BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO

I won't be neutral: It's hard to listen to, in the repetition, it's between Angelo Branduardi and Rondò Veneziano, but better, yes I tease from time to time!! Okay, let's go!? Hey Capo Horn is of unfailing sensitivity, all in finesse with the vocal and piano association.. the longest too but lacking the prog break so hoped for, my disappointment! Cena is well stamped RPI we just want to dance in a circle in the great hall of the castle Il mietitore ah la I would like to find someone to find that good, and yet they invent, they innovate.. but the phrasing does not work Il pittore ballad where the voice in Italian we agree, goes down like a letter to the post office and makes you want to hug your girlfriend... All in memories spleen, in short ballad to wrap up!! The ultimate yes but no... This overly provocative synth and the aggressive vocal La casa with vocoder and soaring atmosphere from the time of Enzo du grand Bleu...ah they know how to melt you No Sono Pazzo.. no fast, not denoting my style, the voice again Sara.. not that of Fleetwood Mac but hey. spleen, oozing melancholy, a synth stamped 80, a little sweet candy.. Senza with still the sad piano at the beginning, good but it really lacks this prog blood.. Solo in the same vein... finally in the same plot Spiegami sad...a little more, in fact we are on ballads except here precisely where the velvety keyboards enter the scene...it would be time!! Studenti for the first title of the album, the one that had done me good by offering this Italian prog rock sound so characteristic. Yes, but there is a but... where has the bucolic prog blood that overflows from Italian albums gone? Here is an album that stands out for its too short compositions, paradoxical there. (2.5)

So, you wanna hear a funny story? Less than a week ago, I finally check out Banco without any prior knowledge about them. After playing their legendary first three albums, and falling in love with them, I find out that they've got a new album out THE SAME WEEK. I've been actively listening to album after album for 12 years now and I don't think that's ever happened to me. So I made the decision to make that my first album of Feb. 28, the day of release.

Of course, this doesn't mean I expected brilliance. One look at the track lengths will tell you that they're going a bit more pop. So this needs to be judged as a ROCK album. Now, there's no shortage of catchy melodies, thankfully. These things still come pretty easily to the band even more than 50 years into their career. I haven't heard their reviled 80's works, but I'm certain this is way better. There's a strong prog influence that doesn't often work its way into the time signatures, but leaves plenty of room for numerous surprises that maintain flow because of the personality of the band. Of course, it also helps that they're essentially playing the same instruments they've been playing for 50 years, which means, even though you're getting a bunch of pop rock songs, you're still getting plenty of Banco spirit, which is all I could've asked for. This also helps most tracks to keep their own identity, and since Banco is largely personality, that means each identity is strong and independent.

Obviously, it may be a disappointment that this isn't the most proggy of prog albums. But what really matters is how Banco's able to deliver this direction, and they succeeded constantly. The same jazz and classical influences are their in a radio pop rock fashion that ironically strays strong. I think if I had to tag this, I'd say it's an art rock and pop rock album with elements of prog pop and symphonic prog.

Darwin! is an classic concept album dealing with evolution and some of the issues the theory presents. The styling is synonymous with 1970s Italian Progressive rock and in some opinions it defines all that is great about that sub-genre of prog. It is a highly rated album and a personal favourite that is only constrained by the limitations of musical creation at its time of release. Of special note is the highly effective and passionate keyboard work on a range of key laden devices but that is not to say that the other instruments are less than effective. They certainly aren't and I struggle to find any weakness across the band members and I really wouldn't want to single anyone out for criticism on this album because they wouldn't deserve it. This really does feel like a band who are playing for each other and perhaps that is why this albums stands head and shoulders above almost every other album in the sub-genre.

For me it is a real shame that we label Italian prog under a separate identity simply because it originates in that nation - this is quite a conceit from the dominating Anglo-Saxon prog community. In fact Banco can be heard dabbling in jazz- fusion as well as occasional Heavy prog sections and some more psychedelic and symphonic pieces as well. The thing they do well is to put it all together in a seamless smush that approaches perfection. I do find the very bold, in your face vocal style a little irksome but it is far preferrable to the quite similar, but with added warble from fellow Italian proggers, PFM. Overall we have a team of decent musicians working together to write and execute a fascinating foray into all corners of progs vast range of musical styles.

