CUENTOS DE AYER Y DE HOY

Very good album ! Strong use of flute and violin added to a heavy distorced guitar make this album very worth listen! The bass player and the drummer, like all the rest of the band are very good, showing technique and giving solid basis to the others one's solos. The lirycs are very good too, all in spanish. There is a interesting one, the track "Algunos músicos fueron nosotros" (Some musicians were we), that go like this:Beethoven was a musical poet / Juliany a medieval flutist / Mozart, an idiot incomparable / Bach i believe he was sacristán...this is not a exemple of good lyrics, i just think it funny...probably they dont like Mozart...

This is a Spanish band with their debut album, it sounds as harder-edged progressive rock. The guitarwork is a bit heavy, it contrasts good with the classical sound of the violin (evoking Japanese legends Outer Limits) on "Profecia" and "Preparan". The vocals are sometimes a bit raw and screamy. In "Algunos nusicos" it's rock and roll time featuring mouth organ and the titletrack reminds me of Jethro Tull (powerful guitar and swirling flute). This album contains two longer compositions that sound more symphonic. First "El juglar": it starts folky but then gradually more lush (fine Mellotron waves) and dynamic, very compelling. Then "Paraiso de flautos", indeed a paradise of flutes along wonderful violin and soaring Mellotron. The bonustrack "La explosion del universo" is pure hardrock, this was also the direction this band took after this fine progrock album.

Ñu's debut were rather chaotic and difficult. In 1975, their two leaders, Molina and Mercado changed the name of the band from "Fresa" into "Ñu". The line-up featured in the info for the album is the one of the founding members, not the one who effectively recorded this album.

The band has signed with an independant label before the first split (Beverly Records). They should have released an album, but the record company went bankrupt and the available material will disappear. The real problems will take place when Mercado will need to leave for his military service. When he'll come back, another guitar player had been hired and he was so pissed off that he decided to quit and form his own band ("Leño"). Molina will become the absolute leader of the band and will decide who will come on board and will impose his compositions.

The line-up of this album is : François André (violin), Enrique Ballesteros (drums), Jorge Calvo (bass), José Carlos Molina (vocals, flute, metrollón, etc.) and José María García Sini (guitar).

Since I had read that this band was a combination of hard rock and Tull music, I decided to give it a listen some three years ago. And I was extremely impressed with this album. If ever you like the hard side of the Tull (like I am), this album is an absolute must for you.

The energy and power delivered here is absolutely phenomenal. When you add some great instruments fully related to prog as the flute and the violin, you can imagine the result (but believe me, you absolutely need to listen to this record).

With the opening number, the pace is set. It's as violent as "Fireball" (Purple). The beat is enourmous, gigantic. A tornado, really.

The guitar solo during "Preparan" is one of the wildest I have heard. But the whole of this song is pure craziness. Fantastic rhythmic section as well during this number. Vocals are also special : very high tone, and not too screamy. Spanish is used for all the songs. The first highlight of this great album.

When you listen to "Algunos Músicos Fueron Nosotros", it starts a bit quiter than the opening numbers, but it won't take long for "Ñu" to knock us out again. Still, at mid time, there will be a softer moment : some violin and flute coming out of nowhere. A few seconds of tranquility in this devastating hurricane.

"Cuentos De Ayer Y De Hoy" is the most "Tullesque" song and another highlight. A lot of great fluting again. Ñu are really fantastic during this track. But you really need to like hard-rock music to appreciate this outrageous album. No respite or so little.

Like in the pastoral intro for "El Juglar" (the second longest number here, just over eight minutes). The acoustic intro is almost symphonic. Superb flute again, some sweet violin and soft acoustic guitar. Almost "Trespass" my friend. It will last for three minutes and thirty seconds; moment which starts again a serious rocking part. Not so hard than during the other numbers, and there is a fabulous guitar solo in here. The riff is pretty much hypnotic and, at times, it reminds Crimson.

This song features several theme changes, and even mellotron is used. A complex and impressive piece of music. Another highlight (but so far there are almost nothing else than highlights...).

The closing and longest number (over 9'30) is again a more sophisticated track. Delicate vocals and sublime flute again. The band is fully symphonic for about seven minutes, which is the moment to feature a heavier sound but not as wild as in the early parts of this album.

This album is DYNAMITE. I would compare it with "In Rock" (in terms of wildness and devastation). It is truelly an exceptional album and I would really recommend it to you guys. On the harder edge of the scope of course.

Five stars.

Great underground spanish album. In 1978, it seems like a UK (Wetton, Brufford, Jobson, Holdsworth) spanish album. Especially, Violin sections in first song 'Profecia' reminds me Eddie Jobson work on UK an early Roxy Music. We can hear energic vocals and heart-rending by Jose Carlos Molina in the whole disc, but these are more suitable in the cut 'Preparan'. Also noted, strong guitar work in the song 'El Juglar'. But not all are UK influences. Leading Vocals paper by Molina includes espectacular flute work, as if he were Ian Anderson (Jehtro Tull). The duel of the violin and flute in 'El Juglar' is spectacular. However, Bass and Drums are very heavy, maybe proto-metal.

In conclusion, 'Cuentos de Ayer y de Hoy' is a little-known album in spain, but with great progressive rock moments.

(+) Instrumental work, Flute + Violin (-) Heart-rending vocals aren't my favourite way to explain progressive rock concepts. This thing makes me to rate 4 Stars, not as Masterpiece Triana - 'Abre La Puerta' for example.

"Cuentos de Ayer y de Hoy" (Tales from yesterday and today) is an album full of personality. When the music is going to a place where you may find similarity with another band, something ressembling a influence, the music changes to another direction - sometimes to track to track, sometimes inside one long track (as is the case of "Paraiso de Flautas").

The five stars are probably by the blend of hard rock (rock duro, as the spanish calls), with good guitar riffs licking the rithmic violons - better than multiple UK bands. However, I do find more atractive the angry lyics and vocal approach with the frenetic flute that driven the album to a point where everything change and the music is beautifull calm and epic (as the last tracks).

This style, this kind of music is difficult to find in the others spanish groups - or even in the other Ñu works, that onlt the second and last album are of some quality worth to listen.

I don't understand why this record is so highly rated. There are of course two good songs: El Juglar and Paraiso de Flautas, but the others are just average to my ears. And there is also a lack of originality: there is a lot of Tull in the flute playing and the violin reminds me of Quella Vecchia Locanda. The problem with this record are the voices: I find them very irritating (and yet I like the Spanish language in rock). Fortunately, there is room for a lot of instrumental development in the two longer songs. So my rating will be 3 stars, nothing more and I'm sure this will be the only Ñu record in my collection.