Search - Pfm :: Photos of Ghosts

Classic Album, questionable remaster

David Starns | South Louisiana, a stone's throw from the swamp | 03/09/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Let's get something out of the way first: this is one of the greatest prog rock albums ever recorded. If you're unfamiliar with PFM, this is the album to start with. They were contemporaries of Yes,Genesis and ELP, but their sound was more subtle and textural. Probably the closest equivalent working now is the Flower Kings. If you're reading this review simply to learn more about PFM or this, their best album, check out the regularly priced copy of "Photos of Ghosts."But what I'm really reviewing here is the idea of remastering the CD using this fancy new K2 technology and then charging 26 bucks for it. This isn't exactly an audiofile sort of album. The instruments, guitars especially, are mostly dark sounding, and the music benefits from that kind of "glob of sound" that Pete Sinfield's slightly murky mix provides.It's not that I'm opposed to new technology, or the march of progress, but if I was going to spend this kind of money to buy a CD, I'd buy one that would allow me to hear the benefits of the improved technology (Steely Dan, UK, Zappa)."

An early salvo from a great band on the rise

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 11/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was the English-speaking world's first exposure to PFM, an Italian progressive rock band. The music is comparable to early Genesis, though the transitions between portions of a song are jumpier. After decades of hearing this album only on poor-quality LP pressings, finding it on CD is a dream come true. Much of the album is an English version of the album "Per Un Amico", with English lyrics by ELP lyricist Pete Sinfield. "Celebration", the album's equivalent of a single, is a revised arrangement of "E Festa" from PFM's first album, "Storia di un Minuto." The opener, "River of Life", goes through several twists and turns, and the lilting instrumental between the two verses is one of the most gorgeous moments in prog-rock history. "Il Banchetto" breaks up a beautiful song with a long, pointless keyboard passage that sounds like the experimentation of a man who just bought his first Mini-Moog. "Photos of Ghosts" and "Mr. 9 'till 5" are both strong songs. The recordings lack the intensity and confidence that would arrive (along with, and perhaps because of, bassist Patrick Djivas) on the subsequent albums "The World Became the World" and "Chocolate Kings".(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)"