Record Reviews

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ AS IN A LAST SUPPER ESOTERIC / MANTICORE 1010 (Barcode: 5013929381025) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1976 Released: 2010 Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist were the second Italian Prog band (after PFMFind albums by this artist) signed by the Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist owned ManticoreFind albums on this label label, to promote the band in UK and US. The band was formed in Rome in 1969 and changed its lineup several times before a stable equilibrium of talent was finally achieved. The founders, brothers Gianni NocenziFind albums by this artist and Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist, both keyboards players, were joined by vocalist Francesco Di GiacomoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rodolfo MalteseFind albums by this artist, bassist Renato D`AngeloFind albums by this artist and drummer Pier Luigi CalderoniFind albums by this artist. Following the release of three masterpiece albums in their native country, this was their second (and sadly the last) UK release and it includes violinist Angelo BraduardiFind albums by this artist in the lineup, who was also responsible for the English language version of the lyrics. The album was released simultaneously in Italy (and with lyrics in Italian) under the title "Come In Un`Ultima CenaFind albums with this title" and in UK under this title. This is a concept album with the "Last Supper" as it center theme, which raised a certain level of controversy at the time. This is classic stuff, well known to most serious Prog fans, so there is no need to say much more, except for the fact that this album is often considered as the band´s best work. The English accent, often ridiculed by some of the less polite critics, has a charm in itself for me. A classic!

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted:

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ BANCO ESOTERIC / MANTICORE 1009 (Barcode: 5013929380929) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2010 Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist were the second Italian Prog band (after PFMFind albums by this artist) signed by the Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist owned ManticoreFind albums on this label label, to promote the band in UK and US. The band was formed in Rome in 1969 and changed its lineup several times before a stable equilibrium of talent was finally achieved. The founders, brothers Gianni NocenziFind albums by this artist and Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist, both keyboards players, were joined by vocalist Francesco Di GiacomoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rodolfo MalteseFind albums by this artist, bassist Renato D`AngeloFind albums by this artist and drummer Pier Luigi CalderoniFind albums by this artist. Following the release of three masterpiece albums in their native country, this was their UK debut. It contains three new compositions and the rest of the material consists of re-makes of material from their earlier albums with English lyrics, written by Marva Jan MarrowFind albums by this artist, who also wrote English lyrics for PFM albums. This is classic stuff, well known to most serious Prog fans, so there is no need to say much more, except for the fact that this album is often mistakes as a "best of" compilation, which it is not by any standard. The English accent is also often ridiculed by some of the less polite critics, which is true in some respect, but has a charm in itself for me. A classic!

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted:

CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ EN CONCIERTO: MAY 28, 1999 MEXICO CITY SOL & DENEB 09/10 ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 By the end of 1990s the Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist were back into Prog with full swing. This live album demonstrates just how great the band still is after all these years. The material includes their entire career, going back as far as their debut album and up to their latest (at that time) releases. The 1980s material gets here an up-to-date Prog treatment, so basically this is a win / win situation any way one looks at this. The instrumental work is as brilliant as always, with the keyboards setting the tone and the dramatic vocals sending a chill down your spine. For the many fans of the band this is a must and for people who are not familiar with the band (not that this is possible?) this is a great introduction. The sound quality is also superb. Grab it!

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted:

