Storia di un Minuto [Import] [Limited Edition]

Product Description
Japanese reissue of 1972 album, packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. Numerouno/BMG. 2003.

Storia di un Minuto,PFM,Japanese Import,Pop,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop,World Music

Average customer rating: Worth the listen

Storia di un Minuto PFM Manufacturer: Bmg Japan ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Per un Amico L' Isola Di Niente Contaminazione L' Isola Di Niente Per un Amico ASIN: B0000AZSS4 Release Date: 2003-12-23

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E' Festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Pt. 1)
5. Dove...Quando..., Pt. 2
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

Album Description

Japanese reissue of 1972 album, packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. Numerouno/BMG. 2003.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

Worth the listen.......2006-12-09

I just ended up with a copy of what could be PFM's most interesting cd. At their weakest moments PFM are the Rutles of prog rock--one can retreat into the thoughts of isn't that King Crimson? ELP? Yes? All in all the music is clever, well constructed, and interestingly produced. I much prefer the Italian versions of the later re-recorded English vocals.

Average customer rating:

Storia di un Minuto PFM Manufacturer: Sony Bmg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Italy | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Felona E Sorona ASIN: B000LC4BG6 Release Date: 2003-03-21

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E' Festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Pt. 1)
5. Dove...Quando..., Pt. 2
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

Average customer rating: PFM's first album lush, pretty, but lacking intensity Although often compared Terrific! Amazing debut by PFM

Storia di un Minuto PFM Manufacturer: Bmg Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Per un Amico ASIN: B0000072VP Release Date: 1999-02-23

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E' Festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Pt. 1)
5. Dove...Quando..., Pt. 2
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

Customer Reviews:

PFM's first album lush, pretty, but lacking intensity.......2003-04-11

This is PFM's first album (1972), entirely in Italian. As another reviewer termed it, this recording is lush, at times even ornate, as well as innocent and mellow. A far cry from the rocking band that Americans were later introduced to. The difference between this album and "The World Became the World" is like the difference between ELP's first album and "Brain Salad Surgery", or between the King Crimson songs "Moonchild" and "Red". There is not a tremendous amount of "rock" here; other than "E Festa", you never hear the drum kit for more than a minute at a time. I have at least a dozen PFM albums by now, and this one is not among my favorites. While it's pretty and well-played, I prefer a rocking PFM. "E Festa" (which you may know better as "Celebration") loses its intensity by having Di Cioccio's drums badly undermixed. I prefer the "Photos of Ghosts" version of the song, and I like "Impressioni di Settembre" better in its later incarnation as "The World Became the World". Only the ending of "La Carrozza di Hans" gives a hint of the prog-rock workout this song eventually became in the PFM live set (check out 1998's live "www-pfmpfm-it" or 2002's "Live in Japan" and you're likely to be much more impressed with this song). While the woodwind quartet on the intro of "Dove...Quando" is nice, the full orchestral brass section playing an atonal arrangement on "Grazie Davvero" is too much for me. "Dove...Quando-parte II" is all over the map, going from rock to semi-classical, then out of nowhere jumping into a jazz vamp. On my scale, this is a 3-1/2 star album, good but not great.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

Although often compared.......2003-02-02

with Banco Mutuo del Soccorso, Premiata Forneria Marconi's music bears no resemblance to BMS neither in style nor in contents, both groups are completely different, the only thing in common is their mother tongue. While Banco's music has a very distinct Italian flavor, PFM sounds more like a British band. Also Banco's music is much more complex compositionally.

The first track, Introduzione, makes a good introduction indeed, progressing from a whisper to a full crescendo. Impressioni Di Settembre is an excellent track, E Festa is OK. The remaining tracks are nothing special, the celebrated Dove Quando inclusive.

Terrific!.......1999-12-28

This album is not quite as flawless as the other PFM release of 1972, Per Un Amico, in that the final cut, Grazie Davvero, contains some of the cheesiest horns commited to vinyl. That is the one flaw of the entire recording however. The rest of the compositions are among PFM's finest. This disc presents a brilliant marriage of chamber music and rock that results in compositions of great beauty. Where the vocals are in Italian it only adds to the romantic feel of the music rather than detract from overall enjoynment. This band was among the elite of the genre and this recording among their best. Highly recommended...Simon

Amazing debut by PFM.......1999-05-27

Few bands achieve this level of beauty and musicianship on a debut album. First released in 1972 in Italy, Storia di un Minuto proved that Italians could beat British progressive bands at their own game. This album and Per un Amico are essential for anyone discovering Premiata Forneria Marconi, the best Italian band ever.

