JOSÉ CID

"Vozes do Além" is Jose Cid's fourth progressive rock project, the idea of ​​which dates back thirty years, and now the time has come to realize it during the pandemic.. Ambitious concept album, which is mainly based on the poems of famous Iberian poets of the twentieth century (Sérgio Nascimento, Federico Garcia, Lorca, Aurelino Costa, etc.). The poems describe the questions of life, death and reincarnation in the language of music. The double album, which was recorded analogically, is closer to the kind of symphonic rock that can be heard on the 1978 album 10000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte than to the pop music that mostly characterized Jose Cid's work. This record is a pleasant surprise, characterized by the powerful, passionate voice of the80-year-old Cid, the synthesizer and Mellotron keys, and the broad chorus sounds.

Review Nº 102

"Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" is the only solo progressive EP of José Cid and was released in 1977. The line up is José Cid, José Moz Carrapa, Zé Nabo and Guilherme Scarpa Inês.

"Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" became to be Cid's first journey into progressive rock world as a solo artist. Quarteto 1111, the original band of Cid, broke up and then he decided go solo and continued on, in the progressive rock direction. However, before he released his so acclaimed sci-fi album "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte", first he released an EP in 1977 called "Vida (Sons do Quotidiano)", which is also loaded with lots of Mellotron, Mini Moog, and string synthesizers. So, we can say that somehow "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" was a prelude, a kind of a test, precisely in the year before, for what would appear in the following year, his only solo progressive rock album.

At the risk of being wrong, since it's a personal interpretation, I really think that "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" has a very personal and political attitude of the composer. This became to be a special EP for Cid and, I would even dare to say, very important for the new attitude that the country needed to take after 25 April 1974, the day of our revolution, the day that brought to us the hope we needed so desperately. "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" is widely considered as a prequel to the masterpiece, "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" and one of the greatest music hits of Cid's career.

However, "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" has nothing to do with the concept of "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte". This time we don't have a sci-fi story but an earthly story, a story of everyday life so common to many of us. "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)" is a conceptual EP with more than 12 minutes, following the path of life from birth to death. The lyrics are once more in Portuguese, a trademark of almost all the Portuguese progressive rock bands in the 70's. It starts with the doctor who performs the birth of a child and ends with the automobile accident that interrupts the life of the adult, with clarity and common lyrical mastery in all progressive discography of Cid. However, the most magical and even more political moment on the EP is reserved for the little phrase of the girl with the reference to "love, freedom and peace among men", a very usual motto used in Portugal after the April revolution, adding to this EP, the same political subject of the album of Quarteto 1111, "Onde, Quando, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas".

This release follows the same musical direction of his predecessor album with Quarteto 1111, "Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas". The presence of the synthesizers and the mellotron extend the musical connection with all these instruments holders of a sound very often used by the large and best progressive rock bands of the 70's, such as King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, Pulsar, Le Orme and Van Der Graaf Generator, only to mention a few of them. As a conceptual album the music flows naturally and progressively all over the theme, despite the usual cut between the two sides of the record. The symphonic progressive component of the album is more pronounced in the final phase of the track after the car accident. However the entire track has a more symphonic sound than the early psychedelic aspects of the beginning musical career of Cid with Quarteto 1111. It follows the more symphonic path of the previous album of Quarteto 1111, "Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas" and opens the door to his next album "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte", an album strongly influenced by the symphonic progressive rock bands of the 70's.

Conclusion: Despite being perhaps a farfetched interpretation and even exaggerated of the EP, what is really important in my perspective, is that all progressive discography of Cid circulates around the values of life, liberty and feelings. We have racism and immigration one the first album of Quarteto 1111, we have freedom and peace on their second album, we have self-destruction of the human race on his solo album and we have the life of an ordinary person on this EP. So, it wouldn't be so surprising that Cid had intended to portray life in one of the most turbulent periods in Portugal, and add a more political component to a song that tries to cover the life of a human being in just over 12 minutes. By the other hand, the increase of the quality of his music, in terms of progressive rock music, is perfectly seen on this EP which would be even more evident on his following album "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte". This work with only 12 minutes long of Cid is really an amazing piece of music. It's short, and we progressive rock fans for sure wanted that he could make much more. And as that didn't happen, what we really can do is enjoying this great short working that gets us out of our daily sounds in an incredible way. However, what can impress me most are the regularity and the increasing of the quality of his working in Quarteto 1111 and as a solo artist. That always impressed me very much. I always thought that Cid was born in the wrong time and place. If the circumstances were somehow different, maybe he could be one of the greatest names of the progressive rock music in the 70's. Maybe.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Review Nº 101

"10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" is the only solo progressive rock album of José Cid, as a solo artist, and it was released in 1978. Beyond it, he made another progressive rock experience, "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)", an EP released one year before, in 1977. The line up on the album is José Cid, Mike Sergeant, Zé Nabo and Ramon Galarza.

