01	Canto Nomade Per Un Prigionero Politico						15:45
	02	Non Mi Rompete						05:04
	03	La Citta Sottile						07:13
	04	Dopo... Niente E' Piu' Lo Stesso						09:55
	05	Traccia II						02:38

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO - Io sono nato libero (1973)

This is an amazing album, from the incredible, operatic voice of Di Giacomo to the duel keyboards of the Nocenzi brothers. It certainly is another masterpiece from Banco and of course essential. The long opening track has some of their best musical themes ever, and the different intstruments are interwoven in the complex parts.
The keyboards has a more syntheseizered sound and reach more dramatic highpoints all the time. There is also a part in the song that is given to some percussion. As I said, the main theme and the other themes here are among their best and will disappoint no one. A stunner from start to end. "Non mi rompete" is an acoustic ballad that slides down the tempo a bit, also very good and adds extra contrast to the album. "La citta' sottile" is another wellknown Banco-favourite, Di Giacomo sings (and talks) very dramatic here, all rounded of with heavy and wellarranged keyboards. "Dopo..." and the first song are my favourites here.
"Dopo..." begins with a fast theme, and then enters the song verse, and slowly increases in tempo and style. When the cresendo comes you can do nothing but surrender to this amazing track. A short and instrumental medievalsounding piece ends the album. "Traccia II" sounds extremly good, Banco in a nutshell - climaxbuilding, complex and dramatic. A fantastic album.

1. Canto nomade per un prigioniero politico (15:43)
2. Non mi rompete (5:03)
3. La citta' sottile (7:10)
4. Dopo... niente e' piu' lo stesso (9:54)
5. Traccia II (2:39)


Banco del Mutuo Soccorsco - Io Sono Nato Libero

Released: 1973
Label: Dischi Records
Cat. No.: MPCD 206
Total Time: 40:29


Reviewed by: Clayton Walnum, May 2001
According to the average rating of over 40 reviewers on the Gnosis Web site, this the greatest progressive rock album ever recorded. Keep in mind, though, that the reviewers on Gnosis seem to love Italian prog rock, albums of which fill four of the top five slots on the Web site (last time I looked, anyway). Still, whether or not you want to call this the best ever (I don't), you gotta know that it's pretty darn good. One thing that keeps this album from being among the best, in my opinion, is Francesco di Giacomo's vocals. It's not because they're sung in Italian -- that's fine -- and it's not that he's a bad singer -- he's not. It's the tremulous quality to his voice that I at first found mildly annoying and had to get used to -- though the vocals never bothered me enough to turn me off from this great album, a lot of which is instrumental, anyway.

Banco's music on this CD is complex symphonic progressive that sounds not like any particular classic prog band but rather like bits of all (although EL&P comes to mind more often than any other classic group). Composition's like the opening track, "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico," which clocks in at a healthy and proggy 16 minutes, goes through myriad changes from mellow simplicity to wonderful tangles of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums. Sometimes the sound is EL&P, sometimes it's Pink Floyd, sometimes Yes, sometimes more Old English, such as some of Jethro Tull, but none of these influences stay in place for long. One thing's for sure: Banco always is musically on the move, constantly jumping from one meter and mood to another.

"Non Mi Rompete," which is a mostly acoustic number, is less complex than other songs on the album, whereas tracks, such as "La Citta' Sottile," rely heavily on acoustic piano, rather than electronic keyboards, but still retain the complex nature of the music. In any case, Italian prog is an acquired taste. This is one of those albums that you have to listen to a few times before it really sinks in, mostly due to the complex arrangements. For sure, if you're not familiar with Italian prog, this terrific album would be a place to start.