I can't say I follow the lyrics at all (my Italian is very rusty) but I do like to follow what the individual instruments are doing and I have to say there is some very complex layering going on that plays with mood provoking a range of thoughts but I suspect you really need to translate the lyrics to fully grasp what each section is trying to convey. It really isn't obvious what is intended in the context of evolution but if you just want to enjoy the progressive journey then this is an exceptional piece of work even without the narrative. I especially like the way that the piano switches from lead to rhythm and back again providing a framework for everything else.

The production balance is absolutely spot on but I would prefer if the vocals were turned down just a fraction and of course the sound clarity is indicative of a 70s work of art but it never slips over the line into that middle ground between good and unacceptable. The real star of the show here is the composer because the album as a whole progresses through hundreds of ideas and never gets dull. Since it is also interspersed with some absolutely classic sections that stick in your head after turning your brain to mush from an overdose of pleasure, this album is really hard to put down. Wonderful stuff - give me more. The album never becomes overly aggressive, steering clear of metals harsher traits and is always beautiful even when it becomes dissonant and so for a hugely progressive album it is surprisingly easy on the ear meaning that the non-prog fan might also enjoy some of this stuff. However I suspect that while this is fine dining to the prog community its complexities will be too much for the rest of the world. This one needs to be in your collection unless your progressive interests are limited to one of the more extreme sub-genres.

Lemme fill you in on a little secret: I use a 0-100 system. Lemme clue you in on another: I gave the Banco debut a 99/100, and why? Because the middle section got just a little boring and empty for my tastes. Now normally, re- recorded albums will suck, but there are exceptions to the rule. The first that comes to mind is the drastically improved Butcher the Weak by Devourment. In this instance, we have several tracks off of Banco's first and third albums, played with variations, synthesizers and more atmospheric production. Even after adding four minutes to Metamorphosis, it still managed to fix that emptiness issue I had with the original. The entire album was GORGEOUS. Every song drew me into a new and successfully electronic side of the mind which took the great mystical fields that their music embodied before and added an astral touch to it. I suppose the re-recording of Traccia II is slightly inferior to the original, but not enough to really call a flaw. It's more of a Godfather vs Godfather II situation. And contrary to popular opinion, the English lyrics and the vocals don't bother me.

This re-recording album is a mundo success to me and a rare breed in that vein.

Banco was one of the first Classic Italian Prog bands I discovered, along with PFM, because in the late 70s their LP's were available in the Dutch record stores. Although I am very pleased with the studio-albums I consider Banco at their best on stage, especially this live CD (recorded in 1975) showcases the band in its full splendor. Their sound is based upon the magnificent, omnipresent dual-keyboardplay (organ, synthesizers, acoustic and electric piano, strings) by the Nocenzi brothers and the powerful voice from the late and great Francesco Di Giacomo, loaded with pathos.

R.I.P. : Beautiful interlude delivering moving piano, very compelling vocals and delicate acoustic guitar.

L'Alberto Del Pane : Splendid varied keyboards.

La Danza Dei Gandi Rettilli : A swinging blend of symphonic, blues and jazz, trademark Banco, eclectic, dynamic and varied.

Passagio : A very short interlude with the distinctive harpsichord.

Non Mi Rompete : Pleasant acoustic guitarplay.

Dopo ? Niente E Piu Lo Stesso : Wonderful sumptuous keyboards and great vocals, this is Banco and no other Italian band!

Traccia II : Fine acoustic pianoplay along trumpet and synthesizer.

Metamorfosi (an extended version, around 26 minutes) : Cascades of changing amtospheres, including a long and virtuosic piano solo, and lots of exciting keyboards.

If you want to discover the amazing Classic Italian Prog I highly recommend this one!

Still riding the wave of the early Italian prog scene, the Rome based BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO could do no wrong having successfully risen to the top of the crowded brave new world that was suddenly propelling 60s psychedelic rock into classical and jazz infused sophistication. BANCO had released two of Italy's greatest masterpieces with its self-titled debut and the following "Darwin" but the string of Italian prog perfection hadn't quite come to an end and in 1973 BANCO released its third and final masterpiece IO SONO NATO LIBERO ( I Was Born Free ) in December 1973 and thus leaving its legacy as one of Italy's top prog rock acts of the classic era. Together with the band's first two albums, this original trilogy is considered a cornerstone of 70s Italian prog with some of the most creative and influential albums of all time which perfectly crafted a wild blend of classical, jazz, rock and Italian folk with unthinkable technical proficiency in the context of rock music for the time.

