DÓNDE ESTÁ LA LUZ

Medina Azahara is releasing another pop-rock album. But it has been the same treat since Andalucía in '82 (with the exception of En Al-Hakim).

If you are on the quest of one prog song on this album, it will be in vain. Very scarcely, some fine guitar work will titillate your ears, but for a very short period of time.

At best, there are some basic AOR songs like No Necisito Palabras which are anyway better that these synthetic beats that are mostly available (A Toda Esta Gente, Palabras de Libertad).

The experience is a bit better (but only slightly) during La Tierra Perdida which features some tribal sounds as well as an Eastern influence in the riff. Vocals are also somewhat reminiscent of their earlier days. This is far to be satisfying though, but I guess that one has to be pleased with the rock ballad Tu Mirada and these mellowish vocals.

The hard-rocking El Pozo de Mi Sed has also a nice Middle-East flavour; at this time of listening to this album, one has really to take any little bits and bytes that can bring the slightest musical pleasure without restriction.

The more I review this band (and there is still some work to be done), the less I understand that they sit in the eclectic genre. Mainstream Spanish pop-rock music (Dáme Tu Mano - give me your hand!) combined with a couple of mediocre tracks. Fortunately, the good guitar which is a trade mark of the band since their debut is keeping yours truly to fall into depression.

I will rate this album on the high range: two stars.

MEDINA AZAHARA plays song oriented rock with a few symphonic touches, strong Andalusian vocals, and lots of preening lead and rhythm guitars. The tracks range from hard rock to power ballads, not exactly an impressive range. In "..En Al-Hakim", the group threw in some fine Spanish guitar licks, but they are not to be found here. About half the tracks on the original CD re-release are at least mildly interesting, but none stand out : "A Toda Esa Gente", "No Quiero Pensar en ese Amor", "La Tierra Perdida", "Tu Mirada" would be in that category, and also adequately represent the limited stylistic breadth. One of the bonus tracks is an alternate version of the excellent "Otono" which originally appeared on "..en Al-Hakim". The group does appear to be recycling, in dire need of a new creative infusion. At this point almost any new direction would be welcome.