Average customer rating: Let's clear up a few things A great debut by one of Italy's finest prog bands Elettronica mellow pesante This is just the beginning PFM's first and best studio album

Storia di un Minuto PFM Manufacturer: Sony Bmg ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Per un Amico Io Sono Nato Libero Ys Felona E Sorona Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più ASIN: B0000549CM Release Date: 2000-11-21

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E' Festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Pt. 1)
5. Dove...Quando..., Pt. 2
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

Album Description

Exclusive Italian pressing, pressed up on a gold cd, limitededition digi-pack with original artwork. 7 tracks in all. 2000 release.

Customer Reviews:

Let's clear up a few things.......2006-11-27

The main reason I'm writing this review is to address some colossally bizarre attitudes such as what one reviewer wrote: "I am not a fan of Italian progressive rock music. The very thought of Italian progressive rock music amuses me; it sounds deliberately esoteric and obscure."

Dude, classical music--the basis of prog--ORIGINATED in Italy. Do the names Vivaldi, Albioni, Allegri & Monteverdi mean anything to you? (and no, they're not types of pasta). Opera, the foundation of Western lyrical music, was for centuries sung exclusively in Italian. If any nationality has a claim to prog, it would be Italy.

With that said, I was thrilled to learn recently that the progressive rock movement still has a strong Italian presence. Yes, I'm an ignorant Anglophile who thought progressive was exclusively a British thing, but I'm ready to admit when I've been ignorant.

This has been my first non-English lesson in progressive music, and I was very impressed. To me it sounds like King Crimson with all the experimental crap stripped out. PFM follows the rules of classical music more diligently, without the wacky (drug-induced?) musical ramblings and sound effects that often made the progressive movement laughable. Unlike a King Crimson or Yes album where you can expect 20 mins of great songwriting and 20 minutes of atmospheric sound effects & experimentation, PFM delivers a purely musical endeavour. Again, this takes us back to the foundations of classical music, without the bloated modern expressionism.

The downside is, of course, that PFM is less inclined to stray from classical cadence chords. They are less inclined to dabble in atonality and asynchronicity. But then again, so was Giuseppe Verdi ;)

My favourite prog band is still Yes (sound effects notwithstanding), but I'm very glad I found PFM to provide an entirely different flavour whilst offering the same musical virtuousity. Also, due to the fact that the lyrics are in Italian (a language which I cannot understand well), I don't have to contend with flaky & grammatically abhorrent lyrics that I hear in English. (What does "float your climb" mean anyway?)

PS The aforementioned reviewer also stated: "Premiata Forneria Marconi. Babelfish tells me that this is Italian for Rewarded Forneria Marconi, which makes no sense."

Again, dude... do some research. Loosely translated, Premiata Forneria Marconi means, "Marconi's Award-Winning Bakery" taken from a sign over a baking establishment in Chiari, Brescia. Google is your friend. :D

A great debut by one of Italy's finest prog bands.......2006-09-03

One of the first (and lasting) impressions I had of 1972-1974 PFM is the striking resemblance to 1969-1970 King Crimson - specifically, the sweeping, mellotron heavy aspects of the music, although the "21st Century Schizoid Man" factor is here as well. This influence is certainly present on this 1972 debut album, although the distinctive PFM sound cuts through as well. At any rate, this band is certainly one of the finest prog bands to emerge out of Italy and should be mentioned in the same breath as the English giants, e.g. ELP, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant etc.

The musicians on this album comprise the classic PFM lineup and include Flavio Premoli (Hammond organ, piano, mellotron, harpsichord, mini-moog, and vocals); Franz di Cioccio (drums, mini-moog, vocals); Mauro Pagani (flute, violin, vocals); and Franco Mussida (electric and acoustic guitars, nylon classical, and vocals). In addition to the core members, brass parts are featured on Grazie Davvero. Although some folks feel that the brass parts do not fit too well with the rest of the material on the album, I feel that they work just fine. These guys are simply out of this world when it comes to technical ability and the individual playing and ensemble work is breathtaking. I think it is worth singling out Franco Mussida though - this guy is incredible and is a world class guitarist of marked distinction along with other players such as Steve Howe, Jan Akkerman, Alan Holdsworth etc. The vocals (in Italian) are very good and they get some pretty good multi-part harmonies going.

