3 - ... To the power of three (1988)

Talking about this work in relation to the work of EL&P is a bit difficult. The project was the idea of ​​Emerson who wanted to continue maintaining the usual structure and try to get a new success despite the disappointment, especially for Greg Lake, the album published with Cozy Powell in 1986. Emerson is not frightened by the march Greg and decides to join his lifelong drummer Carl Palmer and completing the trio with Robert Berry.
It is fair to dedicate some lines to Berry since the life of the other two we already know. His professional start was in San Francisco with the band Hush that allowed him to open people like Peter Gabriel or Rush. After two solo albums, "Back to back" and "Out of bounds" joins the GTR group after the departure of Steve Hackett, but the fear that he would end up supplanting vocalist Max Bacon, did not define the thing. It should be noted that before this there was already a group project between Palmer and Berry that did not finish working.
Berry is a leading vocalist and guitarist, but also a composer and producer, he has composed some soundtrack and has participated with groups such as Magellan (in his album “hundred year flood” where musicians such as Tony Levin or Ian Anderson also appeared) of being an active part of the different progressive tributes-tributes that the magna carta seal publishes.
Berry was not only a kind of substitute for Greg Lake but was actively involved in the composition of the album, composing songs that Emerson later arranged in his own way. The album also featured the voices of Suzie O'list, Kim Liatt J. Edwards and Lana Williams.
There is also a live show of this formation with themes of E, L & P called “live in the city”.
The album is a clear example of music made in the 80s, digital keyboards, guitars with very clean sounds and loaded with reverb with direct rhythms, as always in this type of compositions, that the simple appearance does not mean that the content is not something more complex and in this album there is a bit of everything: The album begins with “talkin´ about”, signed by Berry who initially wrote it for GTR, a dynamic song with a classic refrain of the time. Follow "Lover to lover" signed by the trio, the song is not bad but the chorus seems a bit scary ... well, rather I would say very trite, it has an instrumental bridge that briefly reminds the seventies EL&P, but this bridge barely lasts a few seconds, no one gets illusions. "Chains" is a song "too much AOR" and therefore of those chosen to click on the radios. "From life" is the song that this album is worth, divided into three parts: I. The view, II. The border and III. Sangre de toro, a piece of authentic progressive pop is created, with instrumental fragments that can be remembered on the one hand to the tangerine dream of the eighties, but it also serves as a relief to Palmer's drums or Emerson's piano. In "Eight miles high" we continue with the AOR sonorities (this actually happens throughout the album), however, the keyboard and guitar flourishes that are marked by Berry and Emerson stand out on a continuous rhythm of Palmer. "Runaway" ... every time I find it more difficult to highlight something of each song, since almost all of them follow a similar pattern and production, of this I will say that it seems the weakest of the album. “You do or you don´t” is the typical ballad that we can find in almost any Hollywood movie of the time, although here Emerson's keyboard arrangements are very remarkable. The album ends with “On my way home” signed by Emerson and well, it does not leave a bad taste, possibly the songs that are closer to the classic EL&P style with production of the time, even highlights the fact that at times it seems even that Robert Berry wants to emulate Greg Lake.
Two things are clear at the end of the listening, that the album connects with what other fellow musicians of the same fifth were doing: Genesis with “invisible touch”, Yes and “big generator”, Pink Floyd with “a momentary lapse of reason” , etc ... and formations such as Asia or GTR, here that each one judges who did it best, since there is no doubt that they are great musicians trying to adapt to the times ...
On the other hand it is clear that the album is not progressive rock, so I think that judging it from this perspective is unfair, it is a nice album, superbly produced and competently composed, ideal for listening when you do not feel like complications but of things well made.

Blind Faith-Blind Faith (1969)

This is the first and only studio production of the group formed by Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Rich Grech and Ginger Baker. Historically, this album represents the varied currents that would converge in the development, although ephemeral, of one of the first supergroups in the History of Rock. A halo of excellent creativity, dynamics and virtuosity surrounded the quartet in the rocky world of that time. The group left an imperfect mark with this magnificent album, a true treasure for the reliable connoisseur.
Recorded between February and June 1969, the album begins with ¨Had to cry today´, a splendid melodic proposal in which the Blues-Rock chords dominate the basic structure of the interpretation, It is a melodic proposal, a bridge between Cream and Traffic Almost at the end, we heard 2 electric guitars in arpeggio game. ´Can´t find my way home´, is a commendable, beautiful, nostalgic acoustic manifestation, (great work on the guitar by Clapton), reminding us of what was the rock feeling in the late 60´s and that for some time we had heard with traffic. This piece is sublime, with the voice of Winwood, at times scratchy and others leading us to the falseto. A true seventies experience. ´Well all rigth´, is the classic of Buddy Holly, interpreted in a cheerful, rhythmic way and with an excellent synchrony of the group. Winwood's magnificent work on the piano. Presence of the Lord´, is a masterful, enveloping melody, perhaps the best piece of the album, a work of art, a wonderful Blues, Winwood stands out with that vocal tone so own along with a beautiful piano performance,. ´Sea of ​​Joy´, is, surely, the best known piece of the group, since it was very programmed by the world broadcasters in the 70´s. His melodic livelihood is a Blues-Rock, Steve's vocal performance prints a very particular feeling, the acoustic guitar is excellently executed with an active and attractive participation of Grech in the violin, (does anyone remember Family?). It is precisely here that we notice the magnificent Proto-Progressive dyes of the group. A piece perhaps commercial but very well crafted. ´Do what you like´, is a long Jazz-Rock passage, the most elaborate track of the album, finely interpreted that accommodates the individual showcases of musicians with their respective solos, highlighting that of Baker on drums. Winwood also looks on keyboards.
Although with a short life, the quartet forged a unique image, transcendent, very influential a posteriori and as a logical consequence, the album just discussed is an essential elementary Work of Art within the Proto-Progressive genre.

