L'ISOLA DI NIENTE

On their 3rd album, PFM stretched their legs into some new shapes and directions. It doesn't make for very coherent listening but their will to move things forward is admirable. Unfortunately the result is a step backwards at times, but at least is not a standstill or replica of the previous successes. Which is greatly appreciated.

L'Isola Di Niente. Good track with one of those few moments where PFM really thrill me. After the opening choir, there's a guitar driven space-rock section with pulsating bass and wonderful dreamy melodies. They break the momentum with a pastoral middle section that has lots of Yes-influences. It's not always my thing but at the heart, this track strikes me as very personal, imaginative and creative. 4 stars

The band's heads were clearly directed into North-Western directions, and they integrated some funky fusion into their sound, exactly the type that had become popular in Canterbury areas. On Is My Face On Straight, the result is very dissatisfactory, clumsy even. It's an incoherent track that tries to do a funky take on early Gong but it misses the mark completely. 2 stars

La Luna Nueva is a try at being the Italian Yes. Both the snappy guitar playing, the nervous time signatures and the brassy Wakeman synths manage to create a kind of Italian Tormato that might appeal to die-hard Yes fans but that makes my Pasta Pomodore a bit heavy on the stomach. In other words, it's one of the most annoying things I've heard since ? since ever I guess. The jazz-rock infused last minute saves it somewhat. 2 stars

Dolcissima Maria must be the only track that reminds us of previous PFM albums. It's a gentle acoustic track with that typical pastoral delicacy, keyboards add a jazzy feel. The ending of the song is sheer easy listening muzak. It's a fine song but not as good as anything on the debut. 3 stars

Another fusion-inspired track ends the album and this time it's more accomplished. Via Lumiere takes some influences from early Gong again and this time it works quite well. Yet, there are points where the musicians try to beat each other at being busy and dexterous. A bit more restraint would have suited the track better. 3 stars, but it sure made me interested to check out the jazzier direction that PFM took on later albums.

L'Isola Di Niente is a rather inconsistent album with some daring steps in new directions. Unfortunately, those steps fail as much as they are successful. The opener compensates for most of what follows. A small 3 stars.