Musically, this is about as full-blown as prog gets, which is amazing given that this is a debut album. Dynamics range from all out full band assaults (E Festa) to delicate sections that just feature the acoustic guitar, flute, and violin (Dove...Quando). A lot of the hallmarks of prog are here as one can imagine - "churchy" sounding Hammond organ, sharp and sudden juxtapositions between sections in different keys and musical styles (e.g. from King Crimson to Dave Brubeck), tons of mellotron, wildly virtuosic playing, incredible melodies and harmonies. Although there are the aforementioned influences, there is a tiny smattering of melodies taken from Italian folk music too. As an aside, it is the incorporation of music specific to the particular country, whether it is Italy, Finland, or Argentina, that makes all non-English prog so interesting for me.

This particular version of the album is a digipak and features good sound quality, although the rest of the package is lacking. Apart from the credits for each musician, there are no lyrics or other notes which makes this a not so hot CD reissue.

All in all, this is an incredible debut by one of the finest bands to emerge out of the Italian prog scene (which was enormous by the way). Very highly recommended along with Photos of Ghosts (1973) and The World became the World (1974).

Elettronica mellow pesante .......2006-07-31

I am not an expert on Italian progressive rock music. The very thought of Italian progressive rock music amuses me, because it sounds arcane and esoteric. I have a mental image of progressive rock music enthusiasts, and I imagine it involves a lot of one-upmanship and arcane knowledge of lists and statistics, in which case the Italian prog rock scene must be a godsend for them. It is even more hardcore than conventional progressive rock; it is not even in English.

This was the first album by PFM, which stands for Premiata Forneria Marconi. Babelfish tells me that this is Italian for Rewarded Forneria Marconi, which makes no sense. Perhaps it has something to do with radios. The album reminds me a lot of King Crimson's "In the Court of King Crimson", especially because it has a lot of Mellotron. It basically divides into two halves. The second half of the album is very dull, with long slow quiet songs that only very occasionally burst into life. I imagine hi-fi aficionados might enjoy the contrast between the quiet sections and the loud sections, but I am not a hi-fi aficionado. "La Carrozza di Hans", which is Italian for "The Carrot of Hans", sounds like easy listening lounge music. I do not like easy listening lounge music. The first "Dove" track goes nowhere quietly, whilst the second turns into tasteful light jazz. "Grazie Davvero", which means "Thank you Dave", starts off slowly and then turns into big band music. I do not like big band music.

The first half of the album is much better good top. Unfortunately the album as a whole is very short, and the first track is an overture that is a minute long, leaving just two more tracks. The overture has a funky rock riff for all of ten seconds, although those ten seconds are very funky, and it is a shame the song wasn't longer. "Impressioni di Settembre" is the highlight of the album for me, and it is a great song. It does the whole quiet-loud grunge thing but it works. The quiet bits sound sad, the loud bits soar like an eagle. The song is essentially a copy of King Crimson's "Epitaph", but it is much better. The brightest spot is the synth/Mellotron melody that punctuates the verses.

The remaining track, "E'Festa", is a more or less conventional boogie rock number that starts off like a manic Italian clone of the Beatles' "Get Back" and then turns into a kind of knees-up drinking song. There is a middle eight that sounds like Supertramp or The Eagles. It is a silly song and slightly irritating. The rest of the album with the exception of the last track is not irritating; it is pleasant to listen to, but very dull.

In summary then, only one track stands out as being really good, although that one track is worth the price of the album. The second half of the record is dull but inoffensive. The two conventional rock numbers are respectively silly but amusing, and silly and irritating. Perhaps if you listen to them over and over again you might grow to like them. Perhaps if you are Italian you might like them.

I can now tell my friends that I have heard an Italian progressive rock album.