Yes-Tales From Topographic Oceans (1973)

In 1973 one of the most controversial albums is published, not only of Yes, but of symphonic rock and music in general of all time. His previous work, "Close to the edge" set the bar so high that it seemed impossible to even approach him. If we add the handicap of the march of Bill Bruford to the ranks of King Crimson, with the consequent problem of looking for a battery of its quality, it certainly seemed quite complicated to release the next album, not only from the point of view in terms of composition, but also of coupling to the new member of the band, since Alan White would occupy.

Of course, the way to solve the problem could not be more risky: Alan White does not even have the name (he had previously worked on John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, among others, nothing to do with progressive rock), nor the technique of Bruford, despite which we must recognize that he does a great job in "Tales from ...", probably with "Relayer", the best thing he has done in Yes. On the other hand, a double conceptual album with four long songs (one for each side of each vinyl) was released, based on the interpretation that the Yogi Paramhansa YOGANADA had on the philosophy of life, through a series of ancient writings in Sanskrit Indian or "vedas" dating back to 1500 BC and that Jon Anderson, in his spare time between concerts during his tour of Japan, discovered while reading the autobiography of the aforementioned Yoghi.

Everyone knows Jon Anderson's fondness for Eastern philosophies, so it is not surprising that he quickly began to compose the texts and that together with Steve Howe, they would compose in the marathon nightly hotel sessions, between concert and concert, the complicated music that shaped these texts.

The result? . Well, just that. A double dense album as few, with long and complicated passages, with some texts about the philosophy of life and the cosmos, that perhaps, for better or worse, they got a little out of hand, giving rise to one of the more complex and less commercial albums that one can imagine and that generated that fans of both Yes and the symphony in general, loved him or hated him in equal parts, at that time when it was published, the closest fans of the band doubted if buy the disc or not, and many did not.

Even within the same band, something similar happened, since, in the words of Wakeman himself, it was unbearable and boring to have to interpret any of these songs on his subsequent tour to promote the album. Curious at least, if we check the excellent work of the keyboardist in this album. Maybe it was Wakeman's excuse to leave the band and start his solo career. Many treat this pompous and grandiloquent work. Perhaps it is, but it contains many of the most beautiful passages written by Yes, especially as far as Wakeman is concerned, without a doubt his best work both outside and inside the band. Without a doubt, a fundamental album, especially for mellotron lovers.

An album that needs a few listeners to get into it. And it has a special magic. The first time I heard it, he told me absolutely nothing and even seemed boring. Subsequent listening you were gradually taking out the enormous potential that hides, until becoming for me, along with A "Close to the edge" and "Relayer" in one of my favorite albums of the band.

Of course it is not an album at all recommended to be introduced in the music of Yes for those who are not lovers of the group and are some scholars in the field, since it can cause an absolute rejection of their music. Certainly, at certain times it is difficult and long to digest. But for those who are more involved in the band's career and have listened to other albums, the reward of being able to extract those dense passages not only sound, but of light and color that this album hides, although sometimes it costs more than account to stay focused, is ... reincarnation ?.

I remember that when I listened to it on vinyl, it opened its magnificent cover of Roger Dean (impressive!) And I was dumbfounded contemplating that fantastic painting and listening at the same time to those disturbing passages full of keyboards of "The remembering", or in "The revealing science of god. " An experience like few others, in which the mysticism that Jon Anderson managed to give to this album, is spread at certain times, making us climb very high….

Let's open the book of life and immerse ourselves in this wonderful world from which, if we get through the first doors ... it will be very difficult to get out of it ....

Four tracks make up album one for each side of the four vinyl records:

1.-The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the dawn)

A long vocal introduction to several voices gives us the premises about the search for God. Complex theme, in which after the aforementioned vocal introduction, the whole band gives way, which for 20 minutes tries to solve the puzzle about the answers we seek. Throughout the whole theme there are different passages in which the whole group shines in unison. For me it is the best song on the album. Difficult to highlight someone, and even White does a more than correct job, in a subject that is not easy to capture percussion. Squire as always brilliant, like Howe, and a great Wakeman, all of them wrapping up the many parts sung by an inspired Anderson. The keyboards in this album sound different than "Close to the edge". Less organ and more moog curtains, mellotrons and synthesizers that envelop everything, giving each theme, especially this and the following, "The Remembering", beautiful atmospheres that were never surpassed, except in rare occasions, as in "Soon ”, The final part of“ The gates of delirium ”, or in“ Awaken ”.

2.- The remembering (High the memory)

Possibly one of the best works Wakeman did in Yes. Its impressive sound curtains create an unsurpassed atmosphere. Close your eyes and travel through the mind. Well, that's what the text is about, everything in our head and in our thoughts, and how those thoughts have developed over time ... A season full of colors and shapes, of lights and shadows, full of smells, happy sometimes ... disturbing others, skillfully mixed with certain folk touches, nothing casual, because this work as a whole is like a journey through civilizations, full of nuances and aromas of the most diverse. And when a smile is drawn on our face, again and always recurring on this subject, that imposing keyboard curtain appears again that immerses us again in restlessness or melancholy.

3.- The Ancient (Giants Ander the sun)

Without doubt the most experimental theme of the album, in which the guitars of Howe and the "tribal" percussions of White bear much of the weight of the subject. Another trip back in time, in which we are reminded of all the knowledge that our ancestors left us and that we must know how to cultivate and take advantage of. Strange subject, in which after a long introduction by Howe and White, a melancholic mellotron appears and multiple voices follow each other. Continuous changes of rhythm follow. Pure experimentation. The subject closes with Howe's excellent work with the Spanish guitar, accompanied by Anderson's texts. Despite this, for me the most irregular songs on the album.

