GUALBERTO

Gualberto, after having left Smash, traveled to USA to take some advanced music classes and upon returning to Spain commenced his solo career. He took two American musicians with him and one of them could sing very well, so the English-vocals-problem was easily solved.

But what about music? It's excellent. The album consists of two song cycles. Songs, despite mostly being sung in English, are named in Spanish. First song cycle features soft, pastoral and sunny music, sometimes reminiscent of Anthony Phillips' best output, but adding more Classical continental European folk-approach. This kind of music is enjoyable anywhere and anytime, from summer day to winter night. Melodies are complex and beautiful. Also typical patterns and clichés are avoided. In one song even a sitar is used, without sounding Indian.

The second song cycle is more diverse, bringing heavy-psych (but more progressive than Smash) and Flamenco music into apposition. Again all stays on Top level here and when Enrique Morente (one of the legendary Flamenco singers, who sadly died in 2010) steps in, it just takes your breath.

Album ends with two instrumental pieces. The first one is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix, and features some heavy Symphonic Prog built on repetitive but dramatic violin theme and presenting excellent electric guitar work. And the last one is beautiful Classical piece (by this I mean progressive musicians approach to classical form), which in the end has many very beautiful violin lead melodies, one of which will be featured in a piece on Gualberto's second album, and given more Rock decision.

I was the one who heard Gualberto's second album "Vericuentos" prior to this one and I thought nothing in his discography (sadly not very big one) could top that instrumental masterpiece. Now it seems I was very wrong, as this debut work is at least on par. My rating to this would be 4,5 from 5. But 4 stars would seem too low, so I'll round up to 5 ? it deserves that!

The album is an amalgam of Gualberto's studies,an intense trip through the different fields he came in touch with,an eclectic mix of various civilizations,based mostly on Gualberto's flamenco guitar.''Cancion de la primavera'' is a pastoral acoustic/flamengo ballad with romantic vocals,while ''Cancion del agua'' is a blend of Folk and Classical Music with nice violin passages.''Cancion de las nieves'' is a big surprise,a soft orchestrated piece reminding of early KING CRIMSON and ''Cancion del arco iris'' comes like a sitar seminar,showcasing Gualberto's Eastern Music influences.''Cancion de las gaviotas'' is actually the first trully Progressive Rock track of the album,a beautiful number of Classical,Folk and Prog Rock with a fine second part where violin scratching,pounding bass and jazzy guitars offer some cool interplays.Notice all above five tracks are sung in English.

From now on Gualberto present his Andalusian roots more.''Terraplen'' is actually a constant slow jamming between flamenco guitar,sitar and violin with TRIANA-like Spanish vocals.The follower ''Prisioneros'' has some SMASH vibes with long guitar solos,before returning to a flamenco/psych-based drama with expressive vocals,this time in English.''Tarantos'' is more of a symphonic piece in structure,a great instrumental with fantastic violins again,passionate guitar playing and a smooth rhythm section.''Dialogo interior'' closes the album in a classical way with (no surprise) a constant dialogue between Gualberto's guitar and Arthur Vohl's violin,maybe this one is a bit too long.

Gualberto's debut offers some trully interesting and adventuruous moments and will easily appeal to fans of Progressive Folk,Acoustic Prog and generally the softer side of progressive music.The only negative point dominating the album is the absence of some trully masterful tracks,but again it has plenty of good material to be purchased.Recommended.

This totally instrumental second album (actually the third if you count the one recorded during Smash) is actually a very symphonic affair where the Indian influences are sometimes felt but well integrated as not to shock the mostly ultra-symphonic nature of the music. The opening track (winter Light in English) is a weird cross between western classical music, Arabic influences and sitar-laced themes that escapes further description, but it must be heard to be understood. Continuing Dialogue (English title) fuses romantic classical into rock rythms full of synths layers and can fit the term ultra symphonic, so much so that it is a bit awkward/corny to my ears. The third track rounding up side 1 is more energetic and can be considered as one of the highlights as the middle sections allows for good musical interplay.

Side 2 picks-up on the ultra-symphonic rock prog of the first side but clearly from the second track's first moments, the latter is the main attraction with a good droning violin and a slowly evolving moody crescendo.

Although a good symphonic album dating from Spain's liberation of its ugly dictatorship, this album is of a correct level but has failed to raise my excitement more than on a few minutes at a time.