Pfm - Chocolate Kings
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Free Music Notes for Chocolate Kings
Free Music Review: You also need this album as well
Hit: 5 Stars
PFM is regarded as one of the finest Italian prog rock bands ever, and when you hear Storia di un Minuto and Per Un Amico, you understand why. They also did some English language remakes too, like Photos of Ghosts (Per un Amico) and The World Became the World (L'Isola di Niente), but those albums demonstrated that English wasn't the band's high point.
Now comes Bernardo Lanzetti, who was previously with Acqua Fragile, who released two albums worthy of your attention, their self-entitled 1973 debut and Mass-Media Stars (1974). Both albums were produced by PFM, so thanks to the PFM connection, it's little wonder Lanzetti joined the band! The band felt they needed a more distinct vocalist, and that's what they got, a vocalist in the Peter Gabriel/Roger Chapman vein.
The band also stopped recording both Italian and English language albums and now stuck strictly to English (as it obviously took less time only having to record one version, and they had enough international recognition to record exclusively in English).
Chocolate Kings was released in Italy in 1975 on the Numero Uno label, but released in the States in 1976 with a different cover (chocolate bar wrapped in an American flag) on the Asylum label, which is really odd company as I usually associate that label with that mellow L.A. sound of the Eagles, Warren Zevon, and Jackson Browne, so PFM was probably the only prog band ever to find themselves on that label.
What's really surprising is PFM still hadn't lost it at all, and created a fantastic album that I think is very much a classic, although many don't feel that way. For one thing this isn't Per Un Amico revisited, but you know it's difficult to top that album, so the band was trying something new, and that's a harder-edged approach with fusion tendencies, and succeeded with flying colors. The pastoral acoustic feel of their previous albums had pretty much disappeared, but that should let that bother you. Flavio Premoli's Mellotron had pretty much all but disappeared, but he tended to use more electric piano (the Moog is still used too). Mauro Pagani's violin work was now more in the fusion style.
Great examples of this more bombastic approach PFM was adopting goes to "Harlequin", which starts off mellow with flute, then gets into some killer jamming, another being "Out on the Roundabout". The title track reminds me a bit of Acqua Fragile circa Mass-Media Stars, but that is little surprise thanks to Bernardo Lanzetti. Of course, like too many great Italian prog albums, the album is rather short, just a little over a half hour, but sometimes better that than a double LP set of iffy material, that's for sure.
If you're not put off by Bernardo Lanzetti's singing (heavily accented English in the Gabriel/Chapman style), and the fact the group pretty much forsakened the pastoral approach of previous albums for a harder-edge approach, I really highly recommend this album!
Free Music Review: An excellent album by PFM
Hit: 5 Stars
This 1976 release is just fantastic and shows PFM starting to head in the direction of jazz rock that would come to full fruition on Jet Lag (1977). Chocolate Kings is still very much a progressive rock album however, with fantastic playing all around and featuring ex-Acqua Fragile lead singer Bernado Lanzetti for the first time. Although all PFM albums had a high standard of playing, this album seems to pull out all of the stops and as such, ranks among some of my favorite albums by the band.
The lineup on Chocolate Kings includes Franz Di Cioccio (drums, percussion and backing vocals); Patrick Djivas (Gibson "ripper" bass); Franco Mussida (electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals); Mauro Pagani (flute, violin); Flavio Premoli (Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, synthesizers); and Bernado Lanzetti (lead vocals in English). The individual and ensemble virtuosity on this album is simply stunning - these guys are all incredible players (I love the aggressive, trebly tone that Patrick gets out of his Gibson). Bernado Lanzetti has a very unusual vocal style that is definitely an acquired taste - there is a great deal of vibrato in his singing and the quality of his voice is somewhat hoarse (it sounds like he sings from his throat rather than his diaphragm). Still, his voice does not bother me too much - the playing is just incredible and more than makes up for it.
