Banco del mutuo soccorso - Nudo (1997)

Posted By : tauro | Date : 14 Mar 2010 04:09:17 | Comments : 2 |

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, the second section is a very ambitious attempt to revisit some of the band’s greatest moment in a completely acoustic “unplugged” version and the CD2 is a live concert recorded in Tokyo in 1997.
This is the Italian version that includes 2 CD.

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In my eyes, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso were undoubtedly among the top five or six progressive rock bands in the world during their heyday in the mid 70s, standing out as perhaps the greatest of all the Italian groups. Their rich, refined musical attack, highlighted by the classically inspired dual keyboard tapestry of the brothers Nocenzi, plus the overwhelmingly expressive operatic vocals of Franceso DiGiacomo, combined with their compositional ability to effortlessly contrast awe inspiring power and bombast with stunning beauty, made Banco a defining phenomenon in Italian progressive rock. What vaults them into their own league, however, was their ability to sustain a level of such immense quality over the course of many albums, in contrast to the slew of Italian bands who only managed one or two albums before burning out. The first three Banco releases are all undisputed classics, monstrous works that are undoubtedly essential to any serious progressive rock collection. Other albums such as Come in Un'Ultima Cena and the all instrumental ...di Terra effectively sustain the bands legacy, and stand as essential Italian releases in their own right.

Banco originally began in Rome as a pop group whose core consisted of keyboardists Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi, though it was not until meeting vocalist Franceso DiGiacomo at a popular music festival that the classic lineup began to come together. With the addition of Marcello Todaro on guitar, and a solid rhythm section, the bands compositions began to become longer and more complex, undoubtedly inspired by the penetrating influence of English progressive rock at the time, as well as Vittorio's own passion for classical music. After securing a deal with the Italian label Dischi Ricordi, the band went into the studio to record their landmark debut album, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. The classic status of this album is hardly in question, representing a spark that would, at least in part, help nudge the burgeoning Italian progressive rock scene into a full blown renaissance. The next album, Darwin!, was arguably even better. After Darwin!, guitarist Rudolfo Maltese would come on board, and remain an integral part of the group until the present day. 1973's Io Sono Nato Libero is, simply put, one of my favorite albums ever, an outstanding achievement that perhaps stands as the band's magnum opus. It's hard to argue with any of these albums, all display a distinct compositional approach, and any person who is familiar with them might name a different one of the three as their favorite.

At this point, the band became impossible to ignore, and international recognition was forthcoming. After ELP had signed PFM to their Manticore label, they decided to take a chance on Banco, and the band put out an all English album, simply titled Banco, which contained English re-workings of various songs from the previous three albums. This was followed by a film soundtrack entitled Garofano Rosso, and in the same year by their fourth proper album, Come in Un'Ultima Cena. The album emphasized the classicism and gorgeous melodic instincts of the band, establishing itself as another fundamental release, though one that has been unjustly overshadowed by their previous work. 1978 was perhaps the peak of the band's ambition, Vittorio Nocenzi was given the opportunity to record with a full orchestra, the result being the brilliant instrumental album, ...di Terra. This period of Banco's extraordinary productivity would shortly come to a close however, as 1979's Canto di Primavera featured a simplification of the band's sound, veering more towards folk music and emphasizing melody over complexity, and while still good in its own right, ultimately hinted at the pop direction the band would take during the 80s.

The 80s for Banco is, presumably, a period of little interest for the progressive rock listener, though I haven't familiarized myself with any of these albums yet, and probably never will. Apparently, the focus was on chart success within their country, which seems to have been somewhat fruitful. Still, at the turn of the decade the band decided to return to their roots, and re-recorded their first two albums in 1991 as the Da Qui Messere Si Domina La Valle set. The rest of the decade has been characterized by live and studio releases reflecting their rediscovered progressive mentality, and has certainly been highlighted by their first appearances for American audiences, headlining two major festivals, Progfest in 2000 and NEARfest in 2001, captivating all who were present at either.

source: Banco del mutuo soccorso official website

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Tracking list CD1:
1. Nudo
2. E mi viene da pensare
3. Prologo #1
4. R.I.P.
5. Il ragno
6. Emiliano
7. L'evoluzione
8. 750.000 anni fa ... l'amore?

Tracking list CD2:
1. Sul palco
2. La conquista della posizione eretta
3. Metamorfosi
4. Guardami le spalle
5. Roma/Tokyo
6. La band
7. Bisbigli
8. Passaggio
9. Coi capelli sciolti al vento
10. Traccia
11. Prologo #2
12. Non mi rompete

Personnel:
* Francesco Di Giacomo (voce)
* Vittorio Nocenzi - piano, organo, moog, tastiere e voce
* Filippo Marcheggiani - chitarra elettrica
* Rodolfo Maltese - chitarre, tromba in Sib
* Maurizio Masi - batteria
* Tiziano Ricci - basso