer does occasionally awe me with some great fills. Most importantly is a complete lack of respect for formula and convention-bravo! They throw everything at you in a really intimate, patient manner. You never know what to expect from the next part and it’s always going to change to something interesting. Some people will say this means lack of focus or consistency, I say it’s people brimming with so many ideas they can’t contain themselves, and I find it really charming on this particular album. This is one album where time just flies by very fast when I play it meaning that it never bores me.

The five part “Magic Riddle Suite” clocks in around 20 minutes and takes up the middle part of the album. The piece is a musical fairy tale that is as grandiose and delightful as you hope it might be, weaving together waves of soft acoustic guitars, vocals, piano that build up to rocking parts with electric guitar, synths, and drums. They really conjure up a world you can kick back and get lost in, in the finest tradition of the long-winded prog epics.

Addressing some problems, a reviewer at a different prog site complained that the vocals on Mindfloater were somewhat poor but I don’t agree. I think at first listen they may seem average and not as commanding/dramatic as other bands, perhaps too hesitant. But after many listens I have ended up growing quite fond of the vocals, the male vocals occasionally remind me of early Gabriel and the female vocals are fragile and sweet. Second, there is something weird about the production on this one. The electric guitars sound over-saturated in places like the recording level was a bit high so I have to listen on a good system or they can distort a little. But like I said I’ve already fallen for this music so these issues don’t spoil it for me.

The closing track “In a Lightbox” is another delicious track. The drumming is off on its own as a solo instrument, off in the background doing a rhythmic ambient thing. Gentle synths are welling up before a melodic line creeps slowly into the picture around 3 minutes. Then Micaela gently sings “Gimme your hand…don’t leave me alone…I feel like a dead stone…I wanna be alive…” and the pastoral ending fades away. After listening to this album, I want to play it again and listen for things I might have missed. Be sure to give it a few spins before forming an opinion, it’s an esoteric beauty that may not make itself apparent to you at first.

Their CD booklet and artwork are delightfully whimsical, a style which appeals to me very much. Both high-minded and childlike the drawings feature peaceful countryside views with vibrant other-worldly colors. All of the starry-eyed lyrics are also included featuring stories of Gnome elders, magic, yearning, and the eternal quest for that better place just beyond the hill. Recommended for hopeless romantics, fairy-tale/fantasy prog fans and whimsy fans of all ages. What I appreciate most about this album is that I don’t have anything else quite like it and that makes it special.

More Mindflower is coming in the future I’ve been assured, so do check out their two albums and Fabio Antonelli’s solo album “The Art of Dreams in a Little Bottle.” I can’t wait to hear where they go in the future