Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Transiberiana. 2019 Italy

Banco del Mutuo Succorso would be a good example of my concept of "bands as brands". With charismatic opera styled singer Francesco di Giacomo and long time guitarist Rodolfo Maltese no longer with us, there's no chance for a true reunion. In addition, the original rhythm section is nowhere to be found. And finally, brother Gianni Nocenzi hasn't been with the band for some 35 years. That leaves only keyboardist Vittorio Nocenzi carrying the torch. In tow are 5 new members, each talented in their own right. So if Banco were to remain an functioning entity, it could very well do so even if V. Nocenzi can no longer participate, or even want to.

This prelude is poignant with Banco del Mutuo Succorso because Transiberiana lays out a blueprint for the future, not a retread of the past. When looking at the history of the band, they were part of the original Italian prog movement, and their records in this style spanned only 6 to 7 years. Which for a typical Italian prog band is a lifetime of records, but from a chronological standpoint, it's a very small period of time. Then "Banco" became a pop band throughout the 80s. They returned to participate in the 90s progressive rock renaissance, but mainly as a live act mostly recreating the past. As for new music, nothing special ever surfaced. Their highest rated albums are simply new recordings of past compositions.

Until now. Transiberiana has all the earmarks of the past, including the depth of composition, the talent of the musicians, and those oh-so-critical turn-on-a-dime musical breaks. This is the music of 1973 Banco del Mutuo Succorso moved up 46 years. It sounds every bit like an album from 2019, and the new members bring many contemporary influences to the table. It's up to Nocenzi to school the others on what it's like to be a part of the legacy that is Banco del Mutuo Succorso. And he's done a great job at that, and one gets the sense the band could continue in this vein for many years - evolving the brand as it were. Is this the best Banco album? No. It would be nigh impossible to beat their trio of original albums, perhaps the greatest 3 album run in history. And Come in un'Ultima Cena is another tough one to top. But their best album in the last 42 years? Yes, most assuredly it is!

Ownership: CD: 2019 Sony/InsideOut. Fantastic digibook, one of my favorite styles of packaging. Sturdy as a book basically. Comes with a 44 page booklet, though much is duplicated in English from the original Italian.

7/16/20 (new entry)