Compilation By Jon Dolan, Dan Epstein, Reed Fischer, Richard Gehr, Brandon Geist, Kory Grow, Will Hermes, Ryan Reed, Jon Weiderhorn (rolling stone)
For close to a half century, prog has been the breeding ground for rock's most out-there, outsized and outlandish ideas: Thick-as-a-brick concept albums, an early embrace of synthesizers, overly complicated time signatures, Tolkienesque fantasies, travails from future days and scenes from a memory. In celebration of Rush's first Rolling Stone cover story, here's the best of the deliciously decadent genre that the punks failed to kill.
**********
BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO
''IO SONO NATO LIBERO''
1973
40:27
1 Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 15:43
2 Non Mi Rompete (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 05:00
3 La Citta' Sottile (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 07:10
4 Dopo... Niente E' Piu' Lo Stesso (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 09:55
5 Traccia II (V. Nocenzi) 02:37
Vittorio Nocenzi/Organo, Sintetizzatori, spinetta
Gianni Nocenzi/Pianoforte, Piano Elettrico
Marcello Todaro/Chitarra Acustica, Chitarra Elettrica
Renato D'Angelo/Basso, Chitarra Acustica
Pier Luigi Calderoni/Batteria, Percussioni
Francesco Di Giacomo/Canto
Inoltre Participato:
Rodolfo Maltese/Chitarra Acustica Chitarra Elettrica
Silvana Aliotta/Percussioni
Bruno Perosa/Percussioni
**********
REVIEW/AMG
by François Couture
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's third LP, Io Sono Nato Libero, was released only a few months after the impressive Darwin!, and featured the same lineup (brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards, Rodolfo Maltese on guitar, Pierluigi Calderoni on drums, Renato d'Angelo on bass, and Francesco Di Giacomo on vocals). It yielded one classic track, "Non Mi Rompete," a beautiful Italian ballad that would be part of the band's set list for the rest of its life. Another important track is "Traccia II," which develops the musical idea found at the end of the 1971 LP Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Music history may have preserved these two pieces, but the real point of interest on Io Sono Nato Libero is the 15-minute opus "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico," a complex and very moving piece (the title translates to "Nomad Song for a Political Prisoner"). Di Giacomo feels so involved in the lyrics that his voice is always on the verge of breaking up. The song contains a strange section of percussion overdubs in the middle, which sadly alters its cohesion, but otherwise it remains one of the group's strong compositions from its early days. This album was eclipsed by the cult status Darwin! achieved, but it should not be overlooked. It possesses all the elements that made Banco del Mutuo Soccorso such a unique band, embodying everything Italian progressive rock could be.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Geoff Orens
The long-lived and influential Italian progressive band Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was influenced by such British progressive giants as Yes and Gentle Giant while also drawing heavily on classical and folk music. Although the group simplified their sound in later years, from 1972 to 1976 the group produced a series of eclectic, densely arranged progressive classics.
Formed in the early '70s, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso featured the dual keyboard attack of Vittorio Nocenzi, the aggressive guitar of Rudolfo Maltese, the quasi-operatic vocals of Franceso di Giacomo, and the solid rhythm section of Maurisio Masi (drums) and Tiziano Ricci. Their first album, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (1972), featured jazzy elements but focused heavily on a classical sound that led many to compare them to ELP. The band continued in this vein for Darwin! (1972), Io Sono Nato Libero (1973), and Come In Un'ultima Cena (1976). Banco (1975) was compiled of English-language remixes of material from their original albums. Garofano Rosso (1976) and Di Terra (1978) were almost all-instrumental and found the group exploring further into the classical realm. Canto Di Primavera (1979) simplified the band's sound to a degree, evidenced further on the live Capolinea (1980).
The group pursued a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s before breaking up after Grande Joe (1985). They re-formed in the early '90s, releasing Da Qui Messere Si Domina La Valle (1991), a re-recording of their first two albums. Il Tredici followed in 1994, while an unplugged set, Nudo, was released in 1997. Live in Concert, a double CD of the reunited group playing in 1999, was released in 2000.
