IO SONO NATO LIBERO

One of the most important albums of the Italian prog scene, albeit not the most consistent one. "Io Sono" contains some of main composer Vittorio Nocenzi's best work, along with great performance from every band member, but there are some considerably weak parts which prevent it from reaching perfection. In any case, two tracks here stand out as the finest examples of progressive rock: "La Citta' Sottile" and "Dopo Niente E'piu'lo Stesso". The former begins with an excellent piano intro, featuring sparse touches of atonality; Gianni Nocenzi proceeds to carry the song forward with tastefully intricate piano work, while brother (and main composer) Vittorio contributes occasional synth washes, and Francesco Di Giacomo's solid performance in his trademark voice ( with frequent ventures into somewhat theatrical territory) completes the picture for seven minutes of exquisite prog. Highlight No. 2, "Dopo Niente E'piu'lo Stesso", is undoubtedly one of the best prog epics - throughout it's duration, it changes many themes and moods, yet the music never looses it's remarkable catchiness, at the same time being intricate and creative in typical Banco fashion.

The rest of the album does feature outstanding moments, but leaves a lot to be desired. For a 15 minute track), the opening number is a bit disappointing: it's certainly varied enough to keep your attention for it's entire duration, and contains some fascinating parts - notably the short but intriguingly complex interlude at 4:24, as well as Marcelo Todaro's acoustic guitar work, which ranges from rapid strumming accompanied by tribal-styled percussion to gentle classical playing (featuring a theme later heard in "Dopo."); however, the opening theme is quite dull, and there is some unnecessary repetition that detracts from the overall listening experience. "Non Mi Rompete" is more or less filler - fans of PFM might enjoy the pleasant acoustic guitar and gentle vocals, but the usual Banco intensity and creativity is missing. Much better is "Traccia Ii", a short instrumental concluding the album - it may not be the best of its' kind, but it serves it's purpose well. Overall, "Io Sono" 's shortcomings don't prevent it from being a classic of progressive rock. Along with the slightly more consistent (albeit more cheesy) Darwin, it represents Banco's creative peak, and shouldn't be overlooked by any prog fan.

3.75