Graced with the same exact lineup as the band's previous masterpieces, BANCO was a well-oiled machine at this point and elevated the already sophisticated symphonic prog prowess to even further heights making IO SONO NATO LIBERO the band's most overtly progressive album of its entire existence. By 1973 the race to take progressive rock to ever increasing levels of complexity resulted in a threshold of tolerance that many fans rejected. Yes' "Tales of Topographic Oceans" and Jethro Tull's "A Passion Play" are the perfect examples of dividing fans between those who wanted things to continue to ratchet up the prog technicalities and those who felt it was becoming a destabilizing force that ruined the musical flow.

Whatever the case some bands had found that perfect balance between taking things to a higher level without alienating fans who had grown accustomed to beautiful melodic hooks that processed in a logical compositional manner. IO SONO NATO LIBERO succeeded in this tightrope act of offering just enough of what came before but by also continued to progress the band's sound into a very demanding listening experience. The opening near 16-minute opener "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico" showcases the band's more sophisticated approach by offering an incessant flow of varying musical motifs that while based on the opening melodic sequences also finds the band experimenting with contrasting cadences such as acoustic classical guitar moments with heavy tribal drumming and off-kilter time signature-rich explosive bursts of pomp and awe.

While the band's technical wizardry had grown by leaps and bounds beyond the first two albums, IO SONO NATO LIBERO keeps it all in check by alternating the knottier workouts with the more streamlined singles such as the following "Non Mi Rompete" and "La Cittá Sottile" which offer a bit of breathing room in between the more complex tracks which find BANCO unleashing its fully developed prog making forces. This strategy avoided the alienation factor that some prog bands took by keeping the most brutal aspects of prog turned up to full power throughout the entire album's run. Even these easier to stomach singles though exuded the prog sophistication that was present on both the debut and "Darwin" only with the crazy time signatures run amok tamped down. The rest of the album pretty much let all the constraints off the leash and allowed BANCO to demonstrate its ability to play in the big boyz club.

"Dopo...Niente è Più Lo Stesso" jumps back into experimental prog mode with a near 10-minute playing time and wastes no time taking the world of prog to all its logical extreme conclusions with intricately destined melodies providing the underpinning of crazy experimental keyboard runs, unorthodox hairpin turns and breaks into unexpected motifs. The technical wizardry is delicately delivered in doses of clever creativity without sacrificing the beautiful melodic flow and also showcases some of lead vocalist Francesco Di Giacomo's most passionate performances. The album ends with the short but dynamic "Traccia II" piano-driven instrumental that offers the perfect melodic comedown from all the prog excesses you have just experienced. It's sort of a thematic musical version of saying "thanks for coming and we bid you farewell!"

One of the peaks of the entire world of prog of not only Italy but all places and all times, IO SONO NATO LIBERO reached a level even BANCO couldn't sustain and while the band would have a few good years left as a prog band before succumbing to the watered down world of pop rock, BANCO would never reproduced the musical magic that was delivered on its first three albums reaching its logical conclusion on IO SONO NATO LIBERO. This album delivers such tight and proficient instrumental interplay it's almost like the band became a single entity when playing it. There is little in the entire prog universe to compare this to. While the theme was supposedly inspired by the military coup that had taken place across the world in Chile, the meaning of the album title seems more appropriate in referring to the musical developments that can result in crafty creative innovation when the freedom to explore them is permitted. One of the highlights of all prog, of all Italy and of all music ever recorded. Not to mention a personal all-time favorite. M-m-m-m-masterpiece!!!

Instrumental consistency and forcefulness are the basis on which "Io Sono Nato Libero" is built, the committed third album by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso released in 1973. A musical proposal in which elements taken from classical and baroque music, jazz and folk converge once again, amalgamated under the shelter of the inclusive progressive rock. Concerned with the freedom of political thought and the events that polarised the world about the path their societies should follow, the Romans ratify their enormous talent and in turn use "Io Sono Nato Libero" as a means of expressing their social reflections.

Right at the start of the album, Gianni Nocenzi's gentle piano and a subtle layer of synthesizer provide the ideal framework for Francesco Di Giacomo's heartfelt singing on the aching suite "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico", a huge and dramatic instrumental progression that gradually incorporates Pier Luigi Calderoni's jazzy percussion, countless additional keyboards from the Nocenzi brothers, and Marcello Todaro's arpeggiated acoustic guitar in between. A superb track that increases and decreases in tempo according to the requirements of the plot, and is continued in the beautiful ballad "Non Mi Rompete", a reflection on the contradiction of the dreams of peace with the nightmares of war, with Todaro's guitars and Vittorio Nocenzi's moog towards the end to round it off. One of the best of the album.