More about Io Sono Nato Libero:

Track Listing: Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico (15:43) / Non Mi Rompete (5:03) / La Citta'sottile (7:10) / Dopo... Niente E'piu'lo Stesso (9:54) / Traccia II (2:39)

Musicians:
Vittorio Nocenzi - keyboards
Gianni Nocenzi - piano
Marcello Todaro - guitar
Renato D'Angelo - bass, acoustic guitar
Pier Luigi Calderoni -- drums
Francesco di Giacomo - vocals

Contact:

Website: www.bancodelmutuosoccorso.it/
Note: will open new browser window

Email: bancoweb@usa.net

Discography

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (1972)
Darwin (1972)
Io Sono Nato Libero (1973)
Banco (1975)
Garofano Rosso (1976)
Come In Un' Ultima Cena (1976)
...Di Terra (1978)
Canto Di Primavera (1979)
Capolinea (1980)
Urgentissimo (1980)
Buone Notizie (1981)
Banco (1983)
...E Via (1985)
Donna Plautilla (1989)
Il 13 (1994)
Nudo (1997)
Papagayo Club (1972)
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso Live (1970)



Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - "Io Sono Nato Libero" (1973)
And then came the third masterpiece! On this album, the synthesisers had became more dominant, and the songwriting was just as excellent and complex as on the previous albums. Starting with the 16-minute "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigioniero Politico" you already know that this is another classic! Awesome track in the typical Banco style, with dramatic vocal parts and amazing instrumental passages. "Non Ni Rompete" is a acoustic, almost folky track with a very nice vocal-theme. "La Citta' Sottile" is a piano dominated track with a nice atmosphere to it. The close to 10-minute "Dopo...Niente E' Piu' Lo Stesso" is another demonstration of a breathtaking complex progressive rock track! A funny thing about this track is that it includes a theme from "Canto...". This, and the two previous albums are obligatory in EVERY progressive rock collection.




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Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
Io Sono Nato Libero
BMG (74321 917882)
Italy 1973

Vittorio Nocenzi, organ, synthesisers, spinet; Gianni Nocenzi, piano, electric piano; Marcello Todaro, electric and accoustic guitars; Renato d'Angelo, bass, accoustic guitar; Pier Luigi Calderoni, drums and percussion; Franceso di Giacomo, vocals

Tracklist:
1. Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico — 15:43
2. Non Mi Rompete — 5:03
3. La Citte Sottile — 7:10
4. Dopo... Niente e Piu lo Stesso — 9:54
5. Traccia II — 2:39

total time 40:39


Links:
see all banco del mutuo soccorso reviews at ground & sky
official site
review at progweed
review at vintageprog.com
banco at italianprog.com
banco page at gnosis
banco at the gepr
buy this cd from amazon.com




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It was with some bemusement that I read the reviews of Banco's NEARFest performance. People were talking about it as if it was the single greatest progressive rock performance in the history of the genre. I was there and... well, I thought it was good, but the excessive praise it got just left me baffled.
The band's studio albums affect me in the same way. They're not bad, and I can understand why so many prog fans like them. But I don't get that "greatest Italian prog ever" vibe that so many seem to get from their albums. Of the two Banco albums that I've heard, I prefer this one to Darwin, but I wouldn't put either one on a list of personal favorites. Anyone who's read more than a few of my reviews here on Ground and Sky probably knows that I don't really go for the big, bombastic style of symphonic prog. And with the exception of the mostly pastoral second track, this album falls squarely into that style. The vocals in particular are often quite strident and bombastic, so that even though I have no idea what he's singing, it still turns me off.

But it's not all bad. I do like the instrumental second half of the lengthy opening track. It suffers a little from "we have a dozen good musical ideas, so lets jam them all into one track" syndrome, but the end result is engaging and impressive. I also like the keyboard-driven closing fanfare of "Traccia II", although that may just be because I was already familiar with the track from Rhino's Supernatural Fairy Tales progressive rock boxed set.

Anyway, even though I don't enjoy this album as much as most do, for those who really enjoy the big, bombastic, symphonic prog sound this album is probably just what you're looking for.

review by Bob Eichler — 3-2-05 — post a comment (0)




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As unusual as it may seem today, with Io sono nato libero Banco del Mutuo Soccorso released their third high quality album in two years. This album distinguishes itself from the first two by greater use of synthesisers, but still retains the distinctive Banco sound with Francesco di Giacomo's passionate vocals and obviously thoughtful composition throughout.
Without a doubt, the album reaches its high point for me in the first five minutes, with the magnificent first third of "Canto Nomade per un Prigionerio Politico". I know only a few words of Italian, but the title of this track means "Nomadic song for a political prisoner," and the phrase "Io sono nato libero" means "I am born free," sung so powerfully that it's hard not to be moved. By putting the longest track first, Banco have followed the lead of their second album, Darwin!, and the flow of the album seems rather similar.

