IO SONO NATO LIBERO

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso is one of the most well regarded Italian Symphonic Prog bands out there today. With a large discography that spans over 30 years, they are a favorite to prog lovers everywhere. 1973 was the year that the band released it's third album "Io Sono Nato Libero". It was an interesting follow up to their second album, the concept piece "Darwin!". Comprised of only five songs, the longest being fifteen minutes long, it is a shining example of Italian Progressive Rock and a masterpiece of the subgenre.

The opening song "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico" starts with Francesco Di Giacomo's soft operatic vocals and a quiet little piano melody from Gianni Nocenzi before the guitar and synth lines kick in. After tons of synthesizer and guitar interchanges, the song shift to a more primal beat with tribal drumming and devilish guitar playing. This happens to be my favorite moment on the entire album. This leads on with a brief interlude from an acoustic guitar before going back to the chaotic drumming and crazed piano mashing.

Song two is "Non mi Rompete" is a soft dreamy acoustic guitar driven piece with some spacey synth effects at the end. Song three "La Citta Sottile" opens with the some creepy piano parts. There are a few nice synth fill ins here and there on the track and includes a very simple but effective guitar solo that leads into some bizarre synthesizer arrangements before coming back to the opening piano melody we started with.

The fourth song "Dopo...Niente E Piu Lo Stesso" starts with a weird synthesizer line before the creepy pianos we met in the previous track enter once more. The song is pretty much a big showcase for the synthesizer and piano to jump around and dance with one another. The synth melody at the beginning and end is very catchy though. "Traccia II" the final track is an instrumental that starts quietly and climaxing in a very triumphant flourish with keyboards and organ arising together.

Although some fans of the band may point you in the direction of "Darwin!" to start with, I would recommend this one. It has the precise and complex musicianship, lengthy songs, and powerful vocals that make it a progressive rock favorite. It is another must have for fans of Italian Progressive Rock.