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Reviews

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso — Nudo
(Nexus KICP 593, 1997, CD)

Nudo Cover art

This new 2CD set from perhaps the best and most influential of the classic Italian bands offers a variety of treats for longtime fans. Though the first disc starts off with the edgy, aggressive neo-prog stylings of the unspectacular three-part title track, the remainder of the disc is dedicated to a sort of "unplugged" retrospective that includes some of the band's best early work. One might think that a stripped-down acoustic setting would rob these songs of at least some of their emotional power, but the renditions here clearly prove that it was the exceptionally well-crafted compositions that lent these pieces their extreme melancholic poignancy. Francesco Di Giacomo's voice is as strong and expressive as ever, and accompanied by only a pair of acoustic guitars and Vittorio Nocenzi's skillful piano, he seems to find an even greater depth of emotion in these beautiful melodies. The rhythmic drive of the piano ostinatos and the percussive strumming of the guitars make up completely for the lack of a proper rhythm section, and one only wishes they could hear more of the old songs recast in this delicate and effective new setting. The second disc presents a collection of old and new songs recorded live with a full electric lineup. The crisp, digital sheen on these performances seems at first a bit incongruous with the dynamic melodies and coarse, analog textures one is familiar with from the original studio recordings. But the versions of "La Conquista della Posizione Eretta" and "Metamorfosi," which comprise almost half of this disc, do suitable justice to these wonderful compositions. Though there are a few throwaway neo-proggish new tunes on this second disc as well, overall there should be enough in this package to interest any fan of the group. The acoustic recreations of the old tunes are by far the most compelling aspect of this set; let's hope the band decides to record more of them!

by Rob Walker, Published 1998-07-01

I lost count of the Banco albums around the mid-70s and was only recently interested when they re-recorded their first two albums in a highly modernized format earlier in the decade. Banco is a touring band, in fact they're one of the front-runners for this year's Progfest line-up. This album will probably be very close for what to expect, a 2CD live album featuring both ensemble and acoustic versions of music old and new. There is a lot of music here from their first two albums, of course. This represents classic Italian progressive with lots of keys and a great elegant sound that has aged like a fine wine. You'd never know it from the suite "Nudo" that occupies the first 13 minutes. Not only does Vittorio Nocenzi take the vocals, but the music is very different from the complexity of their vintage style. There are some nice "unplugged" versions of old material, including "R.I.P," played with a distinguished beauty. Disc 2 is much better though, full band versions of classic tracks like "La Conquista della Posizione Eretta" and "Metamorfosi." It's an interesting contrast, listening to recent music and music over 25 years old together. The sound is similar yet the structures are much less imaginative on their newer material. A nice album overall, fans of the band will be sure to like it.

by Mike McLatchey, Published 1998-07-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 15, 1997 releases

Related artist(s): Banco del Mutuo Soccorso

 

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