Premiata Forneria Marconi-Storia di Un Minuto (1972)

In the late sixties, the British progressive rock movement was in full swing, and hundreds of bands from numerous countries influenced by the genre ventured to experiment with their own sounds in search of success and glory. One of these many bands was the Italian group Premiata Forneria Marconi, who absorbed this new rock sound, fusing it with different elements such as Italian music, creating their own unique identity. In this context of effervescence and creativity, this Italian band released their second album in 1971, "Storia di Un Minuto", a record that departed completely from the melodic, psychedelic pop sound of their debut. This second album is characterized by reflective and complex passages that support impeccable instrumentation, as demonstrated in the pastoral "Impressioni di Settembre". The following tracks, such as "Paloma…Quando", a sentimental piece reminiscent of medieval music, and the atmospheric "La Carrozza di Hans", continue in this introspective vein, with touches of drama. The popular Italian tarantella style shines through in the lively "E Festa", driven by extroverted keyboards, while jazz improvisation is present in "Paloma…Quando Part II". To close the album, the band reserves its most progressive moment with the experimental "Grazie Davvero", which features precise orchestral arrangements and an outstanding acoustic ending. "Storia di Un Minuto" proved to be an excellent starting point for Premiata Forneria Marconi, who in the following years would release such monumental works as "Per Un Amico" and "Photos of Ghosts", “L´ Isola Di Niente” or “Chocolate Kings”, becoming one of the biggest bands of the Italian progressive movement and the one with the greatest international impact.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-L'Isola di Niente (1974)

Amidst the buzz surrounding the success of “Photos Of Ghosts” in the English-speaking market, the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi embarked on a new project, their fourth release chronologically titled “L'Isola Di Niente” (The Island of Nothing). Recorded with meticulous production, the band took significantly more time to develop the musical structures, resulting in greater instrumental and lyrical depth. This shift is evident in the opening track, the title track, an instrumental interlude where Franco Mussida's guitar and Franco Premoli's keyboards, accompanied by a haunting choral arrangement, showcase the strength of their new sound. This track is followed by the progressive “La Luna Nuova” (The New Moon), where the keyboardist once again takes center stage with his Moog synthesizer sounds. The Mediterranean melody of “Dolcissima Maria” and the jazzy “Is My Face On Straight” are the tracks that lead to a spectacular closing with the lively “Via Lumiere”, the culmination of another masterpiece from one of the best bands to have emerged from Italy.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-Jet Lag (1977)

With their eighth album, "Jet Lag", the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi forged a new musical path, abandoning their poetic lyrics and singing in English without the involvement of lyricist Peter Sinfield, who had translated the albums "Per Un Amico" (released as "Photos of Ghosts") and "L'Isola Di Niente" (released as "The World Became the World"), both for the English-speaking market. This time, the band focused primarily on the ambitious North American market, producing a work closer to the jazz fusion/rock style so popular in the late seventies. The interplay of the rhythm section, composed of Franz Di Cioccio and bassist Jan Patrick Djivas, is truly electrifying and complex, while the absence of the usual horn section, due to Mauro Pagani's departure, is compensated for by Gregory Bloch's excellent violin. Special mention must be made of Franco Mussida's guitar, displaying an unusual intensity with dizzying riffs reminiscent of hard rock. From the incredible title track, a superb progressive jazz-rock composition, to the pastoral and instrumental "Peninsula", the Italian band delves into and finds an unclassifiable sound within progressive rock, always remaining true to the essential Italian progressive approach. The vocals perfectly complement the overall musical philosophy, and while they don't quite reach the eloquence of their emblematic works, they still retain moments of grandeur. The rest of the repertoire consists of pieces that navigate between pure progressive rock ("Traveler"), highly talented instrumental exercises ("Meridiani"), and avant-garde explorations like the energetic "Left-Handed Theory". Without a doubt, "Jet Lag" is another essential work from Premiata Forneria Marconi, despite the substantial stylistic shift from their initial sound.

Premiata Forneria Marconi-Chocolate Kings (1975)

The sixth album by Premiata Forneria Marconi, "Chocolate Kings", would mean the first sung in full in English and was thus made to enter the North American market.
It would also be the first where the band became a sextet with the incorporation of a new vocalist; Bernardo Lanzetti.
In "Chocolate Kings" the band maintains its references to British progressive rock, such as "From Under" which sounds like Genesis and much more if you look at Lanzetti's voice timbre, with a certain resemblance to Peter Gabriel.
The Powerful "Out Of the Roundabout", undoubtedly sounds like Yes, however what does change in this work are the Mussida guitars that have a harder tone approaching the sound of American rock, as can be seen in songs like "Harlequin" or "Chocolate Kings".
This album had an immense impact worldwide, with an impressive tour that would end in Japan and they even performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London before the Queen Mother.