4.- Ritual (Nous sommes du solei)

The theme that closes the double album is perhaps the most round and most accessible of all. In it Anderson sings us about the Ritual of life, about the struggle of good and evil. Cutting theme similar to the first, in which again the entire band returns to develop its full potential.

The part of the chorus sung in French ("Nous sommes du solei") is a real delight, and one of the most delicate passages interpreted by the group, with a mellotron that puts the creeps. A guitar-sitar part appears, which fits perfectly within the entire oriental framework that the plot of the album implies. And all this seasoned by a multitude of sung passages and choirs, wisely mixed with such a complex musical scheme. Suddenly some strange percussions appear, as if it were a tribal dance, with an extraordinary White, to which a powerful mellotron joins. It is the theme of this album that most times the band performed live, perhaps also for being the most accessible of the four.

Camel-Rajaz (1999)

We continue with this Camel album quadrilogy of the last two decades (Dust and Dreams, Harbors of Tears, Rajaz and A nod and Wink)

After his two previous works of conceptual type "Dust and Dreams" and "Harbor of tears" predominantly instrumental albums, Rajaz comes to light in 1999, a magnificent album that is one of his greatest achievements in the musical career of Camel.

The original idea of ​​the album is based on a guide about world music that he gave to Andy Latimer, his good friend and colleague Colin Bass. In the section on Arabic music, there was talk about the "Rajaz", a canteen that the Bedouins murmured during the desert crossings, based on the rhythmic pace of the passage of the camels. This gave rise to one of Camel's best albums, a work full of sensitivity, oriental rhythms (impressive the song “The last encore”), guitar solo as in no other Camel album (“Sahara”, “Lawrence”) , which evokes those monotonous landscapes, but at the same time of impressive beauty, those red sunsets, and those cold nights (listen loudly “Sahara”, think of a sunset with a landscape of reddish sands, close your eyes and travel).

Andy Latimer himself is responsible for putting the voice to the issues, and this time he sings with a special sensitivity. Predominantly guitar player, who has his old colleagues Colin Bass on bass, an impressive Dave Stewart who on songs like "Three Wishes" or "Sahara" seems to be Andy Ward himself behind the drumsticks, and another regular the band that is the Dutchman of Kayak Ton Scherpenzeel, who for the recording of this album, sent the parts of the keyboards recorded in his studio in Holland, via internet to the USA for Latimer to mix them. And the good thing about Ton has a real phobia to travel by plane. It also has the collaboration of Barri Phillips al cello, which gives a touch of serenity to the album and even sadness (listen to the introduction of the song "Rajaz").

The album cover perfectly expresses what we are going to find inside, a world of sensations, poetry, oriental rhythms, smells and warm flavors, in short, a journey through the burning sands of the desert, but that finally reaches its destination, leaving us the feeling that it should never end.

The production of the disc is perfect. The sound of the impressive album, and the compositions, with their oriental rhythms, with a slight jazz touch at times, are pure anthology.

Rajaz supposed the return to the old spirit Camel, and it is an album that at first listen makes us vibrate as they did not do it from “Moonmadness” or Rain Dances and to a lesser extent with “Nude”, another album of the majestic band.

And when we thought it would be very difficult to match or overcome this album, the surprise jumped when some time later they published another jewel: "A node and a winck". Wonderful!.

Camel-Dust And Dreams (1991)

After several years arguing with Decca about the rights of the group and a contract not yet expired, Andy Latimer manages to terminate the contract and, even more importantly, get all the rights over Camel's previous albums. He sells his house in London and goes to the United States where he settled permanently in California and uses his savings to found his own record company, Camel Productions, the idea is to record and distribute his future works and reissue all the previous ones. The latter that might seem less important is not if we consider that we are in 1988 and that a new support for music has just appeared, the CD. All the albums that Camel had sold to date (with Decca) were on vinyl, this means that almost all the Camel CDs that we have at home, all in their remastered versions, are already edited by Camel Productions.

Dust and Dream is a concept album based on John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath book that deals with the first emigrants to the United States. He calls Colin Bass again, who will become “the other” fixed member of the band and Tom Scherpenzel, keyboardist of Kayak and meets with musicians.

The sound of Camel varies completely to what they had offered in their last works, finally abandoning the failed Alan Parsons sound for FM and returning in part to its origins, a very melodic disc and in some of its parts even atmospheric. The first feeling I had when I heard it (live) was as if it had been composed to support images or even some kind of documentary. The sound of Camel until now had been quite cohesive and homogeneous, despite the undoubted prominence of the Latimer-Bardens duo, especially the latter. The first albums of Camel are the work of a whole group and despite the almost permanent presence of the guitar of Latimer were the keyboards of Peter Bardens who moved the group and gave, especially based on the hammond organ a peculiar duality between Rock aggressiveness and calm and Symphonic developments.

Dust and Dream is a work thought, composed, developed and executed by Andy Latimer. His guitar acquires an absolute prominence from beginning to end and reaches the point of reinventing his own sound, both that of the band and his own. It is, without a doubt, a work much more symphonic than progressive, calmer than aggressive and that is winning in successive auditions. As for Latimer, his guitar covers the entire album; open, develop and close the themes and its sound also evolves. It continues to extend the notes like no other, in what is already its hallmark, but in general, in many places it is inevitable that names like David Gilmour come to mind.

