j o n b

Banco is one of the classic 70s Italian prog bands, mentioned in the same breath with Premiata Forniera Marconi and others that made Italy a prog hotbed. This album is a 1991 rerecording and rerelease of their debut album. Why anyone would do something like that is beyond me (ask the folks who are remaking Psycho), but this is the version that my supplier had when I made the order. It's hard to figure out exactly what kind of sound Banco had back in the day because there is a very much late 80s feel to the production here. On the top of the list of those touches are the anoying drum sounds used in some places. I'm not sure if Calderoni was using an electronic set (a la Bill Bruford on Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe) or was triggering something. Either way, it rubs me the wrong way. One thing that is for sure is that Banco is driven by the man behind the keyboard, Vittori Nocenzi. Most of the cuts are keyboard dominated and Nocenzi is certainly worth listening to, very restrained in some places and very technical in others. The style and sound he wrangles along with the rest of the band is usually lyrical and melodic, with grand symphonic touches in places. The lyrics are a bit abrupt, but di Giacomo seems to be the one Italian frontman who doesn't try to be overly operatic. The best track on the album is "Metamorfosi", which keeps the lyrics to a minimum and allows Nocenzi to shine. The rest of the album varies from very good to rather nice but a little aimless. Nothing else really leaped out and grabbed me, but nothing made me cringe either. Repeated listenings may reveal a few gems. I would love to hear the original 70s work in all its glory. Which is probably the best thing I could say about this disc. review by Jon Byrne — undated —

s e a n

In 1991, celebrating their twentieth anniversary, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso released the Da qi Messere si Domina la Valle set, consisting of a re-recording of their first two albums, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and Darwin!. Later on the two re-recorded albums were released individually, which is how I picked them up. Worshippers of analog synths will be disappointed to know that this version largely eschews them in favor of digital keyboards, although some Hammond organ shows up on a couple of tracks. The good news is that the sound overall is much cleaner than the original version, which is rather lacking in places. Francesco di Giacomo's vocals are as strong twenty years later as ever. The arrangements of the songs have not changed much, with the exception of "Passagio", which has been extended to four minutes with an additional section. Which version of this album is better is an issue of some contention. It's easy to assume that the original version renders this superfluous, but the sound quality here tends to put that version to shame. At the same time, who doesn't prefer a dominance of analog keys? In the end, I find both are worth owning, although I probably give the nod to this version when it comes to which I will chose to put in my CD player on a regular basis. review by Sean McFee — undated —