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ IO SONO NATO LIBERO (LEGACY EDITION) SONY 889854682224 (Barcode: 889854682224) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1973 - 2017 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the third album by the iconic Italian Prog group Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist, which closed the legendary early album trilogy the group recorded, which includes also the eponymous debut and the album "Darwin!Find albums with this title" and which defines the illustrious origins of the Italian Prog movement together with the early recordings by PFMFind albums by this artist and Le OrmeFind albums by this artist. At the time the album was recorded (1973) the group´s lineup included the founders / keyboardists brothers Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist and Gianni NocenziFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marcello TodaroFind albums by this artist, bassist Renato D`AngeloFind albums by this artist, drummer Pier Luigi CalderoniFind albums by this artist and charismatic vocalist Francesco Di GiacomoFind albums by this artist. The album presents only five tracks, including the epic over fifteen minutes long opening track, with all music by Vittorio Nocenzi except one track by Gianni Nocenzi and lyrics by Francesco Di Giacomo and Vittorio Nocenzi. This Legacy Edition is lavishly packaged in a digibook format and includes a booklet with in depth essay and the lyrics (sadly only) in Italian and splendid photographs, as well as a bonus CD, which is described below. Over the years countless reviews of the album were written and published, so there is no point in repeating the obvious praises. It is however important to remember that this music defined the Prog idiom, and took it to its zenith, which as I have repeatedly stated, stays firmly at its place and the Prog genre over the years didn´t manage to go above or beyond it, which perhaps is more of a blessing than a criticism. It is also important to remember that the individuals behind Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso were always socially / politically aware persons and their lyrics touched upon raw nerves more often than not. More on this subject below… The real surprise of this reissue is the included bonus CD, which presents a new and unreleased album recorded in 2017 by the current lineup of the band. Fronted by the original founding member, keyboardist / composer Vittorio Nocenzi, the band also includes lead guitarist Filippo MarcheggianiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Nicola Di GiàFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco CapoziFind albums by this artist, drummer Fabio MorescoFind albums by this artist and lead vocalist Tony D`AlessioFind albums by this artist. The album entitled "La Libertà DifficileFind albums with this title" (Difficult Freedom) presents five tracks, four of which were composed by Vittorio Nocenzi and one was co-composed by Vittorio Nocenzi and his son Michelangelo NocenziFind albums by this artist. It also includes a recorded interview with Vittorio Nocenzi. As the album´s title suggests the subject matter is a reflection upon the issues touched upon in "Io Sono Nato LiberoFind albums with this title" from a forty four years perspective and asks difficult questions like "Che Libertà?" (What Freedom?) and makes somber statements like "…Che Non Si Ferma Mai" (…That Never Sops), which of course reflect the contemporary social / political situation as seen by many people today. The music on the "La Libertà Difficile" album is a wonderful reflection of the classic sound and style of the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso heyday period. The same approach to melody, harmony and instrumentation appears here, with only slightly updated sound and production techniques, but faithfully preserving the overall retro ambience. The philosophical concept subject matter also returns, adding an intellectual dimension to the entire project. It is a splendid forerunner to the wonderful "TransiberianaFind albums with this title" album recorded by the same lineup two years later. Overall this is a superb package, even for people who already have a copy of the "Io Sono Nato Libero" album, as the bonus "La Libertà Difficile" album and the packaging are absolutely worth having. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 18/05/2019Posted: 18/05/2019

CD 2 Digibook Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ NUDO (ACUSTICO) SOL & DENEB 07 ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1997 Released: 1999 Italian Prog band Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist were one of the pillars of the genre in the early 1970s and recorded several classic albums, which are considered some of the best to come out of this country. In the 1980s, when the popularity of Prog genre suffered a serious decline, the band switched their direction and tried to blend into the Italian Pop scene, producing several Pop oriented albums, which were received very coldly by their devoted fan base, who accused the band of selling out. By mid-1990s the band was firmly back into Prog with new albums and extensive touring activity, to the delight of the fans. This album is probably the most “unusual” event of their entire output and includes two separate sections. The first section is a new suite (in 3 parts), which gives the album its title. Performed by the entire band it brings back the fond memories of the band’s glory days and includes all the elements of classic Italian Prog: great keyboards work and powerful vocals. The second section is a very ambitious attempt to revisit some of the band’s greatest moment in a completely acoustic “unplugged” version. Performed on piano, acoustic guitar and vocals only, this is a truly magical achievement. The virtuoso piano performances by pianist Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist (who also composed all the music) and the almost operatic vocals of Francesco Di GiacomoFind albums by this artist are heartbreaking and captivating from start to finish. This is definitely a triumphant return by one of the Prog’s giants. Side Note: The album "NudoFind albums with this title" was originally released as a 2CD set and included the studio album on CD one and live recordings on CD two. This edition includes only the studio album and the live material is available separately as "Nudo (Live In Tokyo 97)Find albums with this title".

