BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO — Transiberiana (2019) FLAC (tracks), lossless

In 2014, Italy's prog legends Banco del Mutuo Soccorso hadn't recorded a studio album in two decades. They were planning one when founding vocalist and songwriter Francesco di Giacomo was killed in a car accident. Given the impact of the tragedy, there was no reason to think that they'd ever release another. But that was before fans found out about Di Giacomo's instructions to keyboardist/composer Vittorio Nocenzi after seeing Tony D'Alessio sing with Scenario: "Before I die, mark him as a hypothetical substitute for the band." Nocenzi did exactly that. The loosely conceptual Transiberiana is the first studio offering of new material from Banco in 25 years. Nocenzi penned it with his son Michelangelo and explains in the liner notes that the recording is the band's "autobiographical journey." D'Alessio may not possess the sheer charisma that Di Giacomo did, but he acquits himself beautifully. He was a lifelong fan of the band, and Italian prog in general, before joining. Nocenzi hired a slew of new players to fill out the lineup, with Filippo Marcheggiani and Nicola Di Già on guitars, Marco Capozi on bass, and Fabio Moresco on drums. Nocenzi continues to hold down the keyboard chair and sings backup.

Musically, this is wildly ambitious. The group's sound has naturally evolved, but it pays no heed to modern production values. The album's sound is analog. The number of styles the band move through on Transiberiana is quite astonishing -- they take deep dives into modern prog, avant-garde, atmospheric and experimental rock, classical, jazz, and even have an AOR moment or two. Opener "Stelle Sulla Terra" is almost suite-like in construction. It commences with a three-note circular keyboard vamp with jagged synths coming in to add a pulse, then alternates between quickly shifting time signatures, pastoral passages, and finally, D'Alessio's balladic vocals. As the music turns itself inside-out, colliding and dove-tailing through metallic futurism, Zappa-esque arpeggios, and riff-enhanced rock, he responds with recitative shouting and crooning. "La Discesa Dal Treno" offers dreamy piano and powerful guitar riffs before fierce lead guitar runs that underscore passionate vocals, while a tender jazz piano melody adds tension and later, balance. The synth in "Lo Sciamano" sounds like Vangelis and Keith Emerson struggling to inhabit the same body before King Crimson-esque guitars and thrumming drums add heft, and a rootsy acoustic piano delivers blues chords and post-bop arpeggios as D'Alessio croons. "Il Grande Bianco" begins with a guitar pattern reminiscent of '80s-era King Crimson (think Discipline and Beat), with horn and string sounds emerging overture-like to introduce the first part of the melody. Over its six minutes, it travels through prog and classical music, harmonious cinematic tropes, and knotty, cascading prog. The set closes with two bonus cuts, live versions of two Banco classics cut at 2018's Festival Prog Di Veruno -- "Metamorfosi" and "Il Ragno" -- which reveal this version of Banco can hold their own on-stage. Transiberiana is far better than almost any fan would expect from a band continuing their exploratory quest for musical discovery and expansion more than 25 years after their last effort. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
 Tracklist :
1.   Stelle Sulla Terra    (6:05)
1a.    La Partenza    
1b.    Cavalli Sull'altopiano    
1c.    Perche', Perche', Perche'    
2.    L'imprevisto    3:31
3.    La Discesa Dal Treno    (6:17)
3a.    Fermi Ed Agitati Come Tende Al Vento    
3b.    Come Nell'Ade    
4.    L'assalto Dei Lupi    5:37
5.    Campi Di Fragole 3:34
Lead Vocals – Vittorio Nocenzi
6.    Lo Sciamano    3:59
7.    Eterna Transiberiana    6:18
8.    I Ruderi Del Gulag    6:05
9.    Lasciando Alle Spalle    1:52
10.    Il Grande Bianco    6:33
11.    Oceano: Strade Di Sale    3:38
– BONUS TRACK –
12.    Metamorfosi (Live)    9:40
13.    Il Ragno (Live)    5:37
Credits :
Arranged By [Arrangiament] – Filippo Marcheggiani, Michelangelo Nocenzi, Nicola Di Già, Vittorio Nocenzi
Artwork – Cristiano Longhi, Link Design, Milano*, Stefano Mattiozzi, Valentina Mazzella
Keyboards [Additional Keyboards], Programmed By [Loops Programming] – Michelangelo Nocenzi
Lyrics By – Francesco Di Giacomo (tracks: 12, 13), Paolo Logli (tracks: 1 to 11), Vittorio Nocenzi
Music By – Michelangelo Nocenzi (tracks: 1 to 11), Vittorio Nocenzi
Performer [BMS Are], Bass – Marco Capozi
Performer [BMS Are], Drums – Fabio Moresco
Performer [BMS Are], Fortepiano [Pianoforte], Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Vittorio Nocenzi
Performer [BMS Are], Lead Guitar [Lead Guitars], Backing Vocals – Filippo Marcheggiani
Performer [BMS Are], Lead Vocals – Tony D'Alessio
Performer [BMS Are], Rhythm Guitar [Rhythm Guitars], Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitars], Balalaika – Nicola Di Già