The five tunes on Chocolate Kings range in length from 4'39 to 8'30 with four of the five tracks in the 7-8 minute range. In large part, this album is comprised of very high energy progressive rock with enough jaw-dropping playing to keep all prog fans very entertained. There are some nice dynamic contrasts too and the arrangements are simply top notch. I think that of all the tunes, the title track is the closest the album comes to even vaguely resembling a pop track (it actually reminds me somewhat of Celebration from Photos of Ghosts, 1973) although it too is still over-the top prog with breathtaking soloing.
All in all, this album is very highly recommended along with Storia di un Minuto (1972), Photos of Ghosts, The World became the World (1974), and Jet Lag.
Free Music Review: One of their best EVER!
Hit: 5 Stars
The very first time I listened to a copy of this disc by a friend, it absolutely blew me out of the water...years later, it still does! Bernardo Lanzetti's vocals add an Ian-McDonald aura to the fine blend of violin, guitar, 'thunder-bass' and awesome Moog/Hammond/Mellotron keyboard work! "From Under" hits you right off the bat with a brashy fusionesque riff only to leave you hanging on to the quiet Hammond swelling up - well, from under. I love the violin melody line after the words "Somebody said 'Don't Sell Me Lies" and the production just carries you away into the winds. "Harlequin" starts with a pleasantly unassuming Fender Rhodes line in 3/4 until Franco Mussida's acoustic guitar falls right in...it has sort of an Italian 'Lucky Man' feel to it (albeit with a dash of Tull). The title track rocks out to fix the jones one would have for a 'live Roundabout' sound, extolling the, uh, 'virtues' of American Culture - check out the swooning Moog solo in the fadeout! No correlation to the next song's title, "Out On The Roundabout", this tune shows of Franco's virtuoso guitar talent, and most accurately represents the velocity, fierceness and finesse these 5 men displayed during their live shows. Finally, a great close-out to the album, "Paper Charms" exhibits incredible versatility in song & verse. The violin solo feels soooooo good in your ears! Sadly, this was to be Mauro Pagani's last effort with PFM, so enjoy the flute/violin combination whilst you can! If you like what you hear, check out their earlier releases as well. Viva Italia!Free Music Review: Italian mid 70's prog
Hit: 5 Stars
When I first heard Chocolate Kings, I thought Peter Gabriel had joined Gentle Giant! With more listens, now I think Peter Gabriel had joined Seals and Crofts!
Well, the friendly "blooming with life" atmosphere Seals and Crofts were doing in the mid 70's resembles the music of Chocolate Kings. Of course, the difference is that Premiata Forneria Marconi is a progressive rock band from Italy, not to mention a very respectable one by this point in their career.
I'm just surprised how mellow and updated the production is compared to Per un Amico and Storia di un Minuto. The quality of the songwriting is really high on Chocolate Kings, but MUCH different musically from what you're probably thinking, that is, if you heard this album immediately after the other Premiata Forneria Marconi albums from the early 70's. Chocolate Kings sounds like a completely different band.
This is just a very likeable, pleasant and well, flat out BEAUTIFUL, prog rock album from Italy. Despite the Peter Gabriel like vocals, this is quite the brilliant album. Funny how I never noticed the connection to Genesis before from other PFM albums, and now, seemingly out of nowhere, they resemble Genesis a LOT.
Despite that, I absolutely love the way the vocal melodies flow beautifully into other themes, and that makes Chocolate Kings a fantastic album.
Free Music Review: Best PFM Album!
Hit: 5 Stars
I first heard this in 1977 in my teenage years (at Karma Records in Evansville, IN). It struck me as in the same league as ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, and Tull- GREAT PROG! I bought the LP and wasn't sorry! I still own that piece of vinyl and just found this for sale at Tower Records on the web. The music still holds up. Granted, the vocals and words are clumsy (and almost unintelligible-wish they'd included a lyric sheet!), but the music rocks! It is by far the most "rock" that PFM ever sounded. And it flows better than their second best (in my opinion) LP "Per un Amico". Great keyboards, guitiar, etc. Definitely the best crossover (i.e. American-British sounding) Prog LP recorded by an Italian band.