ANDALUCIA

Medina released two good albumS featuring a fine symphonic prog music (tinted with some hard spices) and there were little fears that they wouldn't go on like this for they third opus Andalucía.

With such a title, this album is surely meant to praise a great combination of local folklore and the enjoyable prog music of their early days. At the end of the day, there are only two years which separates Esquina del Viento from this one.

But believe me! There is a world of differences.

It all starts with the pop-rock Me Pregunto. At this stage one thinks: OK, this is only the beginning, just a warm up. But unfortunately, the next one is an insipid reggae oriented song Sobre El Cristal. The best thing to do is to press the magic key (next of course).

And I wonder how it is possible to produce such an ugly and popish song as Es Increíble (which means: it is unbelievable). I bet you! It is difficult to evoke the eighties syndrome since the band started their career only in '79. Still, the sound has dramatically changed and has turned into main stream pop-rock.

At times some fine synthesizers break are providing some breeze of fresh air like during Una Estraña Pesadilla. For your information it means: a strange nightmare!

The first fine song is the title track. At least it sounds fully symphonic! Keys have a leading role, conveying some spacey and pleasant atmosphere which is combined with typical vocals which provide a nice flamenco feel. At last, one good song! To be complete, I would add that Quisiera Saber also holds some good guitar which raise the level of the track (but to a broader extent, to the whole album. As usual I would say).

This album is best avoided. Some songs are saving it, but let's be frank: it is not at all a good work. Some fine guitar breaks as usual, a few interesting keys moments and some good vocals from Manuel Rodriguéz. This is not too much, right? The line-up hasn't changed, but the music is totally different.

Two stars (and I'm generous).

Medina Azahara has always fused rock, pop, prog rock and folk music into one musical expression. On this album, prog rock aka Genesis has been dropped altogether. What remains is a mix of commercial pop rock and folk music. The type of music that makes the dance floors in the rural areas fill up with more or less sober men and women. Every country has scenes like this and Medina Azahara has made a stab at this scene with this album.

The music here is not particular interesting. The rhythm section is laying down a four by four pattern and never deviates from that. Playing drums and bass on this album is as interesting as watching paint dry. Not that the guitarist have a much better job either. The vocalist is laying down his soul ikn the vocals and I do not think he sings about splitting atoms and the latest innovations in how to predict weather forecasts. My guess is that the vocals is about love in all it's variations. Love hurts, love is complicated, love makes you happy. These subjects which no members of ProgArchives even have the faintest ideas about (sorry guys, but Wikipedia is down today).

The quality of the music is not too shabby. Well, it is by no means good. But this album is not a turkey, although it makes the same kind of noises. It is Spanish pop/rock, no less and no more. A very weak two pointer it is.

2 stars (barely)