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