If you're American or if you were born in other part of the world, the name José Cid might not mean much to you. But if you're from Portugal, you know him as one of the biggest names of the Portuguese pop music. But there was a short time, in the 70's, where he was exploring the progressive rock music, relying heavily on the mellotron and synthesizers. He co-founded Quarteto 1111, the real first band to take a new approach to the rock music in Portugal, with a modern line up and instrumentation. As a solo artist, his own solo LP, "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte", was perhaps Cid at his finest moment during his progressive rock phase, a phase in his musical career. He didn't pursue it any further, since progressive rock by this time had pretty much reached a dead end just about in everywhere, and since there wasn't much competition in Portugal for this kind of music. Tantra was one of the other few progressive acts from Portugal, in those times. So, it's simple to wonder why this is considered, by many, the finest progressive rock act from Portugal. Regardless everything, Cid was basically the daddy of the Portuguese modern pop music and of the Portuguese progressive rock, since he was there from the start playing covers of the 50's American rock and roll music.

"10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" is a conceptual album based in a very simple sci-fi story by Cid. The story is set about 10.000 years after the mankind's self-destruction in Planet Earth, where a man and a woman are travelling in space to returning to Earth to repopulate it. The lyrics are very simple and contemplate the past mistakes and future hopes of all mankind and the hope to correct it in the future. In addition to the auditory component, the artwork of the album is accompanied by beautiful illustrations that tell us the stories set in each track of the album.

Musically, this is very much a spacey album that reminds a little of Pink Floyd and Eloy, especially their album Ocean, except the fact that Cid had the sense to sing in his native tongue, the Portuguese. This whole album is a vintage keyboard lover's dream come true. The gatefold features Mr. Cid standing next to his assortment of keyboards, which includes a piano, two Mellotrons, a Hohner clavinet, a Mini Moog, and several keyboards that I couldn't recognize all.

About the tracks, the first two songs "O Último Dia Na Terra" and "O Caos" are nothing short than two incredible pieces. The mellotron choir sound has got to be heard to be believed. I just love the spacey sci-fi sound that sounds so to the 70's. And if you're a mellotron fan, like me, you can't argue with an album in which one of the songs bears the title of "Mellotron O Planeta Fantástico", another great number. I especially like the use of bass guitar and the Moog synthesizers. And of course, the mellotron is ever present all over the album. The title track is another nice ballad. "A Partir Do Zero" is another good one, I especially love the use of the synthesizers on that one. The album ends with "Memos" which is mainly the main piano theme found on one of the earlier songs on the album, "Fuga Para O Espaço".

Unfortunately, this masterpiece was very little known, in those times, even in Portugal. I think it only sold about 500 LP's, when it was released, which was really a pity. So, unfortunately, it just was born to the world many years later by the hand of an American music producer, I think. However I'm very happy and proud of knowing that it has been much acclaimed all over the world. Eventually, it has been included on a list of the 100 best albums of progressive rock music of all time, organized by U.S. Magazine Billboard, achieving the rare status of a cult album, which is really amazing.

Conclusion: Undoubtedly, we are in presence of a classic album from the 70's. It's very clear the strong influence in this working of some of the greatest names of the progressive rock bands of the 70's such as Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Eloy. But unfortunately the album was a flop. Orfeu, the Portuguese record label, didn't have faith on the album, not to mention the gatefold with a full color booklet (with nice sci-fi artwork and lyrics) would be more expensive to make Cid agreed not to receive royalties. It quickly went out of print and became a major collector's item. I'm really convinced that Orfeu made a big mistake, as many people in Portugal think, too. This is a clear example how a record label can destroy, perhaps, a great musical career of an artist, in the progressive rock scene. I can't forget that of all the albums that Cid has recorded, through the years, this is particularly the album he's most proud, giving the impression that he'd rather have had a career in the progressive rock. But as he couldn't, he had to stick to the mainstream pop. Anyway, progressive rock was never a huge thing in Portugal. So, this is an excellent and perfect example of it. However, I just want to say one more thing: Thank you Mr. Cid for having contributed to our pride of being Portuguese.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Acordding to Billboard, This Album is One Of The 100 Best Prog Rock Albums ever recorded.

This Concept Album Is Based in the destruction of the Earth by the mankind. 10.000 years after mankind's self-destruction, a man and a woman travelling in space return to Earth to repopulate it. The tone of the lyrics is of contemplation over mankind's past mistakes and future hopes. In this Album we can find influences by bands Like The Moody Blues and Pink Floyd. The translation of the album's name is "10,000 Years Later Between Venus and Mars". For the most of critics is the best album ever recorded in Portugal

For those not yet in the know Jose Cid was Portugal's grand godfather of pop...and folk, and rock, and, for a brief while during the mid-to-late 1970's, progressive rock. His overall contribution to the genre was limited, yet that didn't stop him from producing one of the genre's cult items in the form of this quaint yet much-loved slice of synthesized space-rock. A concept album, '10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte' arrived pretty late to the prog-rock party - 1978 no less - yet still managed to rack up impress sales figures in both Cid's homeland and throughout Spain and, to some degree, across mainland Europe. Non-Portugese speakers, of course, will have difficulty deciphering the album's story, yet thanks to some startlingly inventive music, it doesn't really matter. This is an album chock full of dreamy mellotron runs, ethereal acoustic moments, Cid's yearning vocals and neon-kissed guitar solos, whilst also featuring a truly cosmic atmosphere. It's a fairly short album, running at just over 38 minutes, yet when listened to from beginning to end it seems to stretch out for a lot longer thanks to the many fluid instrumental passages that bring to mind elements of 'Meddle'-era Floyd, touches of Klaus Schulze-style synthadelia and Cid's own folk background. Maybe occasionally '10,000 Anos...' delves into slightly poppy territory, and if the whole affair may well sound a tad dated to some ears the album does, for the most, prove pretty captivating listening. Opening piece 'O Ultimo Dia Na Tera' sets the standard, as pulses of gleaming keyboards and shimmering guitars swirl into a grand cosmic mesh, though the real highlights prove to be both the excellent 'Fuga Para O Espaco', which features a soaring guitar solo as its centre-piece and the self-explanatory 'Mellotron O Planeta Fantastico', which pins dense mellotron washes over yet more impressive guitar work and is, funnily enough, pretty fantastico. The fact that Cid would take such a stylistic detour to produce this lushly epic work - he would revert back to producing simpler pop product soon after - speaks volumes about this highly revered Iberian musician, both in terms of his musical ambition and his technical ability. The real joker in the Jose Cid career pack, '10,000 Anos...' proves a dreamy psychedelic opus, mixing prog-rock flourishes and space- rock atmospherics into an science-fiction fused whole that should delight all true prog-rock fans. Surely one of the great European albums of the 1970s, this is heady and highly enjoyable stuff indeed. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

On a personal note I was amazed a copy of the original vinyl record fetches over $11,000usd among collectors!! 3,000 copies only ever made!

The lyrics are extremely poetic when it comes to the subject at hand: The voyage of man to achieve a better existence.

The voice unifies the music almost in unison.

10,000 years after the auto destruction of mankind a man and a woman return to earth to recolonize it.

The tone of the musics is one of contemplation over the mistakes mankind has done (and is doing) and a sign of hope for future generations.

Ahead of his time in the 70's "and still today" the lyrics empower a vision of hope for our existence on this planet.

Jose Cid has many great works. I became a fan recently and am amazed at the genius of this irreverent musician! He is a musician that ignores the establishment and produces what he wants, from crap Popular Music to Master Pieces like this one and others.

This is a classic and will continue to be evermore!

Hopefully one day he will re-edit and sing it in English for the world to hear the beauty of the lyrics.

This classy concept album by Jose Cid is an excellent mostly-instrumental symphonic prog piece with a strong space rock influence in the guitar parts. Like Bo Hansson, another pop keyboardist who turned his hand to producing prog solo albums, Cid does not use the album purely as an ego trip - he knows when his (well-played) keyboards need to be at front and centre, and when he needs to step aside to let another instrumentalist take the lead. In particular, Zé Nabo's excellent guitar contributions - reminiscent of Dave Gilmour's work at points - enhance the album notably. Cid is also adept at using both newer synthesisers and classic prog stalwarts like the Mellotron, and shows great taste in choosing which to use when and blending the new and the old.

