Storia di un minuto

PFM's 1972 debut album isn't just a highwater mark of Italian prog rock; it's among the most bewitching bows by any prog act. The group defined their complex-but-organic vision straight out of the gate, pretty much creating the classic Italian prog sound in the process. Like many of their U.K. peers, PFM wedded folk, jazz, classical, and hard rock influences, but Storia di un Minuto bears a more lush, less angular approach than the likes of King Crimson, Gentle Giant, et al. A gentle, folky feel often dominates, especially amid the warm vocal harmonies and placid picking patterns of "Grazie davvero"—but even there they bump up against grand orchestral moments, making for an atmosphere that's alternately pastoral and cinematic. On the two-part "Dove…quando," the band nimbly leap from classical motifs to jazz riffing, aided in no small part by the skills of multi-instrumentalist Mauro Pagani. When Franco Mussida's heavy guitar riffs come ripping out of "E' festa," we're quickly reminded that for all their eclecticism, PFM were undeniably a rock band.