ASCENÇÃO E QUEDA

This is the best rock album ever recorded in Portugal, better even than the brilliant works produced by José Cid during the same decade. "Ascenção e Queda" is a real Opera, that dives deeper into that sort of musical framework that any other rock recording I know of. For each character there is a different melody in each different act, each one special in some way, really recreating the changing scenes you would get in a live thetrical representation. The quality of the recording itself is the best possible at the time with great performances from musicians and especially singers.

Unfortunatelly this outstanding record has been largely forgotten and so far hasn't got the recognition it devserves. In first place because the listener must really understand the lyrics to fully grasp the density of the record; those don't speak Portuguese are thus left at loss. And secondly because the record has been largely neglected by whomever owns printing rights. A physical copy has become prohibitivly expensive in CD format; I am yet to see a vynil copy for sale but I would expect it to go for several thousand euros.

Indespensible in any symphonic rock collection.