The album opens with Dust Bowl, a simple melody of keyboards that gives way to Go West, one of the four songs sung on the album, the "old" voice of Latimer we are reeling the first stanzas on a base of keyboards which finally The guitar is joined by introducing us to the following Dusted Out theme, where keyboards once again star in the theme although this time not only as a mattress but also providing melody with the piano. Follow Mother Road that opens with the unmistakable sound of the guitar of Latimer, is another song sung and one of my favorites on the album, a song that is quickly hummed both in the sung part and the beautiful guitar melody, (classic Latimer sound ) both parts merge at the end of the theme to give way to Needless where atmospheric and ambient sound returns, in fact it is interpreted live with three keyboards (Scherpenzel-Bass-Latimer) and serves to introduce us to the next theme.

Rose of Sharon is a beautiful song and that may have become the most characteristic of the album due above all to something very unusual in Camel such as vocal games, performed here with great success, both in the contrast between female voices and masculine as in the different melodic developments that overlap. A beautiful and undoubtedly romantic theme

Then they repeat the formula that they had previously made, so Milk n 'Honey is another short theme in atmospheric or environmental line that serves to give way to End of the line, the fourth and last song sung of the album and, which in my It may seem to be one of the weakest parts of the album since neither the vocal melody nor the way of singing it by Latimer seems to me the most successful, as well as the drums that sound very flat and percussioned by very poorly played dishes.

From here would come what we could call the B side of the disc, the following eight themes are all instrumental and without cuts between them and as a whole they return to the environmental line, perhaps sometimes too much. So Storm Clouds is simply Latimer's guitar on a synthesizer beat that gives way to Cotton Camps. Here we have Camel in its purest form again, the unmistakable guitar, with very few notes in its initial part, to build a melody that will be repeated until the end of the song. It is followed by Broken Banks, which in its scarce 35 seconds develops another short tune of the house to merge with Sheet Rain, where the only thing that stands out is the slight appearance of the flute to link with Whispers that rescues an earlier melody with the keys. Little Rivers and little Rose returns to the previous ambient sound and prepares us for Hopeless Anger, where Camel finally gets disheveled. It is a theme that breaks abruptly with the sound of the previous songs, much more aggressive, and obviously progressive, one of the best songs on the album with a wonderful melody by the Latimer guitar that will remain in our heads during a time and that also includes the melody of the final part of Rose of Sharon, an excellent theme. To finish we would have only the beautiful ending by Whisper in the Rain, a beautiful epilogue for a great album.

Dust and Dream is one of the albums to which I have a special affection for several reasons. They are Camel (and just for that reason it is already a compelling reason), and they are after several years of silence and in which I thought the band had disappeared. For many years it was my favorite album of Camel of the 90s (along with Harbor of Tears) and even today it is / are two of the albums that most commonly sound on my stereo. This is why the easiest thing is that if I want to listen to music without masks or reproaches with this album I have it very easy.

Camel-Harbours Of Tears (1996)

1996 album, performed by this veteran Progressive Rock band, led by their guitarist Andy Latimer. David Paton and Mae McKennaguest are starring on the album. Released on his own label, Camel productions.
Based on the history of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who left the port of Cóbh Harbor (Ireland) towards a new life in America. Harbor of Tears is Camel's most ambitious conceptual album from Nude, marking a limit point in the compositions of this group, hardly surmountable for later works. It is a very complete work, with an idiosyncrasy that brings Snowgoose in some way. It is a more delicate album than the previous one, Dust and Dreams, mixing traditional rhythms with the symphonic one offers us a superb work.
The disc has a structure similar to the works of Pink Floyd, the sound is compact, and the result is a global work. It has no parts that stand out much. Colin Bass and David Paton help Latimer in the voices, and he is grateful.
Conclusion:
MASTERPIECE
If you haven't heard it yet, it's not too late to do it, you're missing something really big. Do not hesitate anymore.

Curiosity: Harbor is a collection of stories drawn on a common theme. After the death of his father, Andrew Latimer found that he had no details of his paternal family history. With only one surviving relative, an 86-year-old uncle, Andrew discovered an inheritance in diversity and mystery. His grandfather worked in the Liverpool shipyards; her Irish grandmother was a seamstress of an important Irish family at the end of the 19th century, her descendants traveled to England, Canada, Australia and America. Latimer's investigations ended as soon as they began. No one had kept a family file or a family tree. No one knew where the relatives had gone and the new generation had no idea of ​​their origins. Andrew quickly realized that every person he knew had a history of a lost past. But what seemed a disappointment at the beginning, was transformed into a catalyst for new ideas for music as a memory of Ireland through the memories of its inhabitants. Andrew learned that the last vision his grandmother's family had in Ireland was the port of Cóbh. A beautiful deep harbor, Cóbh witnesses the thousands of fractured families that passed through the Irish port. So great was this human tragedy, that Cóbh was called the "port of tears." For 1,200 souls in Lusitania, Cóbh was the last vision of the past, which disappeared just from Kinsale's old boss, threw the moorings in Cóbh. The statue of the Angel, on stands is the tribute. This common link created the music for Harbor Of Tears.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer -Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

Brain Salad Surgery would be the fifth work of the band and one of the most successful of progressive rock. EL&P reach here its creative zenith, its interpretive force achieves objectives of a very high level, its sound becomes more electric and forceful. The three components demonstrate a great virtuosity in their respective instruments, including Greg Lake, the one who suffered the most with the electric guitar, achieves interpretations of great merit. In addition, if that were not enough, they count on the collaboration of Peter Sinfield as a lyricist, with which they manage to silence the criticisms about the occasional simplicity of the lyrics written by Greg, with Sinfield the texts become as complex and elaborate as music and EL&P manage to close that circle.

