TRIANA

Classified as Rock Andaluz or Flamenco prog, "El Patio" confidently synthesizes their own style as an invigorating alchemy of flamenco with the symphonic prog and RPI of its day. I will add you don't need to have heard this in 1975 to wax nostalgic about it today, which is a rare gift indeed. The acoustic and electric guitars, mellotron choirs, string synthesizers and organ are all arranged in vintage permutations and, combined with the robust yet languid romantic vocals, set my spine a-shivering. The opening number "Abre la Puerta" is the longest and also the most accomplished, and, while it might be a mere love song, seems a call to arms for the entire movement, distilling the idealism that only comes naturally to youth. Even the drum solo that ushers in the instrumental reprise is note-perfect.

Not surprisingly, Arabic sounding motifs swirl about in tracks like "Recuerdos de Una Noche", while as power balladeers they flatten the tentative opposition on the penultimate "En El Lago" with a twin attack of shimmering organ and mostly acoustic or sweetly plucked lead guitar. Well, except for a 30 second passage towards the end that might be the heaviest moment of all. I can imagine that early TRIANA established the influence on numerous yet unformed Andalusian bands, MEDINA AZAHARA for one.

"El Patio" is one of the most fully realized inaugural prog releases of its day. It remains a milestone album for a sui generis prog offshoot, and is eminently listenable to boot.

Yes, who knew that flamenco and keyboards would make such a happy marriage? I am really surprised on how thick and rich Triana's sound is. Frankly, I thought at first that they were Italians because their approach is really original and intense. In fact, it's pretty much a gypsy-symphonic-Le Orme blend meaning grandiose moments of thick keyboard beauty, sexy classical guitar licks (oh so plenty) and talented singing...in espagnol por favor (not italian).

They did a splendid remastering for their 40th Anniversary and even without the super production, I was still sold at the very first listen. When 'Abre la Puerta' started, full mellotron ahead, grand piano and sizzling spanish guitar I thought 'Oh wow! How did I miss this in 15 years as a progger?!?' A record with the perfect atmosphere for dusk listenings, plunging you into a dynamic blend of flamenco swing and tempered progressive elements. It's just the right dose, not too much keys, not too much flamenco but still rocking in the Andalousian free world.

It's my only ecounter with this special formula and I must say that these guys knew what they were doing. Many times I shouted 'damn!' half smiling in awe, relishing on this well crafted record. If you missed it, take a few minutes to get around this great, great album and like me, raise your eyebrows in admiration.

A not-so-well-known-classic (it's so unusual!) but deserving more praise from the proggers.

This is the Holy Grail of the Spanish progressive rock, a very comprehensive box set featuring a 2-CD compilation and a DVD from Triana, the band that speerheaded the Rock Andaluz movement. The Spanish people loved their music and sung the emotional lyrics after the dictatorship of Franco (1939-1975): 'The guitar in the morning, it spoke of freedom, you hear a rumor in the corners, that announces that it will join, the day when all men, together they can walk, the guitar in the morning' (translation from Spanish in Rumor, 1977). Triana often played for massive crowds in Spain and most of their albums got the platinum status! Unfortunately in '83 band member Jesus De La Rosa died in a car accident and Triana was no longer. Then their record company released a lot of compilation albums during the years. This one from 2004 contains two discs with 24 tracks: 6 out of 7 from El Patio (1975), 7 out of 8 from Hijos Del Agobio (1977), 4 out of 6 from Sombra Y Luz (1979), 4 out of 9 from Un Encuentro (1980), 1 out of 7 from Triana (1981) and 2 out of 7 from ' Llego El Dia (1983). So the record company decided to focus on their best and most progressive era, the first three albums.

The 16-page booklet features the lyrics of the compilations songs and the tracklist of all 6 studio albums, along some nice band pictures. On the back of the 'fold out covers' of this box set you will find short stories in Spanish from the first Triana manager Javier Garcia-Pelayo , the first producer of Triana Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo and Triana biographer Luis Clemente.