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ NUDO (LIVE IN TOKYO 97) SOL & DENEB 08 ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1989 - 1997 Released: 1999 By mid-1990s the Italian Prog giants Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist were firmly back into Prog with new albums and extensive touring activity, to the delight of the fans. This album documents some of the band’s live performances in that period. Although credited to being recorded in Japan in 1997, actually only the first 6 tracks were recorded there and the rest of the album comes from earlier performances (1989 & 1995) in Italy. Regardless of the source, the band sounds absolutely brilliant here as it did at its peak in the 1970s. Superb instrumental work on keyboards and lead vocals, which were always their forte, come up here in full glory as if time was completely frozen in the last 20+ years. This is definitely a triumphant return by one of the Prog’s giants. Side Note: The album "NudoFind albums with this title" was originally released as a 2CD set and included a studio album on CD one and live recordings on CD two. This edition includes only the live album and the studio material is available separately as "Nudo (Acustico)Find albums with this title".

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ ORLANDO: LE FORME DELL`AMORE (LIMITED EDITION) SONY 196587265120 (Barcode: 196587265120) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by the iconic Italian Progressive Rock group Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist, released three years after their previous album “TransiberianaFind albums with this title” and celebrating five decades of their musical activity, which started in 1972 with the release of their debut eponymous album. Fronted by the founding member, keyboardist / composer Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist, the group also includes lead guitarist Filippo MarcheggianiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Nicola Di GiàFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco CapoziFind albums by this artist, drummer Fabio MorescoFind albums by this artist and vocalist Tony D`AlessioFind albums by this artist. The album presents, as usual, a concept journey, this time based on the epic poem “Orlando Furioso” by Italian poet Ludovico AriostoFind albums by this artist, consisting of fifteen original songs, all by Vittorio Nocenzi and his son Michelangelo NocenziFind albums by this artist and lyricist Paolo LogliFind albums by this artist. The beautiful booklet contains the original Italian lyrics and the English translation. The music is classic Italian Progressive Rock, which faithfully continues the tradition of the genre from the 1970s, based on beautiful melodic themes, heartfelt vocals and excellent instrumental work with impressive solos. The entire album is perfectly balanced, coherent and emphasizes the Artistic / aesthetic approach to music, characteristic to the European modus operandi. With Progressive Rock being in decline, or deep coma, since decades, recording an album like this one is a very courageous act of putting one’s beliefs and convictions out in the open, against all odds. I can already hear the “critics” talking about this being outdated, nostalgia driven, irrelevant, etc. What nonsense… Personally I admire these musicians for the stamina and their ability to discard and ignore the fads and fashions of contemporary music, which are tragically empty of any Artistic flair. Great music is completely timeless, and it is perfectly logical to create music, which originates in concepts defined fifty years ago, as long as it offers aesthetic values and musical ideals, which stand the tides of time. The world driven by the insane obsession of constant change and instant gratification simply does not deserve great music. Overall, this is another Masterpiece by a legendary group, which withstands the madness of furious moving “forward” towards nowhere. Faithfully preserving the concept of Progressive Rock, as well the unique Italian sensitivity and centuries long musical tradition, this is an instant classic of the genre. The followers of Banco need no convincing of course, but hopefully some youngsters will discover this album in order to hear what true Prog is all about, and not the ersatz products being offered under this moniker.