It was the year 1973 and we were in full symphonic effervescence. In the early 1970s, many of the best symphonic rock works of all time were composed. It was the time of the great classics, without going any further in that same year, 1973, we have plenty of examples of the quantity and quality of the published works, to name a few: Camel brought to light his great debut album, Genesis followed us Hypnotizing now with the masterpiece Selling England by the Pound, Pink Floyd touches the infinite with The Dark Side of the Moon, King Crimson climbed one more step in his progressive evolution and published the superb Starless and Bible Black, Jethro Tull left us his anthology A Passion Play and just the previous year, 1972, Yes published what is considered another of the masterpieces of symphonic rock with capital letters Close to the Edge.

Well, in that context appeared the work of EL&P, certifying the peak moment of progressive rock, with Brian Salad Surgery the trio is up to those mentioned above and many others that I have left in the inkwell for not being repetitive.

The work went on sale in November 1973 and was the first one they recorded with their own label: Manticore Records. At first the album was going to be called "Whip some skull on ya", but later they would change it to what would finally be the definitive name and already known by all.

The splendid cover is the work of H.R. Giger renowned artist in the surreal style of modern painting, known for his futuristic ideas and dark environments, and later even more recognized for being the creator of Alien, the famous eighth passenger of the Nostromo ship, in the cult film of the Same name, well known to all.

Regarding this work, Giger says that the illustration is created based on the first title of the album Whip some skull on ya, an expression that refers to skeletons and skulls. After the trio changed the name of the work, but since the painting was related to the new title Brian Salad Surgery and the final result they loved, they decided to keep the cover as designed by the painter.

Another curiosity of this cover, is that the group wanted the album cover to open wide, like two heavy doors. This forced Giger to do an extra job, which he finally solved in an extraordinary way, making a large cover in which the skull-shaped doors open revealing a mysterious woman of disturbing beauty.

The disc went to number 2 of the British lists and to number 11 of those of the USA.

The album strongly begins the piece "Jerusalem", an Anglo-Saxon Christian hymn adapted by the composer Hubert Parry from the poem of the same name written by William Blake. This theme many years ago, since the time of The Nice, which was around the head of Emerson and finally adapts it for this work.

In this theme, Emerson uses a church organ that gives a special majesty to the musical ensemble, where the magnificent Lake voice also stands out with its own light.

If Jerusalem impresses, resulting in an overwhelming disk start, Toccata is the worthy succession. It is an adaptation of the work of the Argentine Alberto Ginastera, First Piano Concerto, specifically of his fourth movement. Keith has always declared himself a great admirer of Ginastera's work, it is even said that before including the piece among the cuts of the album, Emerson visited the Argentine musician to show him the final result of the adaptation and ask for authorization for its publication, getting no only such authorization, but your unconditional support. Ginastera himself commented: “Hell! No one had ever been able to capture my music that way! It's the way I imagine it myself! ”

On this issue, Palmer's work on synthesized percussions and timpani is also very remarkable, it is said that Carl took extra lessons from the handling of these instruments and because of the final result of the product, we can assure that he got performance. Likewise, Emerson's work is also superb, laying the foundations for later works whose main component is the synthesizer.

 After such an overwhelming issue, Still… You Turn Me on was still going on, and as usually happens, after the storm comes calm and the truth is that this definition fits in this case as a ring to the finger. After the great avalanche of keyboards and percussions that are downloaded with fury in Toccata, suddenly a simple acoustic guitar sounds and Lake's warm voice fills every corner of the subject. Then Emerson joins him, with his keyboards and together with the wah-wah effect of the electric guitar, a relaxed dialogue begins on the acoustic guitar's tapping mattress, giving a result of enormous beauty and an original touch to what otherwise it would have been the typical Lake ballad.

The fourth track of the album is Benny the Bouncer, it is undoubtedly the weakest track on the album. I would almost dare to say that it is a tradition of EL&P to introduce a joke theme in many of his albums. It seems, or at least it reminds me, a song for the typical “saloon” of western film, at any moment it seems that the outsider will enter through the swinging doors, will approach the bar, take out a coin and ask for a whishy

For the rest, and in anticipation of what awaits us, it will be good for us to relax a little because after “Benny” the album will not give us a moment of respite. And it is that my friends lack the best, fasten your seatbelts, hold on tight to your seats, free your minds and let yourself go, we get fully into one of the most famous suites of symphonic rock, and contemporary music: KARN EVIL 9.

We are therefore facing the masterpiece of this work, the subject is subdivided into three pieces "impressions", which are actually four since the first of these "impressions" in turn is divided into two, although all parts form a single set, with its own internal coherence, well defined and delimited from the rest of the disk.

The suite is inspired by a futuristic environment, where the excessive progress of technology and the importance it has taken in Western society is criticized. Recalling a bit (and this is a very personal vision) to films like "2001, An Odyssey in Space" at the time Dave disconnects Hal 900. That struggle between the human being and the machine, presented and debated in a thousand And sometimes. That fear, rational or not, who knows, that the machines take control of the world one day, who has not seen "Matrix", "Terminator" ...

Special attention to the final man / machine dialogue: great, bestial, impressive, captivated me from the first moment and now that I know that the synthesized voice (that of the machine) is given by Emerson, answering that of the man who puts it Lake (like it could not be otherwise) and that the letter with almost total security is from Sinfield, because you want me to tell you, my stolen heart has ... the best letter of the prog? ... Well maybe yes.

In addition to this theme, the famous “Welcome Back my friends, to the show never ends” comes out, a phrase with which as a welcome the trio opened its concerts.

But well let's go parts.

Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, part I

The suite starts with a relatively quiet rhythm, Keith's great work on keyboards, perfectly seconded with Greg's bass and vocals and Carl's drums. A few minutes later the pace accelerates with a single brand from Emerson's house that starts all kinds of sounds to its modular moog, Lake's voice still sounds powerful, performing at the highest level and Palmer doesn't breathe his drumsticks: EL&P in its purest form !!!