This is just the beginning.......2004-06-14

PFM has always earned that well-deserved reputation as being one of the greatest prog rock bands to come out of Italy. So much so they they eventually received American exposure thanks to recording on Greg Lake's own Manticore label and recording in English. Prior to Photos of Ghosts, the band's music was sung entirely in Italian, and only released in Italy, on the Numero Uno label. What's amazing about Storia di un Minuto is it's their debut, and the band's sound is already defined. Many other bands needed to take two or three albums to really take off. For example, the debut by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso showed potential, but was marred by substandard production. Their following two albums (Darwin! and Io Sono Nato Libero) were obvious improvements and showed them at their full potentional. For a more "mainstream" prog band, look at Yes, it wasn't until their third album (The Yes Album) that they really began to take off. For PFM, they got it right the first time! And Storia di un Minuto shows that. "Impressioni di Settembre" is that pefect example, showing a nice blend of folk and classical, with that Italian touch. Synthesizers play a role here. The song was originally released as a single the year before (1971), probably to tie people over while they get finished with Storia di un Minuto. "E` Festa" is one of the more popular cuts here, and more so when it was re-recorded in English on Photos of Ghosts as "Celebration". This original is arranged a bit differently, especially the middle part. There's the gloomy "Dove... Quando (Part 1)" dominated by vocals, acoustic guitar, and harpsichord. "La Carrozza di Hans" is one of my favorites, an adventurous number going through many different changes, with jazzy passages with almost Jethro Tull-like flutes, to more acoustic passages, laid-back vocal passages. "Grazie Davvero" is often regarded as the album's low-points, mainy turned off by the "cheesy horns". I happen not to be bothered by them, and actually find it yet another pleasant peace, especially the acoustic sections. Hard to believe a band pulled off such a great debut like this. If you like this, be sure to pick up their following album, Per Un Amico. Truly a must have for those in to Italian prog, or to start your Italian prog collection.

PFM's first and best studio album.......2003-08-07

As you probably know, PFM is an Italian progressive rock band. This is their first album. All lyrics are in Italian. The sound quality is excellent. The album is 35 minutes long.

I think this is the best of PFM's studio albums. It is lusher and more melodic than later albums. It is also a bit more mellow. The later studio albums are also very good, but this one is less pretenious and bombastic (the only real problem with any progressive rock music). I especially like the second half of the CD, starting with the jazzy Dove part II.

I had a copy of the LP for a long time. But, it was always hard to enjoy because of the defects in the LP. PFM's label, Numero Uno had poor quality pressings. It is wonderful to hear the changing dynamic range and the quiet passages without having to endure the constant pops. This is especially true at the beginning of the album with the almost silent intro.

Note that E'Festa was reworked with English lyrics, called Celebration and added to the Photos Of Ghosts album. Photos of Ghosts was a remixing of PFM's second album Per un Amico with English lyrics. Impressioni di Settembre was also redone with English lyrics, changed to The World Became the World and became the title track for that album. The rest of the album The World Became the World is a reworking of PFM's third album, L'Isola Di Niente.

To try to make PFM more appealing to the English speaking world, Pete Sinfield (from King Crinsom fame) rewrote many of PFM's songs with English lyrics. But, the whole thing was silly. Like Yes, much of Sinfields lyrics are meaningless. So what different does it make if you get lyrics in Italian you can't understand, or lyrics in English that don't say anything.

PFM had a completely different sound in concert. Only about a third of a PFM concert was devoted to songs that were already on the studio albums. The rest was these incredible, high energy jams. The best album to get is the 4 CD set, Gil Anni Live 1970 to 1981. If you can't get that, then go for Live in the USA (also called Cook).

Average customer rating:

Storia Di UN Minuto Pfm (premiata Forner Manufacturer: Musicrama/Koch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000DXGS Release Date: 1993-01-01

Average customer rating:

Storia Di un Minuto Storia Di un Minuto Manufacturer: Dischi Numero Uno ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music ASIN: B0000TAP42 Release Date: 2004-12-14

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E'festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Parte I)
5. Dove...Quando... (Parte II)
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

Album Description

Reissue of Italian Prog album from BMG, packaged in a digipak. 2004.

Average customer rating:

Storia Di Un Minuto Pfm Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000DEOPM Release Date: 2002-08-26

Average customer rating:

Storia di un Minuto PFM Manufacturer: Japanese Import ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B000BRAMD2 Release Date: 2003-12-09

Tracks:

1. Introduzione
2. Impressioni Di Settembre
3. E' Festa
4. Dove...Quando... (Pt. 1)
5. Dove...Quando..., Pt. 2
6. Carrozza Di Hans
7. Grazie Davvero

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