The DVD is a 55 minute documentary with (often) rare footage from several TV music programs like Mundo Pop (1974), Ahora (1975), Popgrama 1979 (beautiful scene in a Morish palace), and Aplauso (from '79 until '81), along two live tracks (Tu Frialdad and Una Noche De Amor Desesperada). Most of the 13 songs are interrupted by commentary from the band members, people who worked with Triana and who are influenced by Triana, like a musician from Ketama, the known 'new flamenco movement'. The DVD footage is an exciting visual impression of the band members playing the distinctive flamenco guitars (propulsive flamenco solo - and rhythm guitar), and the electric instruments, from howling electric guitar (great double-neck guitar) to a lot of vintage keyboards: warm string-ensemble, distinctive Fender Rhodes electric piano, slow Moog synthesizer runs, and lots of organ. This is topped by moving Andalusian vocals, expressive with a bit wailing undertone. Some songs from the later period sound a bit polished (like Corre), but in general this DVD shows a stunning and very talented band. Triana made unsurpassed music that sounds like the perfect marriage between the world of progressive rock and the world of the ethnic Spanish flamenco, generally known as Rock Andaluz.

If you are up to discover Triana, the most legendary Spanish progressive rock band and most pivotal Rock Andaluz formation, this is an exciting historical document, despite the less interesting tracks from the 1980-1983 era.

While the band started out as a progressive rock band they would jump ship and become pure pop in the 80s. On this third album SOMBRA Y LUZ (Shadow and Light) the band completed the trilogy of progressive rock albums that have become the most well known of their output. SOMBRA Y LUZ is a much different album than its predecessors and while it's always a good thing that a band doesn't ride the same wave album after album, on this one they started going a little more into the mainstream with a heavier emphasis on blues based rock mixed with the expected flamenco and symphonic prog. Despite the prog part of the equation still in play, it has been clearly tamped down and replaced with more straight forward rock segments.

There are still plenty of unadulterated flamenco aspects such as the breakdown on the title track which displays the ubiquitous flamenco styled singing style albeit less Italian prog influenced this time around as well as the flamenco guitar style that is allowed to express itself as the dominant factor. The tracks are a little uneven in how they flow. The first couple of tracks "Una Historia" and "Quiero Contarte" are clearly less prog oriented and almost pure rock whereas the excellent title track takes the band sound into the next logical synthesis of its disparate elements with an interesting mix of staccato guitar, atmospheric mellotron action and proggy time signatures.

The most progressive moment on the album comes from the lengthiest track, the ten and a half minute "Hasta Volver" which goes through various movements and sounds more like the material from the previous album with lengthy bass grooves punctuated by time signature deviations and a return to the Italian symphonic prog sound with the similar classical constructs. The track slinks along at a mid tempo pace and features a mix of the symphonic prog style along with what sounds like a mandolin but probably the flamenco guitar along with a guitar solo and a rather PFM vocal style. The track despite its running time never really deviates from a rather persistent groove and doesn't pick up much steam either as it seems to spin its wheels and leaves a rather unsatisfying result. While a chorus or equivalent section does pop in now and again, the track is actually fairly repetitive.

The finale two tracks "Tiempo Sin Saber" and "Vuelta A La Sombra Y La Luz" focus more on the flamenco grooves and take things into slightly more experiential realms with more creative ideas being implemented and perhaps the best tracks on the album. TRIANA once again delivered lyrics in its native Spanish regarding the changes of the nation and was accompanied by many session musicians to add extra touches however in the end, SOMBRA Y LUZ is very uneven and the tracks don't flow together very well. This signified a downturn in the band's most innovative material but yet would become their most successful album in their native Spain at a time when the public was becoming more familiarized with the progressive rock scene. After this one they would drop most prog and steer into the world of Andalusian pop. There are some great tracks on this one but many are rather generic at this point and the album as a whole is unsatisfying.