**********
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP
For close to a half century, prog has been the breeding ground for rock's most out-there, outsized and outlandish ideas: Thick-as-a-brick concept albums, an early embrace of synthesizers, overly complicated time signatures, Tolkienesque fantasies, travails from future days and scenes from a memory. In celebration of Rush's first Rolling Stone cover story, here's the best of the deliciously decadent genre that the punks failed to kill.
**********
BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO
''IO SONO NATO LIBERO''
1973
40:27
1 Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 15:43
2 Non Mi Rompete (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 05:00
3 La Citta' Sottile (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 07:10
4 Dopo... Niente E' Piu' Lo Stesso (V. Nocenzi, F. Fi Giacomo) 09:55
5 Traccia II (V. Nocenzi) 02:37
Vittorio Nocenzi/Organo, Sintetizzatori, spinetta
Gianni Nocenzi/Pianoforte, Piano Elettrico
Marcello Todaro/Chitarra Acustica, Chitarra Elettrica
Renato D'Angelo/Basso, Chitarra Acustica
Pier Luigi Calderoni/Batteria, Percussioni
Francesco Di Giacomo/Canto
Inoltre Participato:
Rodolfo Maltese/Chitarra Acustica Chitarra Elettrica
Silvana Aliotta/Percussioni
Bruno Perosa/Percussioni
**********
REVIEW/AMG
by François Couture
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's third LP, Io Sono Nato Libero, was released only a few months after the impressive Darwin!, and featured the same lineup (brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards, Rodolfo Maltese on guitar, Pierluigi Calderoni on drums, Renato d'Angelo on bass, and Francesco Di Giacomo on vocals). It yielded one classic track, "Non Mi Rompete," a beautiful Italian ballad that would be part of the band's set list for the rest of its life. Another important track is "Traccia II," which develops the musical idea found at the end of the 1971 LP Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. Music history may have preserved these two pieces, but the real point of interest on Io Sono Nato Libero is the 15-minute opus "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico," a complex and very moving piece (the title translates to "Nomad Song for a Political Prisoner"). Di Giacomo feels so involved in the lyrics that his voice is always on the verge of breaking up. The song contains a strange section of percussion overdubs in the middle, which sadly alters its cohesion, but otherwise it remains one of the group's strong compositions from its early days. This album was eclipsed by the cult status Darwin! achieved, but it should not be overlooked. It possesses all the elements that made Banco del Mutuo Soccorso such a unique band, embodying everything Italian progressive rock could be.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Geoff Orens
The long-lived and influential Italian progressive band Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was influenced by such British progressive giants as Yes and Gentle Giant while also drawing heavily on classical and folk music. Although the group simplified their sound in later years, from 1972 to 1976 the group produced a series of eclectic, densely arranged progressive classics.
Formed in the early '70s, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso featured the dual keyboard attack of Vittorio Nocenzi, the aggressive guitar of Rudolfo Maltese, the quasi-operatic vocals of Franceso di Giacomo, and the solid rhythm section of Maurisio Masi (drums) and Tiziano Ricci. Their first album, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (1972), featured jazzy elements but focused heavily on a classical sound that led many to compare them to ELP. The band continued in this vein for Darwin! (1972), Io Sono Nato Libero (1973), and Come In Un'ultima Cena (1976). Banco (1975) was compiled of English-language remixes of material from their original albums. Garofano Rosso (1976) and Di Terra (1978) were almost all-instrumental and found the group exploring further into the classical realm. Canto Di Primavera (1979) simplified the band's sound to a degree, evidenced further on the live Capolinea (1980).
The group pursued a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s before breaking up after Grande Joe (1985). They re-formed in the early '90s, releasing Da Qui Messere Si Domina La Valle (1991), a re-recording of their first two albums. Il Tredici followed in 1994, while an unplugged set, Nudo, was released in 1997. Live in Concert, a double CD of the reunited group playing in 1999, was released in 2000.
**********
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP