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 ~ 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 ~ COLLAGE UNIVERSAL JAPAN 9465 ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock 3rd album from 1971. This great Italian Prog group started as a psychedelic influenced rock group in the 60s, but by the time they recorded this album they were already one of Italy`s most important Prog outfits. The trio format (keys, bass & drums) resembles of course ELP (and also Nice and Trace) and so does the music, but it is distinctive and original enough to deserve high prise. Limited Edition

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LE ORME ~ CONTRAPPUNTI UNIVERSAL JAPAN 9466 ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock 7th album from 1974. This legendary album is considered one of the highlights of Italian Prog. After adding guitar as the fourth instrument, the band developed their strongest and most advanced sound with played typical Italian symphonic Prog with lengthy and complex compositions, yet always preserving a strong melodic line. A must in every serious Prog collection! Limited Edition

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LE ORME ~ ELEMENTI CRISLER 3005 (Barcode: 8021939300520) ~ ITALY ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 Italian Prog band Le OrmeFind albums by this artist were one of the most important representatives 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. The band shared the fate of most of the other Prog bands slowly disappearing from the scene by the end of the 1970s, when the popularity of Prog genre suffered a serious decline. They recorded and performed sporadically over the years, and by the mid 1990s, when Prog was back on the scene, the band formally reformed and recorded their comeback album Il FumeFind albums with this title in 1996. But it took them another five years to come up with an album, which was a true reflection of their abilities and a formidable companion of their 1970s achievements – ElementiFind albums with this title. This beauty as a concept album, full of great melodies and excellent instrumental work, in the best tradition of the Italian Prog. With two keyboards players the band is able to create rich layers of sound and many dramatic moments, as appropriate for the genre. The sitar and violin parts are also excellent, adding a new dimension to the music. Lead vocals are excellent as well and the magic of the Italian language suits the music perfectly. It is truly uplifting to see a great band returning to its glory. Most warmly recommended!

CD 1 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