Soon after the release of the debut the band would experience the turn of events that would transform the entire nation but not without the pains of sudden change thrust upon everyone. The second album HIJOS DE AGOBIO (Sons of Stress) was recorded throughout the turbulent year of 1976, a critical time in the history of modern Spain when the political themes resulted in a time when true liberty and artistic freedom were finally allowed their day in the sun. The album title reflects the events that were experienced during these times and reflected in the Spanish language lyrics on the album which was released in February 1977. The prog scene had finally taken off in Spain as the Iberian nation was playing catch up with its European neighbors and suddenly many bands were jumping on the bandwagon. It was a time of hope for the future as well as a realization of what has been lost or prolonged in the past and HIJOS DEL AGOBIO reflects this melancholy as the album exudes a melancholy as if a dark shadow still lingered above.

At only 33 minutes, this sophomore release is a decidedly short one but still exhibits an impressive mix of the debut album's signature mix of Italian symphonic prog, Andalusian flamenco and touches of English prog via King Crimson amongst others. While the elements were more clearly pronounced on the debut, they are woven together in a tighter tapestry of sound on this one with more creative expressionisms which find the flamenco aspects tamped down and subdued into the background with the exception of the closing tracks "Sr. Troncoso" and "Del Crepúsculo Lento Nacerá el Rocío" which sounds closer to the debut. The album engages in a much more symphonic prog sound with the suffocating emphasis of heavily used synthesizers and mellotrons which create dark overcasts. Likewise the flamenco rhythmic drives of the debut have been replaced by the more angular time signature deviations expressed by the Italian prog greats of PFM, Banco and Le Orme and the like.

While "El Patio" had heavy guitar outbursts that brought in overt references to hard rock, HIJOS DEL AGOBIO is a much more sombre affair with less emphasis on heaviness and more attention paid to the thick atmospheric constructs that allow the majority of the tracks to float along in mid-tempo or slower form. A notable exception is the heavy drum solo beginning of "Ya Está Bien" and the following "Necesito" which offers a heavier guitar presence as well as a more dynamic flamenco presence. Once again TRIANA's main members are the trio of Jesús De La Rosa (vocals, keyboards), Eduardo Rodríguez Rodway (guitar, vocals) and Juan José Palacios (percussion, Fx, Moog) but are joined by four guests who contribute vocals, guitars and bass. The melodies are more subdued Andalusian rock melodies yet they seem to be the driving force underneath the heavy symphonic prog dominance. The musicians once again perform brilliantly in tandem and soloing is rare.

HIJOS DEL AGOBIO doesn't have the instant impact that the debut "El Patio" may have had upon first listen but this one is actually the more sophisticated album of the two as the band learned how to craft their hybridization into cleverer territories. The melodies are more complex and the entire album sounds less overtly commercial than its predecessor but yet it was this album that actually was more commercially successfully and launched TRIANA into the limelight of becoming Spain's most revered prog band as it lamented the instability of the political climate of the era by capturing sounds of the past and melding them with the current trends of the European prog scene. The results of which tied the nation to the long rich history through the sounds of flamenco but also connected it to the larger music scene that was well established in the lands of their neighbors. A much darker and varied album this second one is and what it lacks in instant gratification, it more than makes up for in mysterious charm.

In the second half of the Seventies I became a proghead, visiting concerts from Yes, Pink Floyd, Camel, Rush and BJH. But in those years I also turned into an 'aficionado', a huge fan of flamenco music, visiting concerts from Paco De Lucia, Paco Pena and the annual Fiesta Gitana in my hometown The Hague, in The Netherlands. So imagine how exited I got when I stumbled upon Triana, the most legendary Rock Andaluz formation, just releasing their third effort entitled Sombra Y Luz, in 1979. I was blown away and very soon after bought their first LP El Patio (1975) and their second one Hijos Del Agobio (1977). Then I disovered (thanks to Spanish proghead Angel Romero) other great Rock Andaluz bands, from Cai, Guadalquivir, Alameda and Medina Azahara to Mezquita, Iman, Azahar and Vega.