Towards the end we can appreciate the advances of Lake with the electric guitar marking a single nothing despicable. Sincerely hearing more attention than normal this work has made me appreciate Greg's virtues with the guitar, which for me had always been in a very, very second term.

Karn Evil 9 - 1st Impression, part II

This second part begins with the famous "Welcome Bak my Friends ...", is significantly shorter than the previous part and maintains the same schemes; playing the instruments and the voice a practically identical role, in this sense it can be affirmed that we are facing a continuation of the same theme, as in fact already shows the same title of the piece.

Karn Evil 9 - 2nd Impression

The second "Impression" is totally instrumental and begins with a fully soaked jazz rhythm. The acoustic piano of Emerson fills all the pores of the song, until the incorporation of some percussions of a certainly very curious rhythm, they seem as synthesized, although I would not dare to affirm that extreme forcefully either. In the middle of the song, the rhythm becomes more leisurely and Keith offers us a magnificent piano concert, passing the drums and bass to mere accompaniment instruments, it is a time for the personal brilliance of the keyboardist.

Karn Evil 9 - 3rd Impression

We resume the structure of the sung piece, again taking the textual part a great importance. The keyboards are shown again blunt, the rhythm of the percussions constant and dynamic, Lake focuses on the vocal and bassist facet. Among the keyboards, the use of the organ stands out above all others, mixed with the effects of the synthesizer. We approach the “climax”, at the climax, the moment in which the human being will seek an answer and the machine will give them to them, but the cybernetic responses are not what the man expects to receive, the machines take control…. Will the human being succumb to the designs of the machines?

In short, EL&P's top work and one of the greatest albums of progressive rock and general rock of all time

Deep Purple-Made in Japan (1972)

In August of 1972 Deep Purple landed in the Country of the Rising Sun to fulfill the commitment made with his Japanese record label, Warner Pioneer, to record three concerts, from which the tracks would be extracted to make a live album that would serve as a claim for the Japanese market, as they intended to relaunch the group's catalog in the country.
Although at the time the direct ones were not very valued, the group accepted with three conditions: the first was to be able to decide on its publication; the second used his own sound engineer, Martin Birch (Fleetwood Mac, Wishbone Ash, Jeff Beck and later Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and a long etc.), who had been working with them from "Concerto for Group and Orchestra"; and the third, to give approval to the team to use in the concerts.
The dates chosen were August 15 and 16 in Osaka, and August 17 in Tokyo.
Roger Glover himself recalls that first visit to Japan as the zenith of his group career. He was proud to belong to it and to be able to travel to another side of the world to do what he liked most in front of 12,000 people in Budokan himself, an enclosure that usually hosted sumo competitions. Then I was 27 years old.
Only "Smoke on the Water" was saved from the first concert because the group was tired on the first day (which was reflected in their performance). In addition, inexplicably, Ritchie Blackmore made mistakes in introducing the song performed the other two days.
On the third day, in Tokyo, even being his best performance, only “Lazy” and “The Mule” were saved because the acoustics were not good (it is worth saying here that more than once it has been said that Budokan is not a appropriate venue for music, although there have been many artists who have recorded their performances in it). As a curious note of this day, say that Ritchie threw his guitar to the public up to three times, since the security of the enclosure returned the instrument twice before not understanding that it was a gift from the musician to the fans.
Therefore, most of the material used to release the album was extracted from the second day, completing the "Highway Star", "Child in Time", "Strage Kind of Woman" and "Space Truckin" septet. Nor Ian Gillan not even Ritchie Blackmore wanted to participate in the mixes, since they were against the idea of ​​a live album. Even the first one told everyone that his would not be a good interpretation because he was affected by bronchitis. It took many years to hear the album to realize how wrong he was.
I literally copy what is said in the book A Purple World by José Galván, which has helped me to write all of the above and whose reading makes me increasingly satisfied to have acquired it. The recordings, published in a double LP under the title "Made in Japan", show along its four faces the skill of the five musicians in seven great pieces that would make this the best-selling live album in history. Without a doubt, this was the group's greatest contribution to the history of Rock music. "
To conclude, say that as I write I am listening to the album again and I feel again the emotion I felt the first times I heard it in that cassette. My hair is on end every time I hear Ritchie Blackmore's guitar solo on "Highway Star," Ian Gillan's falsettos on "Child in Time," Ian Paice's drum solo on "The Mule," introduction of "Lazy" by the hand of the master Jon Lord (DEP) and the bass of Roger Glover, which involves everything. An authentic prodigy of about 75 minutes highly recommended that turns 40 years old.

Pink Floyd- Animals ( 1977)

The truth is almost 30 years have passed since this album was published. I remember, we were very anxious to hear the sequel to that mythical Wish You Were Here. Finally the album came sowing the bewilderment. No, it didn't look like Wish You Were Here and neither was The Dark Side of the Moon. Dark, with a striking aesthetic without a doubt, thanks to the mythical cover photo of the Battersea electric station with that flying pig, and whose music did not fit very well at the first listening. In addition, the conceptual character of a Pink Floyd album had never been seen more clearly than with it and its songs titled as three different animals. Sure, we were used to the beauty contained in songs like "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" or "Wish You Were Here," but that wasn't here. The aesthetics, of having something to do, had it with pieces like "Welcome to the Machine" or "Have a Cigar." Both discs were like Ying and Yang, the obverse and the reverse. I remember when a classmate, who is now a journalist, came saying that he had already heard it and that it started with a beautiful acoustic song. He told us another time, it's a great album! but he seemed to be trying to convince himself more than others. I remember the criticism, which I compared to Meddle, a Meddle for punk times, of course. ¿Meddle? I wondered. Yes, that metronome bass from the beginning of "Sheep" could remember some fragment of that record, but where was the resemblance of the rest? Later we would know about the crossroads that Animals represented and more about the meanings of this album, but we had to wait to know.

