Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso Orlando: Le Forme Dell'amore

With "Canto di Primavera" Banco closes the era of the seventies giving their music a touch of late Camel sound, as it evident in the opener instrumental "Ciclo". We are far from the richness and complexity of albums as "Io Sono Nato Libero", "Darwin" or even "Come in un Ultima Cena" but there are still some excellent moments of excellent contribution to the italian progressive scene. The sound is more polished and song-based with relaxing and melodic ballads enriched by nice keyboards parts, acoustic guitars, sparse sax touches and even mandolin.

Released in 1978, Di Terra is a transitional album between the end of Banco's creative progressive rock phase (ending with the 1976 LP Come in Un'Ultima Cena) and the beginning of the group's more commercial phase (the 1979 LP Canto di Primavera). The Italian band's second all-instrumental album (Garofano Rosso was a film soundtrack), Di Terra is a symphonic suite in seven parts co-written by Gianni and Vittorio Nocenzi. Putting together an orchestra and a rock band was not new in 1978 (Deep Purple had done it years before), but rarely have the two been so nicely integrated. Of course, the project sounds a bit pompous, but the Nocenzi brothers' writing eschews the Star Wars effects to concentrate on textures and melodies. The music evokes Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, Maneige, Rick Wakeman's Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (minus the chorus), and the instrumental side of Banco…

The 1976 release As in a Last Supper marked a pivotal point in the career of legendary Italian prog rockers Banco. The previous year, the band put out its first album targeted at English-speaking audiences, on admirers Emerson, Lake & Palmer's own label, Manticore. (Fellow Italian proggies PFM were already part of the Manticore roster.) But that self-titled release was a hodgepodge of earlier tracks with newly recorded vocals in English, plus some new material. As in a Last Supper was the first "proper" Banco album targeted at the Anglo audience, the first to be conceived as a self-contained piece for Manticore. During this period, they were also going by the simpler Banco outside Italy, as opposed to their full name, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, though they'd eventually use the shorter moniker worldwide…

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…

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…

Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection.
BMS are entering the zone of pure art rock with self-confidence.
The development of this amazing band - Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, is totally in touch with one of their main literal themes - the evolution…

The first thing that must be said about this album is that, despite of the release date, it is a collection of previously unreleased songs by the very first line-up of the band, which didn't include the wonderful voice of Francesco Di Giacomo. The lyrics are quite simple and so it's better to point the attention to the music that, although far from the complex textures of the first period albums, is very fine and includes some themes that had been developed in the following albums (the last notes of "E io Canto" are the main theme of "Non mi rompete" in "Io sono nato libero", the music of "E luce fu" later became the one of "Quando la buona gente dice" from "Come in un'ultima cena")…

This album is like hearing Frankie Goes to Hollywood or New Order. Not bad if you aren't into prog music and like the 80's. but please, it isn't for any prog lover who likes the 70's releases of BMS. You've been warned, this album has nothing to do with the 70's BMS, is another band. The same sad thing happened with Genesis in the 80's.

Excellent early-70's Italian progressive trio (still around today) with classical stylings, featuring keyboards to the fore and a unique dreamy/powerful style. Le Orme was one of the three major Italian groups, the other two being PFM and Banco. This band is usually considered as the Italian Emerson, Lake & Palmer and even Banco del Mutuo Soccorso by the Italian singing. Its music is based upon organ developments and soli reminding Seventies groups which works are essentially built upon keyboards parts.
The band's truly classic period begins with their third next releases. "Uomo Di Pezza" (1972) is one of Le Orme's definitive Italian progressive rock albums…

As the previous "Urgentissimo" this album has nothing to say: it's only a pop album: predictable short songs with predictable melodies played with a wide use of electronic instruments. It includes only one valid track ("Michele e il treno") for the fans and one pop hit ("Baciami Alfredo") for the band.