The great and unique element in Rock Andaluz is the blend of the instruments of the world of progressive rock and the world of the flamenco, for me no other prog category delivers such a captivating, exciting and emotional blend of skills and passion! I have travelled through Andalusia (Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla) and done interviews with Rock Andaluz bands and Spanish prog bands with Rock Andaluz elements: the keyword was always Rock Andaluz, the musicians are speaking this word with passion and pride, because it is in their heart, it is part of their culture, everybody knows what it is about when you say Rock Andaluz!

After all those years Triana their first album El Patio is still my favourite one, for me the most exciting and compelling encounter between prog and flamenco. Just listen to the first composition Abre La Puerta.

It begins with glorious Mellotron choirs, piano and flamenco guitar. Then the very distinctive flamenco guitar blends with piano and soft synthesizer chords. A fluent and tight rhythm-section carries the music to a powerful acceleration with the typical flamenco vocals, expressive and a bit wailing. The rest of this song contains lots of shifting moods that range from mellow with flamenco guitar and Mellotron choirs to propulsive, with powerful drums and howling electric guitar, very moving, and to me every time evoking goose bumps!

The other six compositions deliver more thrilling 'flamenco meets prog'.

Like the beautiful shifting climates with typical flamenco elements: palmas (handclapping), rasgueado (quick downward strokes across all strings) and picados (quick runs on the guitar), along with tasteful keyboards (organ, synthesizers, Mellotron and piano) and fine electric guitar play.

Or awesome interplay between the flamenco - and electric guitar and a bombastic finale with rasgueado, organ and electric guitar.

Or powerful drums and a howling and biting electric guitar.

Welcome to the unique and exciting world of Rock Andaluz!

If you want to discover more Rock Andaluz, see my social comment.

One of the first bands to ride the wave of this new reality was the Seville based TRIANA who were a little bit ahead of the curve. The band was formed in 1974 by vocalist / organist Jes's de la Rosa Luque, flamenco guitarist Eduardo Rodr'guez Rodway (formerly of Los Playos) and Juan Jos' Palacios aka Tele (formerly of Tabaca). Given that Spain is a Mediterranean country and Spanish a Latinate language with much in common with Italian, the band was responsible for launching the progressive rock movement in Spain with their own take on Italian symphonic prog only instead of the overtly classical leanings, TRIANA opted instead for the homegrown Andalusian sounds of flamenco. While the term Andalusian rock had been around for decades with bands Sabicas, TRIANA was the band responsible for taking the genre into the more progressive arenas.

The band's debut had originally emerged as a self-titled release but has been renamed EL PATIO ever since a 1984 reissue was released. Taking the symphonic prog of the Italian greats like PFM, Banco and Le Orme as the template upon which to build around, TIRANA adapted the sensual guitar style of flamenco to an overtly ambitious and energetic form of symphonic prog that implemented the classical compositional flare and passionate, romantic vocal style of the Italians alongside lushly laid out synth and Mellotron usage. The symphonic prog elements seamlessly trade off with beautiful guitar passages and the lyrics while all in the Spanish language describe the political realities of a nation in flux. Another interesting fact is that the album was released with the same seven tracks but in completely different order. My copy has an alternate CD reissue track order but personally i'm not sure it's important to the flow of the album since all the tracks are of equal quality.

While the symphonic and flamenco aspects are the dominant forces on EL PATIO, the less frequent heavier aspects clearly reflect a nod towards 60s bands like Vanilla Fudge and the more rocking aspects of early King Crimson. TRIANA would produce four excellent albums in the progressive rock style, each with different virtues before jumping on the 80s bandwagon and going the pure pop route and it's not too hard to hear how that could have been possible after hearing the sensual melodic developments on this debut. While Italian prog bands tended to have an angular edge to their musical approach, TRIANA is much more overtly melodic with easy to digest ear hooks that some may find a little too saccharine for their tastes but if one is not adverse to such easy to digest melodies dressed up with proggier clothing then this is surely one you will want to devour in delight.