Updated: 31/10/2022Posted: 27/10/2022

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO ~ TRANSIBERIANA (LIMITED EDITION) SONY 190759343722 (Barcode: 190759343722) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 On May 10, 2019, the day this album was released, I happened to be in Rome, so there was no way I was going to ignore the event and not get a copy of a new Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist album, released twenty two years after their last studio album "NudoFind albums with this title". After all they were obviously a significant part of the soundtrack of my life as one of the three leading Italian Prog bands in the 1970s together with PFMFind albums by this artist and Le OrmeFind albums by this artist. Fronted by the original founding member, keyboardist / composer Vittorio NocenziFind albums by this artist, the band also includes lead guitarist Filippo MarcheggianiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Nicola Di GiàFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco CapoziFind albums by this artist, drummer Fabio MorescoFind albums by this artist and lead vocalist Tony D`AlessioFind albums by this artist. The album presents, as expected, a concept journey suite comprising of eleven tracks. All the music was co-composed by Vittorio Nocenzi and his son Michelangelo NocenziFind albums by this artist, This Limited Edition is lavishly packaged in a digibook format and includes a 44-page booklet with in depth essay and the lyrics in Italian and English and splendid photographs, as well as two bonus tracks recorded live in 2018. Although the Prog genre lost its "progressive" characteristic by the end of the 1970s and didn´t move an inch forward since, this does not mean that it lost its Artistic values. Some wonderful music was created within the Prog idiom over the years and this album is a wonderful illustration of such a case. Prog simply became a "closed" genre, which offers ambitious, sophisticated and intelligent Rock music, with an emphasis on well structured melodic themes, which serve as basis for extended improvisations, blending Classical, Rock and Jazz flavors in a kaleidoscope of sounds, which has a distinct keyboards dominated sound. On this album Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso return to their heyday period, during which they created their first three albums: the eponymous debut, "Darwin!Find albums with this title" and "Io Sono Nato LiberoFind albums with this title", all classic examples of Italian Prog. The same approach to melody, harmony and instrumentation appears here, with only slightly updated sound and production techniques, but faithfully preserving the overall retro ambience. The philosophical concept subject matter also returns, adding an intellectual dimension to the entire project. Altogether the album offers a superb collection of wonderful melodies, full of typical Italian lyricism, beautiful harmony and heartbreaking sincerity. The Italian lyrics work like magic and honestly even reading a telephone book in Italian sounds simply stupendous. Some "critics" will probably claim that this is all about nostalgia, but the truth is that this album has nothing to do with nostalgia. It is completely fresh and contemporary, and the fact that it is still presented as or considered as Prog does not weaken its value whatsoever. Yes, there is not much innovation here, but everything is done with exquisite elegance, taste and flair, as only the most talented musicians are able to create a perfect piece of music based on a tradition, which they wish to preserve. Overall this is a magnificent album, full of great music, superb playing and full of aesthetic values, which are sadly mostly gone from our present reality. A rare gem proving that not all is lost and some musical sanity is still around us. Thank you Gentlemen for this gift of music!

Updated: 17/05/2019Posted: 17/05/2019

CD 1 Digibook Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

LE ORME ~ SULLE ALI DI UN SOGNO SONY 190759328323 (Barcode: 190759328323) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 When I went to the famous Feltrinelli shop in Rome to pick up the new Banco Del Mutuo SoccorsoFind albums by this artist album "TransiberianaFind albums with this title" on the day of its release, I just couldn´t resist getting the new album by another legendary Italian Prog band, Le OrmeFind albums by this artist, which was released less than a couple months earlier. However upon closer examination I found out that although the album was newly recorded, it includes only two new songs and the other nine tracks of the album are new versions of old songs from the band´s vast repertoire, starting with the "CollageFind albums with this title" album from 1971 and up to the "ClassicOrmeFind albums with this title" album from 2017. With drummer Michi Del RossiFind albums by this artist as the only founding member present and keyboardist Michele BonFind albums by this artist from later lineups, the group also includes bassist / vocalist Alessio TrapellaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Ivan GeronazzoFind albums by this artist. Two vocalists (each on one track) and famed violinist David CrossFind albums by this artist (on six tracks) appear as guest artists. In spite the fact that the album does not offer much new music, it is hard to resist the charm of Le Orme, which always was their main forte. The typical Italian lyricism and melancholy, embodied by their beautiful melodies and delicate harmonies are overwhelming and this album is full of them from start to finish. Although the album includes material spanning almost fifty years, it offers a coherent, strongly Classical Music oriented arrangements, which combined with the Italian lyrics is simply heart-melting. In short, although calling this a new Le Orme album might be a bit stretched, it is still a very nice piece of music, which is definitely worth listening to. From what I have seen on so far the album was rather coldly received by the "critics", which of course means very little. In contrast to the above mentioned Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso album it is not an effort to return to the glory days of the group´s early days but rather an attempt to keep their older music alive today, a perfectly valid concept by itself. Overall this is a superb collection of melodic tunes, which are closer to Pop-Classical Fusion than Prog, but are nevertheless a pleasant listening experience and a nice escape from the contemporary non-music atrocity around us.

Updated: 20/05/2019Posted: 20/05/2019

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend