OPEN SPACES

Quite often prog rock fans look into those more obscure bands trying to find the great lost gem of progressive rock, and fail, since there is hardly something like that. Even so, many albums can be quite enjoyable. And it was more or less what happened to me when I came across CMU Open Spaces album. Luckily, the CD was not a "unofficial" Russian release.

CMU music is very ecletic, with heavy jazzy and bluesy leanings, but also some psychedelia, folk and experimental touches as well, not unlike many other offerings of the era. The band features a male and a female vocalist that share vocal duties, sometimes together in the same song, but mostly alternating between songs. The more experimental songs, which are also the two longest ones, are the most interesting in a progressive point of view. Chantecleer is more rock side and Open Spaces is more experimental, unstructured. Both great songs.

The other songs are also interesting, ranging from good to great. Highlights are Henry, with lots of changes, strong jazzy overtones and quite interesting lyrics; their rendition of Pharoah Sanders' Japan, with more subtlety than the original, giving it a nice Japanese traditional folk vibe; and Mystical Sounds, with its psych touches and nice flute work.

All in all, it is an album I like to come back to it frequently because it is well recorded, well played, has interesting ideas, and not very derivative (I particularly enjoy the usage of clean guitar tones and the strong rhythm section). It even had some songs that became instantly remarkably in the first listen, which is a boon in the genre, since it is often that albums are good but you can't remember any song of the album after a few listens.