Review by: Jeremiah Methven
Album assigned by: David Sheehan
I largely agree with George's review on his old site of Per Un Amico - I'm new to this band, but I certainly hear elements of King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, ELP… all the prog rock greats. And to PFM's credit, they don't sound out of place next to those bands, showing a knack for keeping their songs interesting. Maybe because it's largely instrumental (and when they do sing, it's in Italian) but I have a hard time remembering which song is which after the album's over, even after five listens. It speaks to the constant movement between themes, though I might also consider it a slight flaw in some regards. But at least with the first three tracks (slightly less so with the last two, which I find a bit more meandering), it's all pretty great and entertaining. It doesn't quite move me the way some of the aforementioned groups can - so I wouldn't rate it as a masterpiece. But it's definitely a strong album and well worth hearing for any prog aficionados. 8/10
