BANCO (1983)

In March 2014, I went to Milan for a meeting. I stayed there for four days. In the same street of the hotel where I was staying there was a record store. So, I went there many times late in the afternoon, after work. You know how people say "When in Rome..." so I decided it was time to finally get to know some of the famous italian prog rock. I learned in the Internet about Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Premiata Forneria Marconi being the two most popular bands of the genre. In the shop, I found several records from these bands but I could only buy one of each. Since I couldn't remember which albums were regarded as best, I decided based on the covers and titles of albums.

In the end, I came out of that store with «Per un Amico» by PFM and «Banco» by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. I thought «Banco» was their first album because often debut albums are self-titled. The date on the back cover didn't help because it is written "2006" and I thought that should be a reissue from an early seventies record. Only later I discovered that I have chosen a 1983 album and one from the weakest period of the band.

It's very hard to review this album because to be prepared to write a revier one should listen carefully to an album as many times as possible and in different occasions. I must admit this is an album I've listened only 3 or 4 times since I bought it in March 2014. It's not an album I want to play to anyone. It's not an album I want to go back. Sometimes, after not listening to it for many months I start thinking: "well, maybe it is not so bad". Then, I give it another try and the conclusion is always the same: this album is one of the worst I have ever listened to.

Everything is bad: songs are uninspired, production is awful. I know a lot of people like Francesco Di Giacomo powerful operatic voice (and I respect their opinions) but that is not the case with me. His voice reminds me too much of Demis Roussos (Aphrodite's Child). Trying really hard, I can pick a not-so-bad song: «Moby Dick». Most of the rest is hard to get over. «Lontano Da» and «Velocità» are absolutely ridiculous.

Later I discovered the album «Io Sono Nato Libero» and was able to somehow reconcile with this band but I must say that back in March 2014 the disappointment with this album was highly compensated by the discovery of the beautiful «Per un Amico» by Premiata Forneria Marconi.