PFM - 2025 - The Manticore Studio Albums

(160:17; Cherry Red Records)

Many years ago, back when there was no such thing as the internet and all media still hated prog, I was perusing records at a jumble sale and came across ‘Photos of Ghosts’ by an outfit I had never heard of previously, PFM. I turned it over and was going to put it back when a logo caught my eye: this had been released on Manticore, the ELP label and all of a sudden I was very interested indeed. Needless to say I bought it, took it home and played it, and discovered a band I now needed to discover more about. I think the next album I purchased was ‘Jet Lag’, and those two releases bookend ‘The World Became The World’ and ‘Chocolate Kings’ in this new 4-CD set from Cherry Red Records. This clamshell boxed set gathers these four albums in replica album sleeve wallets and also includes a new poster. 

Once Premiata Forneria Marconi, as they were called for their first two albums, had been discovered by Greg Lake and signed, Pete Sinfield became involved and he provided new English lyrics for all the songs from their second album, ‘Per Un Amico’, (apart from “Il Banchetto” which stayed Italian but was remixed) as well as for “Celebration” from the debut ‘Storia di un minuto’. These, along with the new instrumental “Old Rain”, formed the first English language release as PFM and it was a success, being the first Italian album to get into the Top 200 of the Billboard charts (getting to a peak of #180). Mind you, if (like me), the listeners were expecting something from an ELP-style outfit given their connections they would have been in for a surprise as here we have a band influenced instead by Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson and others. They are heavy users of Mellotrons and synths to create soundscapes, one of the most melodic progressive bands in the scene. Master musicians, going back to this album is like visiting an old friend, with more than a nod towards the more majestic elements of Camel.

The second album, ‘The World Became The World’ was an English language version of their third Italian language release, ‘L'isola di niente’, plus an English version of the band's first single “Impressioni di Settembr” from the debut. There had been a line-up change at that point with the departure of Giorgio Piazza and the arrival of  Patrick Djivas, who along with founder and drummer Franz Di Cioccio have been the only constants in the band since then. This album feels more like a band growing in confidence, opening with the highly dramatic “The Mountain” which starts off as a belter before dropping into the more melodic style we expect. There are some delicate delights on here, with “Just Look Away” being a wonderful example of acoustic picking combined with delicate electric and keyboards/violin to make something really beautiful, while the title cut switches and changes dramatically. 

Before they started on the next album there were again some changes and they decided to add a true lead singer in the shape of Bernardo Lanzetti from Acqua Fragile who could speak both English and Italian and provided the band with additional passion, power, range, as well as appealing more to an international audience. Arguably the first result, ‘Chocolate Kings’, is the most consistent effort from the band. No longer using Sinfield, this was the first of their albums to be released only with English lyrics, which means there was a much stronger connection between the melody and the meter, something not always the case with the others. The band were also moving in a heavier direction, with Lanzetti able to hit notes hard and high with a Roger Chapman style very present, and this allowed the band to spread their sound away from the more traditional, yet still maintaining the melodic element. This style really allowed Di Cioccioto demonstrate how dynamic and vital he could be with “From Under” being one of my very favourite PFM tracks.  

The final album in this quartet was ‘Jet Lag’, which saw them pursue a somewhat jazzier direction and using fretless bass. Somewhat strangely it starts with the beautiful classic guitar instrumental “Peninsula” which seems very much at odds with the lengthy title cut which follows which is far more theatrical. The interplay between the instruments shows a band very much at ease with each other as they move in a quite different musical direction to what they had followed before. While the first two albums in this quartet are similar in many ways, the third saw a shift one way and this one yet another.

I have been fortunate enough to hear most of PFM’s releases over the years, and they are undoubtedly one of my favourite Italian acts. This reissue is a great way to discover some of the highlight of their career, and if you have yet to come across these then this is essential. 

Kev Rowland, August 2025

Links:
https://www.pfmworld.com/
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/