Banco del Mutuo Soccorso-Darwin! (1973)

Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, considered one of the best Italian progressive rock bands of all time, was founded in 1971 as a result of the merger of two groups from the Rome area called Fiori del Campo and Experience. The initial lineup consisted of: Vittorio Nocenzi (keyboards, flute, and vocals), Gianni Nocenzi (keyboards and vocals), Marcello Todaro (guitar), Renato d’Angelo (bass), Pier-Luigi Calderoni (drums), and Francesco di Giacomo (vocals). Their first album, “Banco del Mutuo Soccorso” (1972), reached number one in Italy and established the sextet with its mature compositions, containing the elements that would characterize the group throughout their subsequent career. From this first album stand out memorable moments such as the brilliant “Metamorfosi”, the spectacular “In Volo”, and the suite “Il Giardino Del Mago”. The album quickly became a success in Italy and across much of Europe, cementing their place among the best symphonic rock groups of 1971. They maintained their prestige and quality with their next two albums: the legendary “Darwin” (1973), considered a masterpiece of progressive rock, and the intense and monumental “Lo sono nato libero” (1973). Traditional Italian lyrics, combined with the Mediterranean rock sound, a rich blend of sounds, and incredible instrumental depth, propelled them beyond Italy's borders. Keith Emerson discovered them and signed them to the Manticore label, where the other great Italian band, PFM, was already signed. With Rodolfo Maltese replacing Todaro on guitar, and adopting the shortened name Banco, the sextet debuted on the new label with the LP "Banco" (1975), followed by "Garofano rosso" (1976). This was followed by a series of strong albums such as "Di tearo" (1977), "Canto di primavera" (1978), "Capolinea" (1979), and "Urgentísimo" (1980). Despite promising signs, they failed to achieve mainstream success. Having missed their international opportunity, they returned to focusing their work exclusively on Italy with the albums "Boune Notizie" (1981) and "Banco" (1983).