"La Citt' Sottile" is an exercise in jazz mode with a recognisable Emersonian influence, and the breezy and very progressive "Dopo.... Niente ' Pi' Lo Stesso", is a new display of the band's virtuosity, between the Nocieri's moogs and hammonds and Todaro's guitar, in the dark description of the terrible aftermath of war, where there are never any winners. The brief and epic "Traccia II" brings the album to an impeccable conclusion with the almost absolute protagonism of the keyboards, supported by Calderoni's percussion.

After the release of "Io Sono Nato Libero" and following in the footsteps of their compatriots PFM, Banco became part of Manticore, the record label of their referenced E,L&P, in the Italians' quest to expand their musical horizons beyond the local borders.

Excellent

4/4.5 stars

A few months after their solid debut album, "Banco del Mutuo Socorsso" confirms their great form by releasing "Darwin!", a conceptual work in the style of the hurricane-like progressive winds of the early 70's, based on the theory of evolution of the English scientist and naturalist Charles Darwin. The classical and baroque influences of Romans combined with their particular lyrical and operatic style of singing, are tinged with elements incorporated from great icons of the genre such as their referenced E,L&P, to create one of the capital works of the flourishing Italian progressive rock.

The first part of "Darwin! " is a puzzle of intricate instrumental structures, with momentary and elusive reflective passages, both in the huge and descriptive "La Evolucione", and in the gloomy and haunting "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta", with both tracks featuring the virtuosic Nocenzi brothers in a leading role, with the sea of effects that they masterfully extract from their countless hammonds, moogs and grand pianos, and seconded by the impeccable dramatic effects that Francesco Di Giacomo's portentous voice brings to each of his interventions.

The second part, while maintaining the complex compositional dynamics of the first part, nevertheless unfolds with short and heterogeneous pieces, such as the jazzy and anodyne "Danza Dei Grandi Rettili", the lively and incisive "Cento Mani E Cento Occhi", or the beautiful and peaceful "750,000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? L'Amore?", a remarkable communion of piano and voice cut in between by a synthesised interlude, undoubtedly one of the best on the album.

The strange and disturbing "Ed Ora Io Domando Tempo Al Tempo Ed Egli Mi Risponde ... Non Ne Ho!" concludes the album amidst fairground music and pig grunts, giving the final touch to a seminal work that cemented Banco as one of the cornerstones of the Italian progressive movement.

Very good.

4 stars

In a flourishing and golden 1972 for the genre, another of the fundamental actors of Italian progressive rock appeared on the scene, Banco del Mutuo Socorsso. While sharing the influences of the indispensable E,L&P and similar mastodons of the time, Banco ventured to combine dense structures with baroque and classical elements, unlike their more melodic and gentle compatriots, Premiata Forneria Marconi.

And Banco's eponymous debut album reflects that, where generous and at times mysterious instrumental developments contrasted with intermittent but decisive and overwhelming vocal interventions, mould a work of remarkable pieces. Such as the moribund "R.I.P. (Requiescant In Pace)", of epic character and framed towards its epilogue by the enormous and dramatic vocal register of Francesco Di Giacomo, one of the best of the album, or the Kafkaesque "Metamorfosi", of clear Emersonian influences, a demonstration of the virtuosity of Vittorio Nocenzi and his brother Gianni on keyboards, going back and forth between passages charged with intensity in a counterpoint with Marcello Todaro's guitars and the restraint of Pier Luigi Calderoni's lighthearted percussion, or also the extensive and mysterious suite "Il Giardino Del Mago", unravelled between sombre atmospheric passages and deep sonorous lucubrations again guided by Vittorio Nocenzi on keyboards, the lyrical brushstrokes of the incommensurable Di Giacomo, and the correct bass of Renato D'Angelo.

At the initial and final extremes of the album, both the brief "In Volo" with its spacey aroma and pastoral flutes, and the unhinged "Traccia" with its schizoid choruses and rushed development, add a tinge of immediacy and versatility, complementing the stupendous musical proposal.

With their first work, Banco begins to write their history and make a prominent place for themselves in the Olympus of the Italian vein of the genre, sharing the podium with PFM and Le Orme.

Excellent.

