Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

MÁS ALLÁ DE NUESTRAS MENTES DIMINUTAS

Cai

Symphonic Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Cai Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas album cover
3.56 | 41 ratings | 5 reviews | 24% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

Write a review

Buy CAI Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 1978

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Mas Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas (9:25)
2. Solución A Un Viejo Problema (6:09)
3. Alameda (7:15)
4. Pasa Un Dia (10:43)

Total Time 33:32

Bonus CD from 2007 SE:
1. Nos Vamos A Enrollar (2:59)
2. Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas (7:51)
3. Alameda (10:15)
4. Pasa Un Dia (12:38)
5. Babel (4:45)
6. Muñeca De Cristal (4:12)
7. A Que Esperas (4:59)

Total Time 47:39

Line-up / Musicians

- Francisco Delgado González / guitar
- Sebastián Domínguez / keyboards
- José Vélez Gomez / bass, vocals (bonus 5,7)
- Diego Fopiani Macias / drums, vocals

With:
- Deudre Fallon / vocals (bonus 6)
- José Fernández Mariscal / guitar (bonus 5-7), vocals (bonus 5,6)
- Kiko Guerrero / drums & percussion (bonus 5-7)

Releases information

Sub-titled "Sonido Andaluz"

Artwork: J.L. Troyano

LP Lacochu ‎- LC-001 (1978, Spain)
LP Tone Arm ‎- TA 1001 (2015, Sweden)

2CD Elukeyá Records ‎- LKY-3001 (2007, Spain) Bonus CD with unreleased studio (1981) & live (Cortijo de los Rosales, 1979) tracks, new cover
CD Tone Arm ‎- TA 0022 (2014, Sweden) Remastered (?)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
Edit this entry

Buy CAI Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas Music



CAI Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas ratings distribution


3.56
(41 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(24%)
24%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(41%)
41%
Good, but non-essential (24%)
24%
Collectors/fans only (10%)
10%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

CAI Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Progbear
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Strong debut from this Andalusian quintet, operating in a rather flamenco-rock style. Their style is rather breezier and melodic than most, suggesting Imán with a stronger flamenco bent, perhaps. Strengths: colourful guitarwork and expressive, clear-toned vocals. Weaknesses: thin keyboard sounds (particularly in the overuse of string-synth and transistor organ), poor production with muffled sound and a tendency to be rather longwinded-many of these songs could have had a couple of minutes trimmed off of them and been just as good if not better.

Better known for its scarcity than the music contained herein, Cai's debut was one of the few items to come out on the tiny, short-lived Lacochu label (alongside the exquisitely rare album by La Banda De Los Hermanos Cruz, which no one in the world seems to own).

Review by Cesar Inca
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars With "Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminuta", Cai made quite a big entry in the world of Southern Spain's progressive movement. This work has some of the typical lack of inner cohesion and overall direction that you might usually expect from the majority of debut albums, yet it also ostensibly portrays the talents of all individual members and of the band as a whole. There are some variations in the CD's tracklist depending on the release (before an official edition graces our prog rock stores, which is long overdue). My copy has the following sequence: 'Alameda' - 'Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminuta' - 'Solución a un Viejo Problema' - 'Pasa un Día'. The opener 'Alameda' brings some of the best that Cai had to offer during their first era: after kicking off with a 2.30 Floydian intro, the main motif emerges with a solid combination of Andalusian stuff and hard rock prog, on a robust yet not too frantic tempo. The instrumental coda brings an exciting air of Flamenco-tinged jazz fusion that somehow feels a bit too short after it's concluded. Then comes the title track, more focused on the jazz thing: to a high degree, influenced you their Northern compatriots of Iceberg as well as Weather Report, the Andalusian aura remains a solid ingredient in both the melodic lines and effective arrangements. A special mention has to go to guitarist Paco Delgado's precise delivery - a great closure, indeed, for a great track! This element comes to its fruition in the 3/4 sung coda, which sounds to me like a mixture of "Hijos del Agobio"- era Triana and vintage Genesis. The first half turns out to be the album's best part, since what follows somewhat breaks the cohesive spirit that had been so fluidly and softly delivered. 'Solución a un Viejo Problema' is set on the path of standardized melodic symphonic prog, in the shape of a prog power ballad. The coda that occupies the last 2 minutes is a space-rock meets jazz-rock instrumental travel constructed as some sort of compromise between "Wish You Were Here"-era Pink Floyd and classic Caravan. This ending portion is really exciting, but it does not manage to make the overall song exceptional. The 10+ "Pasa un Día" closes down the album in a most impressive way: it was to become one of the most celebrated staples in the band's gigs. Yes, it's a very good song, showing Cai at their rockiest, once more exorcising their Floydian ghosts. The string synth and organ layers dominate the main colours of the main picture during the sung parts (which may remind the listener of Bloque). The instrumental interlude that starts at minute 3 initially brings back some of the jazzy thing that became the band's real forte (amazing solo by keyboardist Sebastián Domínguez), until an ethereal sub-interlude anticipates the return of the rocky main motif. The 3-minute coda turns into a typical Andalusian flavoured amalgam (in parallel to Mezquita), sustained under an almost tribal drumkit vibe Let me tell you how well the rhythm section works during the transitions: a well oiled device within an amazing machine. 'Pasa Un Día' is certainly delicious, yet it epitomizes both the strong and the low points that the band was carrying on their back by then: great musical imagination, great complementation, not 100 % cohesive, with some things to work out regarding the artistic direction. My personal mark for this album lies somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars: much more than good, almost excellent. In short "Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminutas" is a testimony of the growing peculiar genius of Cai.
Review by apps79
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Very good Spanish band coming from the depths of Andalucia,the city of Cadiz,and performing an impressive mix of Andalusian Rock,Spanish Fusion and Symphonic Rock.

"Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas",originally released in 1978 on Lacochu, is a strange album,despite the familiar styles previously presented.The fiery fusion-esque guitars and the Flamenco styled melodies of Francisco Delgado Gonzalez blend with the background symphonic keys of Sebastián Domínguez Lozano and the result is absolutely satisfying.The album is full of unusual breaks and changing tempos,definitely a paradise for a prog listener,while the bombastic fusion style of the band changes into more laid-back music instantly.However the vocals of Diego Fopiani were not meant to stand next to the fine musicianship of the band,as they are rather average,good thing is that they are quite limited.

The 2007 CD release of the album comes with 3 bonus tracks,all of the are excellent and representitive pieces of their next album ''Noche Abierta'',which you should simply purchase.Anyone after Spanish Fusion bands like ICEBERG,IMAN CALIFATO INDENDIENTE or GOTIC should approach this nice Andalusian pearl...3.5 stars.

Review by Aussie-Byrd-Brother
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Cai are a vintage Spanish symphonic prog band from the late Seventies, and right from their debut `Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminuta' in '79, the group offered a truly superb collection of melodic arrangements with lively instrumental displays. There's so much infectious positive energy racing through the four tracks here, the band incorporating everything from grooving jazz/fusion guitar funkiness and spacy keyboard atmospheres, in addition to instantly appealing Spanish vocal passages, delivered with a warmth and passion only rivalled by plenty of singers from the Italian discs of the same era.

After a stormy rising and falling symphonic synth and mellow guitar strains introduction, the almost ten minute opener `Alameda' diverts briefly into some Genesis-like pomp before transforming into a frantic rocker. Thick pulsing bass, cascading synth runs and deranged drums duel and race alongside each-other, and Spanish flavours woven to some grooving hard guitars really start to cook once they take off and solo frantically in the second half. Constant and thrilling jazz-fusion instrumental runs tear through `Más Allá...' with breakneck energy and speed. Purring relentless bass, manically biting and funky electric guitar strumming and glistening electric piano is sprinkled over every inch of it, with some darker themes aided by imposing deep-space synths emerging in the latter half as well.

`Solucion A Un Viejo Problema' begin as a more pleasing rock ballad, a mellow tune that takes on some magical Yes-like qualities and murmuring bass so fluid that it leaps about as if it's actually singing! But there's plenty of time in the final minutes for the tune to burst up in tempo and shoot off with nimble fingered synth/electric piano flashes and electric guitar taking on a seriously cutting snarl! The eleven minute closer `Pasa Un Dia' rocks with momentum and purpose. Fading in with distortion, electric piano tip-toes and a howling lead vocal, it's all just a framing device for the band to shoot through the stars to the intergalactic nightclub with an improvised space-rock delirious jam - go on, hit the dance-floor with your tentacled space babe - no judgement! This section is all grooving swagger and sweaty grooves with plenty of loopy synth noodling. The twinkling star-field electronic pause that follows only lets you catch your breath for a second before the disc closes on a vocal reprise and slow-burn simmering guitar finale alongside raucous drumming.

Don't be put off by the brisk running time of barely 33 minutes. It may be short, but it's pretty much adventurous rock music perfection that entire time, and with the album not long enough to allow any filler to infiltrate, there's not a wasted or throwaway second. `Más Allá de Nuestras Mentes Diminuta' is a showcase for a group of incredibly skilled musicians delivering fiery instrumental displays within tight song arrangements, and the fact that it's a debut album is astounding, just so much confidence and talent coursing through every second of it. One thing's for sure also - not as many albums will put you as great a mood as this one!

Four and a half stars for this fairly unappreciated little Spanish gem!

Latest members reviews

3 stars On this debut album legendary Rock Andaluz formation Cai delivers an interesting blend of styles, from rock and fusion to jazzrock and flamenco. But to me the four compositions sound a bit like jams featuring strong interplay between the guitar and keyboards (electric piano and sensitive electric gu ... (read more)

Report this review (#1935660) | Posted by TenYearsAfter | Wednesday, May 30, 2018 | Review Permanlink

Post a review of CAI "Más Allá De Nuestras Mentes Diminutas"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.