I remember listening to PFM, touted as Italy's answer to ELP (a lazy comparison, although they were signed to ELP's Manticore label), in the 1970s, often played on Alan 'Fluff' Freeman's Saturday rock show, and I suspect occasionally by John Peel.
Only on encountering Italian music fans later in life did i realise what a big deal they were.
They were certainly the only Ital-Prog band I was aware of until relatively recently, and while I recall hearing some of their slightly later English language albums, I don't recall hearing this one (their first in English), until I stumbled across it in a charity shop.
So, how have the Ital-Prog heavyweights stood the test of time?
It's mixed, much feels like over-serious showing off, whilst there are some lovely moments on this album, which rehashes songs from their previous two Italian albums. with lyrical input from Pete Sinfield (erstwhile lyricist for King Crimson and ELP).
Opening with River Of Life, it's clear the band have a taste for trying to fit as much into seven minutes as possible, but it sounds over-ambitious and bombastic. Thankfully, the joyous single Celebration (which I bought at the time) follows, a catchy, synthesiser led, almost instrumental piece of fun. It's followed by the dire title track Photos Of Ghosts. Old Rain, however, is slower, more thoughtful and a lovely combination of flute and violin. It's almost as if they can do it when they don't try too hard. Il Banchetto really didn't appeal on first listening, but on revisiting, it has a quite catchy little vocal part before the mysterious sounding synthesiser goes off on one. About halfway through, it gets odd, a bit like the soundtrack to a horror film set at a fairground. Again, lads, you don't have to fit everything in! Mr 9 'til 5 is a little more lively, a nice song, which has an inexplicably catchy flute march in the middle. Final track Promenade The Puzzle, is something of a puzzle. After about two minutes (but seems like ten) a healthy beat kicks in, and just when you think they're starting to rock, it's back to the noodling again, never really getting into a groove.
Arguably, this can be thought of as a debut album, where the band are still trying to find a sound. On later albums, there was more direction and the tunes and the virtuosity worked together. But too much on this album feels cluttered and superfluous.
2* - not a bad album, but a too busy feel throughout, and the simplest tracks are the best.
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