It was clear that after The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd could not do anything and the truth is that they took their time and the songs were appearing organically and not forced. Thus, issues such as “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” emerged, in a way a kind of emotional coda, centered on Syd Barrett, from pieces of The Dark Side of the Moon like “Brian Damage” or “Eclipse” itself. Along with this majestic song also appeared "You Gotta Be Crazy" and "Raving & Drooling", primordios of "Dogs" and "Sheep". "Raving & Drooling" as early as June 1974, while "You Gotta Be Crazy" there are already testimonials from November of the same year. In June 1975 they would continue performing live. "Raving & Drooling" was clearly "Sheep" although more aggressive even if possible, but missing the added elements to be part of the cycle of songs conceived by Roger Waters. "You Gotta Be Crazy" in 1974 was a much more primitive version of "Dogs", since it was shorter, with different vocal lines, missing the entire intermediate section, the one that would be sung by Waters. In 1975 it was revised and the vocal lines were definitive, with a first version of the part sung by Waters. That is to say, it was already much closer to its recording. The story already known tells us that the group developed what would be Wish You Were Here first, leaving both themes in the bedroom. Thus, the only "new" songs in Animals would be the two "Pigs on the Wing" and "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", songs by Roger Waters.

From The Dark Side of the Moon the lyrics of Pink Floyd's songs had been written by Roger Waters, which resulted in each album actually being a cycle of songs. A way like any other to make conceptual albums, which do not necessarily have to be narrative. Since I met The Wall carefully, it always seemed to me that The Dark Side of the Moon was a kind of perfect preface in which some of the bricks on the wall are described, in a way. Wish You Were Here was more introspective, and its theme was braided about Syd Barrett, nostalgia, the record industry and the loss of innocence; All of them interrelated themes. Animals could be defined as a vision of the world, an outgoing disc, but with poison, as it looked outward without liking what it saw. Thus society is divided into three levels, those that have power, those that sustain it and those on which that power is exercised. Pigs, dogs and sheep. I do not find any direct relationship between this album and Animal Farm by George Orwell, a work that most likely Waters already knew and read.

As you look, Animals is Pink Floyd's latest album as a quartet since The Wall is almost a solo album by Waters, played by Pink Floyd. Waters' advance on the group's dominance, however, was not yet complete and there is a lot of Dave Gilmour still here. Nick Mason no longer intervened as a composer from the previous album and in this one the role of Rick Wright began to be eclipsed, focusing on his keyboards. Everything was composed by Roger Waters, except "Dogs", written with Dave Gilmour.

"Pigs on the Wing 1" (1:25) began the album with a simple and very beautiful song built only with acoustic guitar and voice that serves as a prelude to all the work. In it Waters, in a somewhat Brechtian way, questions his audience (If you did not worry about what happened to me, and I did not worry about you, we should dodge on our path that crosses the paths of boredom and pain).

"Dogs" (17:04) from my point of view is a kind of Floydian top, without a doubt my favorite song from my favorite Pink Floyd album. A piece with sufficient structural complexity to be able to affirm that it is the most similar thing that Pink Floyd came to compose, saving the distances, in the wave of the symphonic rock style Yes. In a continuous whole, several sections of tempo are becoming slower and slower, before recovering the initial scheme. The solos of the guitar of Gilmour, who is the lead singer of this piece, are overwhelmed by the rage of his expression. The use of sound effects adds a special touch. Listen to how that word at the end of a verse like Stone becomes a howling species, and those vocoderized barks give it the uneasy tone that the piece requires. Dogs may not only be the armed forces, the police, the mafia, organized crime, but perhaps the entertainment industry itself. Waters seems to identify with them in the verse he sings (I must admit that I am somewhat confused. Sometimes I have the feeling that I am being used). The whole series of final affirmations of the letter, which begin with the word Who, seem to place this kind of offspring who serve pigs without being sheep (Who [was the one] born in a home full of pain? Who was taught that there is no need to spit on the fan? Who gave sermons about what to do for humanity? Who was traumatized by true specialists [in the field]? Who was adjusted necklace and chain? ...). A sublime ending.

“Pigs (Three Different Ones)” (11:22) began the second side of the vinyl. In this song Waters loaded the inks towards political and economic power. Even the luxury of attacking the ultraconservative deputy Mary Whitehouse, in favor of a return to the Victorian morals (Eh, you, Whitehouse ha ha, look you are ridiculous. You, the pride of the house of a town of mice ha ha ha, look you're ridiculous). It begins with an obsessive game of the keyboards of Rick Wright and the bass of Waters, and the whole song, of three stanzas, is maintained in a truffled tension of swine grunts and effects until the only one of liberating guitar arrives. It ends in fadeout.

"Sheep" (10:24) is another of the great moments of the album. The metronomic bass makes its way on a mattress of sheep sounds, on top of which Wright develops a solo jazz electric piano. At the climax comes the voice and the song itself, an excellent guitar ride. The moment when Waters' voice melts with the Wright synthesizer is simply prodigious, what a great find! In the quieter central section, a vocoderized voice recites a text derived from one of the best known biblical psalms (The Lord is my shepherd), in which a certain rebellion is finally shown before the established order (When the day comes we despicable ones, through the calm of meditation and great dedication, will dominate the art of karate. [Looks up], we must stand up, and then we will [let] the eyes of the damned be filled with tears. ”) and The dogs die. The piece ends with a fabulous guitar riff that is repeated to lead to a fadeout final.