It might have sounded a bit retro even in 1978, but 10,000 Anos is a fine album - and whilst it might have been the only solo prog effort by Cid, it's one that I can listen to over and over again.

He!

Symphonic Synth Prog Rock of grandiose kind which is done by supposedly Portugese pop rock star. Well, lyrics (and vocals) are good, good enough to be pleasant and not to sound bad as with Petrus Castrus (even I quite like this band). After (how people colloquially call it) $hitload of Symphonic Prog today (about 15 Symph. albums heard today), I would say this is just another album of this kind, of very special value, very great quality, extremely Symphonic, exactly as we like it.

But what's so special about it ? How can we compare it ? How to determine final rating ? Well well well, let's figure it out while typing these words.

It's easy. Even when we compare superb album to other superb album, they can be different. Even mostly in little things. For example Fuga Para O Espaco is extremely exceptional track, because (it's common that in these comparisons that there will be a lot of positive adjectives) it's quite hard to be so pleasantly symphonic, but not cheesy. And not only this, this record as whole sounds so great that it's hard to think about certain tracks only, maybe also because it's a concept album. Even sung in language I don't know (Brazillia hello), I somehow feel it.

5(-) and exactly as I feel tempted to give high rating, I will do so because (as I say) when I stumble over something of great value, sheer impact this has on every human living being that can feel magic of this album, well, I'm breathless.§

Good one José (my father's nickname)

2.5 stars really

Around 1980, when I left the radio I was helping in (because the became a POP station instead of Classic Rock), the owner gave me several Prog albums that he didn't cared about and/or didn't needed for the station, among this LP's I received "10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte" (10,000 Years Later Between Venus and Mars) by JOSE CID, then I noticed this guy had several releases and asked for them, but the musical editor told me that the others were in the line of the radio (in other words plain POP).

So took it and listened it at home in my old but reliable "Dual turntable", what a disappointment, the album in my opinion is less than average, to be honest it was not a terrible album, but I imagined hat it could sound like other Portuguese artists as PETRUS CASTRUS who released the fantastic "Mestre" and "Ascenção e Queda", but there's no comparison.

So threw it in the pack of forgotten albums, and never cared about it again. A few months ago I read the reviews about this album in Prog Archives and all were so good that gave a second chance to JOSE CID, but my opinion hasn't changed at all, it sounds as a hybrid between Symphonic, POP and Space Rock, well played but lack of greatness.

The greatest problem is in the vocals, JOSE CID reminds me of those artists with fake accent who try to sing in their native language but sounding as an English or North American vocalist (read MIGUEL RIOS from Spain), Portuguese is such a beautiful and warm language that you need to listen he songs with the full native accent and JOSE CID tries to hide it.

There are some excellent moments as the PINK FLOYD influenced "Fuga Para O Espaco" which is really inpressive and the fantastic (but short() instrumental "Memos",. full of drama and good taste, but other terrible ones like "Mellotron O Planeta Fantastico" (The Fantastic Planet Mellotron), which has nice (even when excessive) use of Mellotron, but the organ sounds terrible, as if CID was using a cheap "Casio".

The guy has good ideas, and obviously he's a well trained musician but sounds like a POP musician trying to show the world he can simultaneously play as many different keyboards as any Prog artist, without knowing when to use Moog and when to stop using too much Mellotron, so all his efforts are lost with his lack of depth and the cheesy use of different synths.

Not bad, not good, simply average, so 3 stars is the most I can give to this release, a rating that would be lower if we were allowed to use half stars.

Amazing stuff here! I'm Portuguese so obviously I know (although I try to avoid it at all costs) the kind of horrible and unispired pop music Mr. Cid has been doing for the last three decades. Therefore it's really surprising (in a very very positive way) to hear what he was doing before giving up and trying to earn some money the easy way!

This album is absolutely stunning. Excellent classic prog (despite being released a few years after the golden age of progressive music), not difficult to get into at all. It's mainly a symphonic album with some space rock (floydian space rock in fact). The concept is also very much in the style of space rock bands, describing a trip to the space to escape the end of the world. All songs are at least very good. The majority of them are symphonic prog (with a lot of mellotron), but there is also a straight rock one ("O Caos") or even Portugal's version of "The Great Gig In The Sky" ("Memos").

Definitely 5 stars. A masterpiece made in the middle of the desert that was Portugal at the time! The only complaint is the length (too short...) but that really isn't enough to stop this being an essential work.