Ambrosia-Somewhere I´ve Never Travelled (1976)

This North American group has gone down in the history of rock as one of the most perfect bands with excellent vocal conjunctions at the same time as great authors and talented musicians, who got to place some of their albums at the top of the hit lists.
Formed in Los Angeles in the early 70s, it would take some time to sign with any company, although they built a great reputation among the Los Angeles public thanks to their style with a certain progressive air.
In those early days the band was a fan of bands like the British King Crimson, but also of vocal bands like CSNY and they were hell-bent on merging all their musical influences to create their own repertoire.
Already their first album "Ambrosia" (1975), would catapult them to fame for the success of the singles "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" and "Holdin´On the Yesterday".
Its enormous instrumental and vocal quality would draw the attention of Alan Parsons, who produced their second album "Somewhere I've Never Traveled", which definitely catapulted them to stardom with this superb work.
In this album the band decides to increase its commitment to an even more complex and pretentious sound, for this and as a recommendation from Alan Parsons they hire Andrew Powell, who would be in charge of the orchestral arrangements, a proposal that can be heard from the initial and pompous "And" or the luxurious "Somewhere I've Never Traveled" to the impressive "Cowboy Song", passing by "Dense With Me George" a kind of tribute to Chopin, or the anthological "We Need You Too", which made up a Anthological album of the highest level.

Ambrosia-Ambrosia (1975)

Ambrosia are undoubtedly one of the most exquisite and refined bands to have ever existed. Their fabulous vocal harmonies, catchy yet complex and intricately arranged melodies, and impactful compositions placed them at the pinnacle of 1970s symphonic pop. A brief biography of this understated and exquisite band was already presented in a previous post, so here we will focus solely on their first and seminal debut album. Released in 1975 under the Warner Bros. label and produced by Alan Parsons, this first offering from Ambrosia showcases a hybrid of the instrumental complexities of bands like Yes and the vocal and melodic harmonies of The Eagles. With superb guitar and keyboard work, Ambrosia displays in this debut a remarkable creativity that navigates between deeply rooted synchronicity and the most addictive pop. The psychedelic and ultimately most emblematic track, "Nice, Nice, Very Nice", opens this album in extraordinary fashion, while the melodic "Time Waits For No One" adds a folk touch with its balalaika sounds and the unmistakable flavor of the 1960s. The funk-pop "Holdin' On To Yesterday" and the country-acid-rock "World Leave Me Alone" provide a counterpoint to the bucolic "Make Us All Aware". Among the other tracks, the bluesiest, "Mama Frog", with its bluesy and funky rhythm over jazzy structures, stands out, as does the Southern-influenced "Drink Of Water", a pacifist anthem that serves as the perfect epilogue to close this album. This would be Ambrosia's most creative and progressive release, which would gradually shift towards more commercial and intense sounds but of undeniable quality until 1982, the year in which they released their fifth and final album.

Ambrosia-Road Island (1982)

Ambrosia is one of the most exquisite bands on the rock music scene. Their irresistible vocals and catchy melodies earned them a place among the best American bands for a decade. Formed in the early seventies in California, this band emerged during the golden age of progressive rock and amassed a huge following thanks to their creativity and fantastic arrangements. With their debut album, "Ambrosia", they rose to fame with a work produced by none other than Alan Parsons, featuring hits like "Holdin' On The Yesterday" and "Nice Nice, Very Nice", both classics on American FM radio. The band's subsequent releases also yielded notable successes, such as "Somewhere I've Never Traveled", which was even nominated for a Grammy, and the hit "Life Beyond L.A.", a number one on the Billboard charts. After so many successes, in 1982 Ambrosia released their fifth and ultimately final album, "Road Island", where they once again showcased progressive yet commercial elements, all fused with memorable melodies and irresistible vocals. AOR sounds are present in the addictive "Still Not Satisfied" and "How Can You Love Me", while powerful rock tracks like "For Openers-Welcome Home" and "Kid No More" also feature. The album maintains its melodic vein with beautiful compositions such as "Feelin' Alive Again", "Fool Like Me", and "Endings", culminating in the more progressive and complex "Ice Age". In 2000, celebrating 30 years since their formation, they reunited for an extensive tour across the United States, achieving great box office success and demonstrating the immense popularity of this magnificent Californian band.