“Pigs on the Wing 2” (1:25) finalizes the album again with acoustic guitar and voice. In it, Waters asks his audience again, but he is more serene (You know that I care what may happen to you. And I know you care about me. So I no longer feel [so] alone under the weight of [all this large] slab).

Genesis - Selling England by the pound (1973)

The album title could be translated as "Selling England by weight" (in pounds), where the word "pound" does not refer to the British currency, but to the Anglo-Saxon unit of weight. For this album, all the fantasy used in the previous albums was disregarded, opting for “down to earth”, drawing on landscapes and aromas of old England, starting with the theme that opens the album, “Dancing with the moonlight knight ”, Inspired by the Old Lady Britannia, passing through the fantastic river walk with its green countryside in“ Firth of fifth ”, until the battle of bands, less poetic and very theatrical of the Epping Forest.

Year 1973, in full swing of symphonic rock, with the edition of works such as "The dark side of the moon" or "Brain salad surgery", gave birth to what for many critics and fans is his masterpiece: "Selling England by the pound. "

"Trespass" laid the groundwork, "Nursery Crime" was the beginning of the classic Genesis sound, where later with "Foxtrot" it developed exponentially, until it reached "Selling ..." with which perfection was achieved in his music. “The lamb….” It is also another masterpiece, although for me slightly lower than that.

With a formation already fully consolidated, the compositions reach their maximum degree of complexity, as well as their interpretation, but without abusing a grandiloquence or an excessive use of solos or attempts of individual lucidity of their members, as it happens in other bands. In fact, this album is exceptional because in it there is no attempt by any of the band's components, to stand out above the others, but the work is a perfect combination of five excellent musicians, at the most high in inspiration both in composition and in the technique achieved with their respective instruments. All this could only lead to what for much of the criticism, is the album of Symphonic Rock par excellence.

U.K.-Night After Night (1979)

UK ephemeral was a progressive rock band, which for various reasons they left halfway, and I can influence not duly appreciated, although attending three fantastic albums, two studio and one live

The origin of Bill Bruford (former Yes, King Crimson, and he finished touring with Genesis), John Wetton (ex-King Crimson) and Rick Wakeman (ex-Yes), which also began to resume his solo work .. . 'm even the possibility that Robert Fripp himself was interested in this project, which completely waste almost immediately. This formation came to rehearse a few months until the abandonment of Wakeman, and there are the violinist and keyboardist Eddie Jobson (Frank Zappa) and Allan Holdsworth, famed guitarist in sound "Canterbury" group Soft Machine, Gong and Tempest.

The first was called "UK" (1978) and is a good summary of symphonic rock with jazzy idea of Bruford and Holdsworth, that just leave the band after that album ...

This makes clear that the prevailing trend of more direct and rocking Jobson and Wetton, which resulted in "Danger Money" (1979), and with Terry Bozzio (also ex-Zappa) on drums, and no guitarist to impersonate Holdsworth. In a good balance in the topics "Caesar's Palace Blues" and "Nothing To Lose" especially, it is anticipated that more direct wave would Wetton in Asia, although not so commercial yet ...

It records the trio live here at hand "Night After Night" where are "In The Dead Of Night", "Alaska" and "Time To Kill" from his first album with the new format, a release that gives title track, and very good versions of songs from "Danger Money", especially "Rendezvous 6-02", creating an overwhelming and very progressive direct.

The added difficulty was resolved to move to live in a trio format a disc on topics under study quartet which contained lots of overdubs and effects with a veryimpressive

In 1999 and 2007 live albums out of the first training-with-Hollsworth Bruford and that repair is a big hole and better rounded story

Jethro Tull-Stormwatch (1979)

It is clear that Stormwatch closes an era, remember that it was published in 1979. The seventies end and Anderson and his boys decide to fire them by closing a trilogy, which began with Songs from the Wood and continued with Heavy Horses, dedicated to the vision that Ian had in those moments about the modern lifestyle and how it directly attacks nature and the environment, as opposed to the benefits of the traditional and rural way of life.

If in Songs from tthe Wood the general tone was optimistic, Heavy Horses already began to notice certain storm clouds that would definitely burst with the publication of an album that oozes pessimism about the planet's situation and concern for an uncertain future: Stormwatch

The title of the album reflects Ian's idea that he is seeing a great storm coming that will plunge mankind into a winter of environmental destruction. The lookout warns us of the disaster that will happen if we do not stop destroying nature and the environment, in favor of excessive economic growth and without control ... Almost thirty years later, it is difficult to deny Ian Anderson the reason, at least in part.

The magnificent cover depicts Anderson in his role as a watchman of the storm, looking ominously over binoculars in which some rays are reflected on an oil rig: the storm is approaching. The soft green and brown colors of the two previous works are replaced by depressing blacks and blues, and the band's logo and the title of the album appear in red digital letters: like those in the movie bombs' countdown. , another alarm signal ...

On the back cover a large giant white bear emerges from a large mass of snow and sweeps a refinery. In the icy sea there are oil platforms. In the sky you can see birds and the constellation of Orion (one of the songs on the album), and after the birds, as the image is diluted, an angel is seen, probably Gabriel, who would come to blow his trombone marking the beginning of the Apocalypse ...

To make matters worse, the death of the young bass player of the band, John Glascock, would not contribute precisely to creating a more optimistic environment. The bass parts that John couldn't play, Anderson himself assumed.

The sound of Stormwatch also becomes rougher, by Tullian standards, which is mostly reflected in the hardening of the sound of Barre's guitar. I also believe that we can talk about a conceptual album, in that the general theme that most songs are about is the same or similar.