Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - Moby ****

[umbertino]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU9cbwo7y1E

The original core members of the Banco del Mutuo Soccorso group joined together in Rome in 1969 and included Gianni and Vittorio Nocenzi (two brothers) at the keyboards, Mario Achilli at the drums, Fabrizio Falco at the bass guitar and Franco Coletta at the guitar.  This formation of the group participated, with three of its songs, in the “Sound ‘70” (1970) compilation album; subsequently Coletta and Achilli were replaced by Franco Pontecorvi and Claudio Falco.  This led to the release of their first authentic album called "Donna Plautilla", which was destined to remain unpublished until 1989.  But only following the arrival of the solo singer Francesco Di Giacomo, the guitar-player Marcello Todaro and, just a short time later, with Renato D'Angelo at the bass guitar and Pierluigi Calderoni at the drums did the BMS finally assume its definite setup.  After the band signed a contract with the Ricordi label, it made its debut in 1972 with a LP carrying their name and with a particular record jacket that was shaped like a money-box:  songs such as "R.I.P." or the long instrumental suite "Il giardino del mago" proved to be the foundation of progressive Italian rock.  Later came "Darwin" (1972), a sort of concept on the theory of human evolution by the British scientist, which contained capturing moments:  "750.000 anni fa...l'amore?" was the song that best summarized the themes and ambitions of the record itself.  "Io sono nato libero" (1973) ultimately focused on the group’s poetic quality, both within its lyrics and music:  "Canto nomade di un prigioniero politico" – inspired by the death of the President of Chile, Salvador Allende - and "Non mi rompete" are the peak moments in the recording.  In 1975 the group recorded “Banco” for the Manticore label (that of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), which was a collection of the top hits from their first three albums.  It contained English lyrics, plus the unprecedented piece called "L'albero del pane" that was performed in Italian.  The following year came "Garofano rosso", the musical sound-track of the film with the same title directed by Luigi Faccini; and "Come in un'ultima cena" (an English version was also released with the title "As in a last supper", with the lyrics translated by Angelo Branduardi):  the latter included some of their most successful pieces, beginning with "Il ragno" all the way to "Slogan". These were perhaps the happiest times for Banco, as they were very much appreciated beyond Italian borders; even their concerts, which were characterized by the use of a moog and the charismatic stage presence of Francesco Di Giacomo, contributed to their well-deserved fame.  "...Di terra" (1978) and "Canto di primavera" (1979) added little to what had been previously enjoyed; while the Eighties witnessed their passage to a classic form of song, Gianni Nocenzi abandoning the group and various solo recordings by single members of the group.  The title of the “live” 1980 album, "Capolinea", probably hinted at the end of an era:  but the Banco group continued with its activities, including a few hits ("Moby ****", 1983), their comeback in the Nineties (a new album was recorded in 1994, entitled "Il 13", followed by their double “live” 1997 recording called "Nudo") and mainly concert activities that continue until the present times.