.jpeg "Come in un'ultima cena by Banco del Mutuo Soccorso")
Come in un'ultima cena, by the great Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, from 1976. A masterpiece.
One of the best albums from this band, of which I am a fan, one of their masterpieces, with excellent production, deeply emotional lyrics, and fabulous performances by Francesco Di Giancomo, a historic album for the band and for Italian progressive rock in general.
This album marks a shift in the band's sound, embracing jazz-rock influences. Compositionally, the songs move away from the long suite-based structure of their previous albums and begin to take on songlike form, though there are still some six- to seven-minute pieces, which are certainly not standard in pop or commercial music. These, no less than their previous albums, are literally beautiful, with moving and engaging lyrics that still inspire reflection with every listen.
.jpeg "whatsapp-image-2025-09-03-at-22.31.48-(3).jpeg")
This is a concept album that addresses themes of the second half of the 1970s with a clear political commitment and reflects the climate of growing disillusionment in that period regarding the outcome of the battles and the unfulfilled aspirations of the '68 movement, those of the great mass movements, students, workers, intellectuals and ethnic minority groups, who, with their strong protest against the dominant power structures and their ideologies, wanted a different, more just and anti-capitalist society.
The lineup had already undergone a change from the initial 1971 release. In fact, after Darwin!, in 1973, Maltese, formerly of Homo Sapiens, replaced Marcello Todaro on guitar. This is the lineup for this album:
Francesco Di Giacomo, with his incredible voice
Brothers Vittorio and Gianni Nocenzi on keyboards
The extraordinary Pierluigi Calderoli on drums
Renato D’Angelo on a magnificent bass
Rodolfo Maltese, the star of this album with splendid guitars.
David Zard was the producer
The album consists of nine tracks, ranging from 3 to 7 minutes in length, for a total running time of about 45 minutes.
Choosing the songs is difficult, but my favorites are "...a cena, per esempio," one of the greatest songs of progressive rock and Italian music in general; "Il ragno," the most progressive in my opinion; "Slogan," with its rock edge, perhaps the band's most rock-oriented; and "Fino alla mia porta," with its wonderful melody and stylistic variations.
The artwork, also unconventional compared to previous albums, is by Cesare Monti, in keeping with the album's highly impactful narrative.
An English version of this album, titled "As in a Last Supper," was released on the same album, with lyrics translated by Angelo Branduardi.
Singing praises about an album like this is incredibly easy, given its greatness. I may be blaspheming many, but it's one of my favorite Banco del Mutuo Soccorso albums.
Needless to say, this is a MUST.
The Tracks
1. ...a cena, per esempio (6:20)
2. Il ragno (4:55)
3. È così buono Giovanni, ma... (3:32)
4. Slogan (7:23)
5. Si dice che i delfini parlino (5:50)
6. Voilà Mida (Il guaritore) (6:14)
7. Quando la buona gente dice (1:57)
8. La notte è piena (4:14)
9. Fino alla mia porta (4:30)
Total Duration 44:45
The Lineup
- Francesco Di Giancomo - lead vocals
- Rodolfo Maltese - electric and acoustic guitar, trumpet, French horn, vocals
- Vittorio Nocenzi - Hammond organ, synthesizer, harpsichord, Solina, vocals
- Gianni Nocenzi - electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizer, clarinet, recorder
- Renato D'Angelo - bass, acoustic guitar
- Pierluigi Calderoni - drums, percussion
.jpeg "whatsapp-image-2025-09-03-at-22.31.48-(4).jpeg")
