Record Reviews

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 ~ 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