4/4.5 stars

While indisputably one of the prog scene's greatest bands ever to emerge from 1970s Italy, BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO better known as BANCO dominated the world of symphonic prog but like most proggers of the day totally derailed once musical tastes shifted and left the band struggling to adapt to the new world of punk, heavy metal and new wave. BANCO was not very good at watering its classic sophisti-prog down into the sugary realms of pop music and despite crafting some of the all time classics with albums like "Darwin," equally churned out some of the most nauseating attempts of a band of such caliber trying to fit in with the newer contemporary sounds. The 80s was not kind. After a final attempt to gain some momentum in the alternative 90s and even an ill-fated attempt to re-record "Darwin," BANCO fell silent presumably never to be heard from again.

This was made all the more so when legendary lead singer Francesco Di Giacomo perished in a car accident in 2014. Who in the world would have thought that this legendary band had any second life in them? BANCO shocked the prog world it was reformed by the only original member still standing, pianist and keyboardist Vittorio Nocenzi with a new cast of characters and released "Transiberiana" in 2019. The track record of forty year old prog bands reforming and recapturing the spirit of their original run isn't very good and although nobody initially thought anything of this comeback, BANCO exceeded expectations with a brilliant album that melded the soulful performances of decades ago with a new modern sheen that incorporated all the newer production techniques to the mix. I was pleasantly surprised for sure and now it's officially no one off fluke. BANCO are back with ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE (The Shapes of Love), officially the band's 18th studio album.

Hard to believe that ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE has arrived just in time for the band's 50th anniversary of the self-titled masterpiece and "Darwin" but a half of a century has elapsed making it so. Unbelievably BANCO sounds amazingly reinvigorated with the same music mojo that brought them to the world's stage so many decades ago. This is a concept album not based on the famous city in Florida but rather the 16th century poem "Orlando Furioso" written by Ludovico Ariosto which first appeared in 1516. ORLANDO was a Christian knight who fought in the war between the Charlemagne Christian paladins and the Saracen army that invaded Europe for the sake of overthrowing the Christian empire. The poem itself was divided into 46 cantos. The concept and complex nature of the poem lends to an amazing display of musical antics that accompany these themes.

ORLANDO, the album is like a double album from the classic prog era with 15 tracks and a running time of a whopping 79 minutes, quite a risky endeavor for a band some 50 years in existence but let's face it: this is BANCO in name only with only one original member. Despite the fact that Vittorio Nocenzi is the only original knight in this musical escapade though doesn't mean that this lineup of six hasn't successfully captured the essence of BANCO's classic sound. In fact ORLANDO is an even better album than "Transiberiana" which i rather liked quite a bit. Like any great Italian prog album, lyrics are exclusively in the Italian language and the diversity of sounds matches anything from the golden years. The new vocalist Tony D'Alessio performs the unthinkable task of replacing the late great Franceso Di Giacomo and while this may prove to be an insurmountable task, D'Alessio delivers stellar performances despite not being a young whippersnapper himself.

Paced like a traditional concept album from the classic prog years, ORLANDO opens with poetic prose and then breaks into a never ending series of melodic developments, strong composiitons and of course excellent musical deliveries. Although not original members, the five musicians sound like seasoned veterans in the prog field with the ability to craft pastoral intricate melodies or bombastic outbursts of prog excesses often within the same track. The track "Il Palidino" showcases some of the knottiest hefty workouts on the entire album. Lush ballads and adrenaline fueled heaviness more or less perfectly narrate the concept without the listener having any idea what the Italian lyrics are referencing. Most of all much effort was obviously put into the album's diversity of individual tracks which makes ORLANDO a most surprising comeback indeed.

Perhaps the biggest downfall of ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL'AMORE is its excessive playing time. I mean 79 minutes is a lot to ask for in our contemporary short attention span era. There's no way i would've even considered listening to this album if not for the fact it was BANCO! While BANCO's classic albums are in no danger of being outdone, this one is so much better than i could've possibly hoped for. The album basically builds on what what was presented on "Transiberiana" as the new BANCO and carried out to classic BANCO progginess. None of the guys in this lineup are youthful so don't expect any virtuosic performances on par with past glories but for a band of aging prog rockers you really couldn't expect anything better than what is presented on ORLANDO. The album could be shorter but even so there are really no substandard tracks, just too many of them! An excellent comeback for BANCO who appears to be on a roll with its second coming. Bravissimo!