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Customer Reviews of World Became the World

Among the Best Progressive Rock Albums Ever Made
"The World Became the World" is not only PFM's finest record, but one of the handful of top progressive rock albums ever made. It captures this Italian band at the apex of its career. Bassist Patrick Djivas had just joined the band, and joined with drummer Franz Di Cioccio to give it a more propulsive sound than on "Photos of Ghosts". The band's music, arrangements, and production were at an all-time high, resulting in classics like "Four Holes in the Ground", with its complex yet hummable melody leading to a blazing unison passage the Dixie Dregs would envy, and the title song, a ballad with a memorable synthesizer instrumental as its chorus. (The title cut is an English version of "Impressioni di Settembre" from the earlier "Storia di un Minuto" album, and is not available on the Italian version of the album, "L'Isola di Niente".) A flute processed through a wah-wah pedal leads into the stunning final chorus of "Is My Face on Straight?", one of prog-rock's greatest moments. "The Mountain", the album's first track, overcomes an unfocused choral intro to take the listener on several twists and turns. While the album was released in America by ELP's Manticore label and ELP lyricist Pete Sinfield wrote the English lyrics, the sound is closer to early Genesis, and keyboardist Flavio Premoli shares the mix with guitarist Franco Mussida and Mauro Pagani on flute and violin. As with every progressive rock album ever released, the lyrics are not a strong point.

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Another great PFM album
The World Became the World is actually an English language remake of L'Isola di Niente. I have not heard L'Isola yet, but I have to say, as far as PFM's English language remake albums go, this is much better than Photos of Ghosts (but of course not as good as Per Un Amico or Storia di Un Minuto, but what is?). The English vocals work better here, and to me doesn't detract the way it did on Photos of Ghosts. The opening cut, "The Mountain" will throw anyone off with the choir, as it seems pretty pointless and one wonders if the album cover had the wrong disc in it. But after a couple of minutes, you know you're listening to PFM. The music seems a little different than what one was used to hearing on their previous albums (Photos of Ghosts). It seems heavier, the vocals sound like David Gilmour, of all people, but there's a ton of great, creative passages that ranks as some of PFM's finest. The second cut, "Just Look Away" is a typical acoustic PFM number, mellow vocals like one is more accustomed to this band, although I never found this number particularly remarkable, but isn't bad either. The title track is actually an English language remake of Storia di Un Minuto's "Impressioni di Settembre". "Four Holes In the Ground" seems to be this album's highlight, and I really dig those Mellotron passages, it features some of the most wonderful use of tron on any album I've heard (too bad it's too short here), this is the way a Mellotron should be used! "Is My Face On Straight" is the band's attempt at humor and for me, I just absolutely love this song, although there's many out there who don't care for it. But that last cut, the instrumental "Have Your Cake and Beat It", what's the point in that? It starts of showing the talents of new member, bassist Jan Patrick Djivas (who was apparently a member of Area before he joined PFM late in 1973), then the rest of the band kicks in, but it's just so mediocre that the band should not have bothered here. But the biggest problem I have with this album (which seems to be the problem with L'Isola di Niente as well) is the production here makes it sound like a new band has taken over the PFM name, it sounds too new and different from what came before, but once you got over that, you'll be appreciate this as yet another great album from PFM, but of course, start with Storia di un Minuto or Per Un Amico first.

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English remake of L'Isola di Niente
PFM is an Italian band that had very limited English skills. Their first three albums were in Italian. This is an English remake of PFM's third album, L'Isola di Niente. It has an added track and the cover background color was changed from green to blue. The original LP cover had a cut out in the center and the island mountain was printed on the inner sleeve.

Original Italian album had 5 tracks. One track, Is My Face On Straight has always been in English. It was cowritten by Pete Sinfield, best known for writing the lyrics on the early King Crimson albums. It sounds more like a Pete Sinfield song than a PFM song.

The additional song is the title track, The World Became the World. It is an English version of Impressioni di Settembre from PFM's first album, Storia un di Minuto.

When these songs get reworked, the music remains the same. Pete Sinfield just comes up with new lyrics in English. They are not direct interpretations of the original Italian. Sinfield (like Yes) just writes lyrics that sound good and nothing that has any deep meaning. In addition, PFM does not understand what they are singing, so it becomes mechanical.

If you are starting from the beginning, I suggest buying the first three original Italian albums, and skipping the English versions. You end up with all of the tracks. You get Italian that you don't understand instead of English that doesn't make any real sense.

PFM is sort of mellow in the studio. In concert, they are a jamming band. Their live albums are fantastic. Seek out Live in the USA (also called Cook), the boxset 10 Anni Live, or the recent Live In Japan.

There is a French band, called Mona Lisa, that is very similar to PFM in structure and sound. But like almost all things French, it is inferior to the Italian.