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO - Come in Un'Ultima Cena [1976]

Come in Un'Ultima Cena is the last "classic" Banco album. After an instrumental album with orchestra (Di Terra, 1978), the band would favor a more commercial approach throughout the 1980s. Also the last one to feature the classic lineup of Gianni Nocenzi, Vittorio Nocenzi, Renato d'Angelo, Rodolfo Maltese, Pierluigi Calderoni, and Francesco Di Giacomo (since the latter does not sing on Di Terra), this LP shows sings of breathlessness. Songs are shorter and less engaging than what can be found on earlier masterpieces like Darwin! and Io Sono Nato Libero. Two tracks stand out: the powerful "Il Ragno" and "Slogan," one of the most energetic songs the band had recorded at that point. Of the seven other tracks on the album, none leave a dent in the listener's memory: melodies are blurry and undefined. Nevertheless, musicianship remains strong, even though Di Giacomo tries to sound more like a rock singer and less like an Italian singer. Guitarist Maltese gets more exposure on this LP. Come in Un'Ultima Cena was simultaneously released in Italian and English versions (as As in a Last Supper), the only difference between the two being the vocal tracks. The merits of each are debatable, but boil down to whether one prefers to understand the lyrics (even if it means suffering Di Giacomo's heavy accent) or to keep the melodious quality of the Italian language. by François Couture  

Tracklist

1 .... A Cena, Per Esempio 6:20
2 Il Ragno 4:55
3 E' Cosi' Buono Giovanni, Ma... 3:32
4 Slogan 7:23
5 Si Dice Che I Delfini Parlino 5:50
6 Voila' Mida (Il Guarinore) 6:14
7 Quando La Buana Gente Dice 1:57
8 La Notte E' Piena 4:14
9 Fino Alla Mia Porta 4:30
Credits
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Trumpet, French Horn, Vocals – Rodolfo Maltese
Bass, Acoustic Guitar – Renato D'Angelo
Drums, Percussion – Pierluigi Calderoni
 Lyrics By – Francesco Di Giacomo, Vittorio Nocenzi
 Organ, Synthesizer, Harpsichord, Synthesizer [Solina], Vocals – Vittorio Nocenzi
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Clarinet, Recorder – Gianni Nocenzi
 Violin – Angelo Branduardi
Vocals – Francesco Di Giacomo

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO - Come in Un'Ultima Cena 

[1976] Manticore / CBR320 / scan

O Púbis da Rosa

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO – Darwin! (1972-2009) Blue-spec CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Darwin! will remain Banco del Mutuo Soccorso's masterpiece. This album, the band's second, is the proud equal of Premiata Forneria Marconi's Per Un Amico and Le Orme's Felona e Sorona in the Italian progressive rock hall of fame. In Darwin!, every promise made by Banco's eponymous debut was realized. Vittorio Nocenzi's writing has flourished into complex songs blending Italian songwriting, bel canto, and progressive rock. The arrival of guitarist Rodolfo Maltese crystallized the band's luxurious sound, all topped by Francesco Di Giacomo's operatic vocals. The majestic "L'Evoluzione" opens the album, providing some of the best moments ever recorded by this band (along with "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico"). "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta" ("The Conquest of the Wrong Position") reproduces the same pattern as "Metamorphosi" from the first album: a frenetic instrumental theme, scaled down toward the end to let room for a very emotional verse. "La Danza de Grandi Rettili" is a rare jazzy number. Di Giacomo shines on "750,000 Anni Fa...L'Amore?," a heart-wrenching ballad much closer to Italian pop music than progressive rock. The album comes to an end with "Ed Ora la Domando Tempo al Tempo," a short piece inspired by merry-go-round music. The original version of the album bears a cover with a pocket watch. Never satisfied with the sound quality of the original tapes, the band re-recorded the whole album in 1991 and issued it with blue cover artwork. Purists turned their back on this new version, but it is actually very well performed, even though it has lost the vintage 1970s Italian flavor. The original Darwin! was eventually also reissued on CD. François Couture

Tracklist :

1.L'Evoluzione 13:58

2. La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta 8:41

3. Danza Dei Grandi Rettili 3:42

4. Cento Mani E Cento Occhi 5:21

5. 750.000 Anni Fa ... L'Amore? 5:37

6. Miserere Alla Storia 5:57

7. Ed Ora Io Domando Tempo Al Tempo 

Ed Egli Mi Risponde ... Non Ne Ho! 3:25

Credits :

Bass [Fender], Double Bass [Contrabass] – Renato D'Angelo

Drums, Timpani – Pier Luigi Calderoni*

Guitar [Electric], Acoustic Guitar – Marcello Todaro

Organ, Harpsichord [Clavicembal], Synthesizer, Lyrics By, Music By – Vittorio Nocenzi

Piano, Piccolo Flute [Mi/b] – Gianni Nocenzi

Vocals, Lyrics By – Francesco Di Giacomo