Search - Pfm :: Jet Lag

Nice Rebound

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 09/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is PFM's fifth studio album (not including the two English remakes of the second and third albums). It is the last progressive studio album PFM would produce. It is the first studio album that is over 40 minutes long. It is also the only PFM studio album recorded in the US. Like all of their other albums, Jet Lag has different covers in the US and in Europe.This is the second PFM album featuring vocalist Bernardo Lanzetti. He has a very irritating, undulating style. I have not heard of anyone who has liked it. Some call it an acquired taste that they never acquired. I feel his vocals completely ruined the previous album, Chocolate Kings. On Jet Lag, Lanzetti is mostly in the background. He also mellowed out his singing style, so he doesn't have much of a negative impact on this album. The other problem with the previous album, Chocolate Kings, was the music is muted. On Jet Lag, PFM was gotten it's old, bright, energetic sound back.Some reviewers have complained that Jet Lag is a departure for PFM, being more of a jazz fusion album, then a progressive rock album. PFM always had a major jazz influence, going back to the first album, Storia un di Minuto. The track, Dove part II, from the first album is a straight ahead jazz fusion track. The thing that is different about Jet Lag is that it is missing some of the minor bombastic, and pompous moments. PFM did not have a lot of them, but there was always a few. Some of the tracks sound like Gentle Giant, in the middle of their career.Also new for PFM on this album is violinist Gregory Bloch. He previously played in It's A Beautiful Day (replacing David LaFlamme for the group's last album) and String Cheese (not to be confused with the later String Cheese Incident). Mauro Pagani, who had played violin and flute left PFM because he was tired of travelling. Bloch does an adequate job, but he doesn't quite match up to Pagani.Jet Lag was a last ditch effort for PFM to gain popularity in the US. The song Left Handed Theory was beign promoted as the major breakthrough for the group. It never happened...one reason was that progressive rock was beginning to die. This was the last progressive rock album that PFM recorded (not including the recent live albums).PFM is an Italian group that had limited English skills. They played a lush, complex style of progressive rock. All their lyrics were in Italian. To try to gain popularity in the US, during the big progressive rock movement of the seventies, PFM's original Italian album were redone with English lyrics. To further try to penetrate the US market, PFM added an Italian singer who could understood the English words he was singing, and an English lyricist. As a last push, Jet Lag album was recored in California, instead of Milan.After Jet Lag, PFM became the backup band for an Italian pop singer for a couple of albums. Then, PFM migrated to boring pop. Some of their later albums are just bad. In the mid-nineties, with progressive music making a limited comeback, PFM started moving back to their roots. They released a live album that is fairly good, called ...(after their website). They put out a supposedly progressive album called Serendipity. Finally, they released a fantastic new live album called Live In Japan, featuring two studio tracks, one with Peter Hammill on vocals."

Still playing it after all these years

William E. Kreuder | 03/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is the only PFM album (apart from 'Chocolate Kings' occasionally) that i still play on a regular basis. where their earlier stuff nowadays sounds rather ponderous and dated, 'Jet Lag' still sounds surprisingly fresh and full of invention. not that it's a typical PFM album either - much jazzier than previous recordings and therefore something of a one-off. jazz-rock aficionados might even consider this work an encroachment on their territory - after all, who were PFM, an established prog rock band, to come out with such a persuasive jazz-rock offering? thing is they pulled it off with extraordinary virtuosity and style, and what really impresses is how they managed to weave all that intricate jazzy instrumental playing into memorable songs with memorable melodies - no directionless fusion noodling here thank you very much! i mean, how common is a jazz-rock song album? well i can't think of another one. definitely one of a kind and well worth snapping up!"