BANCO-DARWIN, ITALIAN PRESS MONSTERPIECE

£ 22

$ 28

£ 22 Sold For

Apr 12, 2009 Sold Date

Apr 2, 2009 Start Date

£ 5 Start price

8 Number Of Bids

Great Britain Country Of Seller

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Description

WELCOME TO MY AUCTION,

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO'S SOPHOMORE ALBUM "DARWIN", RELEASED IN 1972 ON THE DISHI RICORDI RECORD LABEL, CAT No ORL 8094, STEREO PRESSING, VINYL IS GOOD POSSESSING A DEEP LUSTRE WITH SOME LIGHT MARKS WHEN VIEWED IN DAYLIGHT, PLAYS WELL, LABELS ARE NICE AND CLEAN WITH THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF SPINDLE WEAR-8.5/10. JACKET IS EXCELLENT, NO TEARS/WRITING/CREASING-9.5/10. AN ESSENTIAL WORK AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES OF THE ITALIAN PROG SCENE!!!!!!!!!!

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. The arrival of guitarist Rodolfo Maltese crystallized the band's luxurious sound, all topped by Francesco Di Giacomo's operatic vocals. The majestic "L'Evoluzione" opens the album, providing some of the best moments ever recorded by this band (along with "Canto Nomade per un Prigioniero Politico"). "La Conquista Della Posizione Eretta" ("The Conquest of the Wrong Position") reproduces the same pattern as "Metamorphosi" from the first album: a frenetic instrumental theme, scaled down toward the end to let room for a very emotional verse. "La Danza de Grandi Rettili" is a rare jazzy number. Di Giacomo shines on "750,000 Anni Fa...L'Amore?," a heart-wrenching ballad much closer to Italian pop music than progressive rock. The album comes to an end with "Ed Ora la Domando Tempo al Tempo," a short piece inspired by merry-go-round music. The original version of the album bears a cover with a pocket watch. Never satisfied with the sound quality of the original tapes, the band re-recorded the whole album in 1991 and issued it with blue cover artwork. Purists turned their back on this new version, but it is actually very well performed, even though it has lost the vintage 1970s Italian flavor. The original Darwin! was eventually also reissued on CD.

The long-lived and influential Italian progressive band Banco del Mutuo Soccorso was influenced by such British progressive giants as Yes and Gentle Giant while also drawing heavily on classical and folk music. Although the group simplified their sound in later years, from 1972 to 1976 the group produced a series of eclectic, densely arranged progressive classics.

Formed in the early '70s, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso featured the dual keyboard attack of Vittorio Nocenzi, the aggressive guitar of Rudolfo Maltese, the quasi-operatic vocals of Franceso di Giacomo, and the solid rhythm section of Maurisio Masi (drums) and Tiziano Ricci. Their first album, Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso (1972), featured jazzy elements but focused heavily on a classical sound that led many to compare them to ELP. The band continued in this vein for Darwin! (1972), Io Sono Nato Libero (1973), and Come In Un'ultima Cena (1976). Banco (1975) was compiled of English-language remixes of material from their original albums. Garofano Rosso (1976) and Di Terra (1978) were almost all-instrumental and found the group exploring further into the classical realm. Canto Di Primavera (1979) simplified the band's sound to a degree, evidenced further on the live Capolinea (1980).

The group pursued a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s before breaking up after Grande Joe (1985). They re-formed in the early '90s, releasing Da Qui Messere Si Domina La Valle (1991), a re-recording of their first two albums. Il Tredici followed in 1994, while an unplugged set, Nudo, was released in 1997. Live in Concert, a double CD of the reunited group playing in 1999, was released in 2000.

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