DARWIN!

Darwin! What can be said about that hasn't been said a milion time? It's a classic progressive rock LP and milestone in RPI subgenere. This album re-enact the birth of the world and mankind, civilization, the war between science and church and even love. Everything is told in perfect Di Giacomo's Style and the attention to details in the arrangements is exquisite. There's no dead point and there's no way you'll going to get bored by listening to this album. It is one of those perfect LP and the review could stop right here! But, let's get deep into it and let's see every aspect of every song.

In the past I had the idea that L'Evoluzione was the perfect prog song, and for good reasons; beatuful lyrics and intro, a breathtaking middle part, adrenalinic solos, what more can you ask for? Everything is played perfectly and the music written by Giacomo and Vittorio Nocenzi is the best. This is probably their apotheosis and no wonder if this LP is considered their best. Probably the solos are too rushed and undifined in some parts and they knew that probably knew it infact in the 1991 remake they re-edited the solo and removed some of the weak parts. Though this little flaws the song is perfect to me.

Then we have La conquista della posizione eretta, another great song from this LP. Chaotic yet well-executed! The drums are rageous and again both Vittorio and Gianni give us great examples of their talent at both the piano and sinthesiezers. The song ends with a beautiful Di Giacomo singing, talking about the first time the man stand stood by his two legs for the first time, marking the transition from quadruped to biped and starting a new era for mankind.

Next song is La danza dei grandi rettili, a very funky jazzy track, everything is calm, quiet and well arranged! Just a nice track with smooth guitar, jazzy piano and synth solos. A good way for chilling out after the first two track. The title is a clear reference to dinosaurs who lived the earth, and that's a good way to... tribute them! Nice job!

Then, oh boy, Cento mani e Cento occhi. Another great track which opens up with a synth intro, then, the hunt is on. In the beginning the song re-enact minutly an hunting scene and then the democratic share with the community made by, of course, a hundred hands and a hundred eyes as the title suggest. The music again is fantastic, full of keyboard solos, tempo changes and other good stuff!

Next track is 750,000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? A long title, but it sure has its point! The lyrics talks about a love story in the prehistoric era: a man hide himself from a gorgeus woman and he has no courage to talk to her because of his aspect; he is ugly, dirty and he thinks that surely she will escape only by seeing him. So he only hides in the shadows, watching her everytime and feeling a ever growing sentiment that he can't express. This song has been very popoular by the years, first because it was rare that a (nasty) progressive rock band like Banco made such a romantic platonic love song and then because there was a clear influence of the italian "canzone" tradition making it the perfect example of how new way of doing music could approach to the old form without twisting the tradition. They just added something new to that language making it one of the most important Italian song of all time and it's remember still today. If you name Banco to everyone who lived in that period, even though they wasn't a great fan of the genere, they surely remember this song. The song is infact accessible to everyone who never approached the genere and satisfy both old and new listeners. The piano accompain great part of the songs, the chords and the singing are simple and beautiful and though its semplicity it remains a classic in Banco's repertory.

Then it's time for miserere alla storia, very strange and different from all the other songs in the LP, but still an ok track. The real different is that the lyrics, if you can call so, are acted by Gianni Nocenzi and it's probably the re-enacting of coming of the church and anticipate the theme of the next track. Again this song, full of great solos and passages, is again fantastic and there is no much to say about the track it self. Just a good song, that's all!

Last song is Ed Ora Io Domando Tempo Al Tempo Ed Egli Mi Risponde... Non Ne Ho! Geez! Thought "750.000 Anni Fa... L'amore" was a long title? Well, think again! This song is hilarious but so true. This is more like a complaint against the church and how in the years they created so much troubles in arts and, most important, science fields. As you probably know, church denied his theories about evolution, claiming that it was impossible that man could descent from monkeys, so the church putted Charles Darwin in a bad light and still today, though the church excuses, there is still who believe creationism. The song infact is very cynical and the lyrics full of rage, it's accompained by the sound of a creeking wheel, accordions and 3/4 tempos; a kind of mockery of the church's thought, designed as an old, giant and creeking wheel that squash everyone who dare contradict them. A perfect closing track for this majestic LP.

This is one hell of an album, a must for every RPI fan and a good starting point for the newbies. In 1991 Banco made a remake of this album, it is pretty cool, but I personally think the original is way better. The concept of this album is just fantastic, one of the greates operas in progressive rock history to me and and an immortal classic that still holds up to these days.