While the band was technically a trio this album is fortified with sounds from the extra help of electric guitarist Antonio Perez and bassist Manolo Rosa. Basically this is symphonic flamenco music with rock extras. At moments EL PATIO displays unadulterated flamenco nuevo and at other times the flamenco is merely the backdrop and often not part of the equation at all. During the transition years when this was released it sold poorly but starting with the band's second album 'Hijos de Agobio,' TRIANA started to break big and has in the ensuing decades become one of Spain's most famous representatives of the 70s Andalusian progressive rock scene and perhaps one of the most known progressive rock bands period from the country. If you were to compare this to the Rock Progressivo Italiano scene, TRIANA was more akin to Metamorfosi than say Museo Rosenbach. This is easily accessible music even on the first listen and although it does come off a little sugary sweet, it's the good stuff embellished liberally with all kinds of yummy ingredients.

Here is a live registration (around 50 minutes) of a concert during the Un Mal Sueno tour by Triana, in 1981. This legendary Spanish band is known for speerheading the prolific Rock Andaluz movement in the Seventies. It started in the late Sixties but was fueled by Triana in de mid-Seventies, many young Spanish music fans took the band in their hearts, due to the poetical lyrics about dreaming of freedom (during the Franco dictatorship in those years), especially in the passionate composition Abre La Puerta. Triana made three pivotal albums between 1975 and 1979 but when this live album was recorded the exciting Rock Andaluz had turned into a polished blend of pop and melodic rock with some flamenco elements, more Pop Andaluz than Rock Andaluz' However, this live album is interesting because half of the setlist contains songs from their highly acclaimed first album El Patio (1975). The other tracks songs are from Un Encuentro (1980) and Un Mal Sueno (1981). The concert was recorded in Madrid, the city where Triana was founded and the line-up featured all three original members, with the addition of a bass player and a guitarist.

1. Recuerdos De Una Noche (extended to 15 minutes) : First the sound of the Hammond organ and flamenco guitar (the distinctive rasgueado technique), accompanied by Jesus his melancholical vocals, this is top notch Rock Andaluz. Then an exciting synthesizer solo and halfway a fine electric guitar solo And finally a psychedelic sounding synthesizer solo and again flamenco guitar, passionate vocals and intense Hammond work, a great start.

2. Tu Frialdad : A ballad with strong, a bit wailing vocals, flamenco rhythm guitar and sensitive electric guitar runs with soaring Hammond, simply beautiful ' Blues Andaluz?

3. Una Vez : Varied and tasteful melodic rock but featuring the distinctive Triana sound (vocals, flamenco guitar) with nice work on piano and electric guitar (howling solo).

4. En El Lago : Another great rendition of an El Patio composition: Hammond, flamenco rasgueado guitar, Jesus his distinctive vocals, halfway another sensational synthesizer solo, culminating in a bombastic, very compelling conclusion, what an outstanding blend of Hammond, howling electric guitar and propuslive flamenco rhythm guitar, unsurpassed Rock Andaluz!

5. Corre : A catchy beat, swinging piano and a bit poppy vocals (not with his usual emotional flamenco overtones), fiery electric guitarwork, this is pleasant melodic rock, no more or less.

6. Abre La Puerta (extended to 12 minutes): One of their best songs featuring the distinctive blend of Hammond (lots of awesome soli), flamenco rasgueado guitar and Jesus his emotional vocals. Halfway strong interplay between senstitive electric guitar and powerful Hammond, supported by flamenco guitar (rhythm and solo), goosebumps, again top notch Rock Andaluz! The final part includes a short drum solo and then again a bombastic eruption with howling guitar and Hammond floods, the crowd loved it!

This is a good impression of the legendary Rock Andaluz formation Triana with great renditions of their early work, very well appreciated by an excited crowd. But it is also obvious that 1981 Triana is more Poprock Andaluz than Rock Andaluz, listening to the 1980 and 1981 tracks. Triana disbanded after the tragical death of Jesus De La Rosa in 1983 but their heritage is incredible, just listen to Rock Andaluz bands of the last two decades, from Taifa and Arabiga to Sin Rencor, Mendigo and Calle Silvio, to name a few.

My rating: 5 stars for their early work and 3 stars for the rest, so still an excellent addition if you are up to the exiting world of Rock Andaluz.