The remaining tracks are all good, and on occasion very good. They also range a little more in style than on Banco's earlier albums, with "Non Mi Rompete" being almost folk oriented. The final track is another highlight for me; "Traccia II" is a nod to the final song on Banco's first album, but is much better executed. Despite being being only two and a half minutes long, this synthesised fanfare is the perfect way to round out the album.

Although this album does not manage to maintain a consistantly high level, it is never bad, and is sometimes utterly brilliant. It also contains some of Banco's most accessible and moving pieces. It is for these reasons that I usually recommend this as a starting point for those interested in Banco. Certainly another first magnitude star of the Italian progressive firmament.

review by Conrad Leviston — 2-1-05 — post a comment (0)




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Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was one of the most accomplished of the progressive rock bands that flourished in Italy in the early 1970s. Their distinguishing features: the advanced compositional abilities of Vittorio Nocenzi; the fluid piano of brother Gianni Nocenzi, equally adept at classically styled arpeggios and jazzy punctuations; and the strong, operatic vocals of Francesco di Giacomo. They certainly had an angst to them that made them more than just your typically sunny-smiled, symphonic prog band.
The 15-minute "Canto Nomade per un Priogionero Politico" is the main centerpiece of the album, and a true classic Italian epic. Out of all the pieces on the album, it is the one that really shows the full extent of just how seriously these guys could play. The piece takes on the character of a prisoner on the run, all with several twists and turns thrown along the way. It begins with a doleful aria and ends with an incredible climax in the classic Keith Emerson vein, the Nocenzi brother's elaborate bursts of piano and organ going off like fireworks over a chromatic bass line and double-bass frenzy. "Non Mi Rompete," an intimate folk song, gives the keyboard and vocal displays a rest and instead presents a showcase for Marcello Todaro's excellent acoustic guitar work. Though the most modest track on the album, it is actually the one most dear to me, reminding me in its simple spirit of the music of another personal favorite, the French band Tangerine. The second side of the album, while consistently good, doesn't match the first side. The main songs here, "La Citta' Sottile" and "Dopo...Niente E' Piu' Lo Stesso," are both given to periodic dissolves with spoken dialogue, ostensibly to support the conceptual themes of the album. These render them less memorable to me.

In the final analysis, though, Io Sono Nato Libero is considered by many to be one of the top classics of Italian symphonic prog. Regardless of whether or not you will place it exactly there, it remains a document of high caliber for this style.

review by Joe McGlinchey — 3-13-05 — post a comment (0)




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Banco's third album is often regarded as their best. I prefer the self-titled debut, but I do think that about half of Io Sono Nato Libero is excellent. Like Darwin, I find this one to be front-loaded and uneven. The record’s sound is more detailed and polished than Darwin; it borders on being flowery, and at this point the band was well removed from their more rocking origins. I hear a more pronounced Genesis influence here than on previous records, with piano arpeggios reminiscent of Tony Banks' style and the wordless chorus of "Non Mi Rompete" reminding me a bit of the Genesis tune "Stagnation."
I think that the first two songs, "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico" and the aforementioned "Non Me Rompete" stand out as easily the best on the album. "Canto Nomade" is a very successful extended suite that deeply broadened the band's sonic palette, liberally incorporating synthesizers (well, it was 1973 — the year that every progressive band seems to have learned to love synths) and diversifying the percussion. In fact, despite having some excellent organ and synthesizer passages, the most memorable parts of this track for me are the beautiful acoustic guitar interludes and the polyrhythmic percussion. "Non me Rompete" is largely acoustic and sports the most affecting melody on the album. It is already miles away from the messier, more highly-charged music of Banco's debut album, but it presents their cleaner, lighter sound in its most positive light. These two tracks make up half of the album. I don’t find the other half to be nearly as good, however. "La Citta Sottile" and "Dopo... Niente e Piu lo Stesso" raise the levels of bombast and occasionally succumb to prog-rock clichйs. Both have over-the-top spoken vocals and the latter piece at one point bursts into a cheesy fanfare of medieval-sounding synthesizers.

review by Matt P. — 9-8-05