King Crimson
British progressive rock pioneers whose avant-garde approach and jazz-rock fusion heavily influenced Italian prog musicians during the genre's formative years. Milan session players listened to imported King Crimson records after hours while working on three-minute pop songs, absorbing the possibilities of progressive complexity. Former member Peter Sinfield wrote English lyrics for PFM's 'Photos of Ghosts,' helping the band reach international markets while inadvertently demonstrating what was lost when Italian bands sang in English—the natural lyricism of the language, the way open vowels shaped melodic contours, the specific cultural references that made the songs resonate at home. Sinfield's lyrics weren't translations but reimaginings, new words that fit the music while completely altering meaning.