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Pan & Regaliz - Pan & Regaliz [Aka: I Can Fly] CD (album) cover

PAN & REGALIZ [AKA: I CAN FLY]

Pan & Regaliz

Proto-Prog


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Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR
Prog Folk
4 stars P&R's sole album has finally been released on Cd and the artwork sleeve is trying to match as much as possible the original although this is a digipack release. Having had to change name, label and drummer (Belgian Peter Van Eeckhout replacing Santiago "Jackie" Garcia), P&R settled in the studio to record a few tracks - they had released two singles before, which tracks would end up on the album - and what a fine gem it is for psych/proto prog fans.

Made up of five short tracks, the first side of the vinyl sticks very close to a bluesy/jazzy/psych-rock, which is very reminiscent of Jethro Tull's debut album. Highlights are the opening One More Day, Monsters's Garden and instrumental Thinking In Mary (somehow close to Serenade To A Cuckoo on Tull's debut), but unfortunately a rare out of context track (but thankfully short) closes that side. The second side is rather harder rocking with the sombre mood Bringdown complete with a great bluesy guitar and closing with the reflective acid-blues title track. But the centrepiece is clearly the 9 min track full of psych-out moments that give this album, the final touch of flavour for stoner-rock fans with its strange mouth harp, lenghty space Floyd-like space trips. The bonus track is the only track that was on a single release not to be part of the album and it is superb addition, blending perfectly with the rest of the album, but more the happier first side then the more sombre second side.

For some, it might be a little too derivative with its superb Tramp-like flute work (clearly even Abrahams's guitars were also present), but if you love that period of time, I Can Fly is a must-have.

Report this review (#66820)
Posted Thursday, January 26, 2006 | Review Permalink
hdfisch
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Sole album by this very early Spanish prog band contains some strongly Tull-inspired bluesy psyche rock. Quite nice to listen if one loves such stuff, but not that unique and original either. Highlight is certainly the highly psychedelic title track clocking for 9 minutes. For me it was good for a couple of spins, but after a while my interest was "flying" away as fast as the album title assumes. Without doubt this release is worth being acknowledged especially considering the difficult times it has been created in. Thus just for that reason I'm giving it an additional half star.

But actually I wouldn't call it an essential one for a prog fan in general rather for the passionate collector of obscure rarities.I'd give half star extra if possible!

Report this review (#77598)
Posted Tuesday, May 9, 2006 | Review Permalink
Matti
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Here's some Bread & Liquorice from Spain, por favor! This band masterminded by vocalist and the main songwriter Guillermo Paris has become a high-prized collector's item as a vinyl, as often happens with rare one-album bands. If you think of the difficult times of the cultural life in Spain at the time (as briefly referred in the liner notes), it surely adds to the historical value. Musically this could be thought to come in the late 60's rather than 1971, but this is not Great Britain.

Labelled as Proto-Prog, this music is easily described as "strongly Tull-inspired bluesy psyche rock" (hdfisch) - why change such an accurate line! Songs are shortish, around 3 minutes, with one exception: 9-minute track 'Today It Is Raining' (in the album info the long time is given to 'I Can Fly', by mistake, I think. I can't check it out now...) It's the most psychedelic one, a slowly starting composition distantly reminiscent of 'The End' by The Doors in its hazy, melancholic, wandering atmosphere. It is very interesting, and the time runs sooner you realize, except for the last couple of minutes which feel rather useless. Most of the short songs are very nice too. The best songs are the mellower ones, not at all as bluesy as the earliest Jethro Tull often was; the comparison comes also for the flute which suits the music wonderfully. Believe or not, the band hadn't much heard of Jethro Tull, but - not surprisingly - they liked it a lot when introduced to Tull's music. Vocals are also good. Rather funny that they chose to sing in English even if the band name is in Spanish.

Sadly the album is very short, just about half an hour. That, and the certain roughness and uneven-ness of the songs together make me give "only" three stars despite of the album's high rarity and goodness of its best songs. If you see this in library, don't hesitate to borrow it.

Report this review (#295254)
Posted Thursday, August 19, 2010 | Review Permalink

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