CARMEN

— First review of this album —

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have heard many thousands of albums and have written millions of words giving my opinion, but there is no doubt whatsoever that the band who had more impact on my life than any other, is the progressive flamenco rock band known by very few, Carmen. There was a time in my passion for music that I spent way too much money on Jethro Tull, building a collection of rare singles and albums, using as my guide Terry Hounsome's excellent 'Rock Record (Second Edition)'. As well as using it to see what versions of 'Living In The Past' I was missing I also started looking for material by groups featuring ex or future Tull members so soon discovered the wonderful Wild Turkey, as well as Blodwyn Pig, Paris, Aviator etc but it was when I picked up The Gods that I held in my hands the first material featuring John Glascock. Formed in 1965, the original line-up included John Glascock, his brother Brian, Mick Taylor (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones), Ken Hensley (later with Uriah Heep) and Joe Konas. Other members at various times included Greg Lake and Lee Kerslake, so it was quite a starting point for many, but I digress. I saw that according to the bible, John was later in Chicken Shack, and then in an outfit called Carmen. Chicken Shack are well known, but who were Carmen?

At one record fair or another I finally managed to find their debut, 'Fandangos In Space'. I fell in love with the album so much that I tried to find out more about them, and as this was back in the dark ages (i.e. pre-internet) I did the only think I could think of, which was send a letter to Record Collector asking for any information. I was contacted by various people, some with items for sale (I ended up buying a promo poster for the debut, some singles and even a white label of the debut!), one of whom was David Rees, founder of 'A New Day' ? the Jethro Tull fanzine. He had also seen my letter and asked me if I would feel able to write a review or feature on Carmen to appear in 'AND', which duly came to fruition in #17 (I think). That was the first time I had ever written about music and was what gave me the inkling that I might just like doing so again if the opportunity ever arose, neither of us having any idea of the monster he had unleashed.

Carmen were originally formed in 1970 by David Allen and his sister Angela, whose parents were flamenco performers who owned the El Cid restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. David was initially trained as a flamenco guitarist while Angela was primarily a dancer who also sang and played keyboards and eventually, they settled on a core with drummer Brian Glascock and Roberto Amaral, the lead singer who was also a flamenco dancer. They had real difficulties finding a bassist, and eventually Brian suggested his brother John who was still in the UK, and he flew over and joined the band. The line-up was settled but America was just not ready for this style of music so in 1973, after gaining no interest from labels, they decided to relocate to London, which they felt would be far more receptive. Brian felt unable to travel due to family commitments so the band headed overseas without him, and they soon recruited Paul Fenton. Carmen were set to take on the world.

A series of auspicious events meant they soon gained a manager, then Tony Visconti as their producer, and their music was released on Regal Zonophone while they also became great friends with David Bowie who invited them to play on one of the final Ziggy shows which was broadcast in America as part of 'Midnight Special'. From 1973-1975 they released three albums with the same line-up, and toured with many major bands, including three months with Jethro Tull. When performing they had a special platform which was miked with hotspots so Roberto and Angela could dance flamenco, with their heels forming an important part of the percussive element of the band. It turned out the world was never quite ready for a band who mixed strange time signatures and flamenco music with progressive rock and dance and even though there is no doubt in my mind that they are all masterpieces, the band broke up. It was at this point that John was given the opportunity to join Jethro Tull, replacing Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond in time to play on 'Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die' which also featured his partner, Angela, on backing vocals.

So there is the history, what about the music? Just a little more background ? this is not the first time the albums have appeared on CD, as they were initially released by Line in Germany in the Eighties, but those were very basic releases and the first track on 'Fandangos' had the intro missing so I normally went straight to the vinyl when I wanted to play them. Then in 2007 they were released by Angel Air records in two double CD sets, the first containing the first two albums, and the second containing the third plus an album from David Allen's new project, Widescreen. In addition there were a couple of bonus tracks on each set, and I am convinced that what we have here are the albums and bonus cuts from those releases. All the information pertaining as to who played and produced relate to the albums, and not to the bonus cuts, which is a real shame as it would be good to have that information. Much of the imagery is taken from the original albums, including the cover which is 'Fandangos' with the album title changed, but there is an excellent essay from well-known proghead and writer Steve Pilkington which is well worth reading.

38 songs, 2 ½ hours in length, Carmen sound as exciting to these ears as they did the first time I came across them more than 40 years ago. Their reliance on flamenco mixed with modern progressive rock (well, modern at the time, love the Mellotrons), commercial songs and great harmony vocals mean they sound like no-one else although if someone twisted my arm behind my back, I would say there are times when it sounds as if Gentle Giant were an influence. 'Fandangos In Space' is easily the most played vinyl in my collection, so listening to this CD is like returning to an old friend and I find myself adding my own vocals to the harmonies which definitely lowers the quality but makes me smile. Roberto had a wonderful range and is a great singer, moving easily through to higher notes when the need arises, and in many ways, it is surprising that he did not undertake more singing in the years since Carmen, but instead he threw himself into flamenco dance, leading to him being awarded the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Barbara Flamenco Arts Festival in 2004.

Roberto and Angela used dance as a strong percussive element within the music, and one can hear the heel stamps and claps and well as castanets etc. They are both credited with "footwork", the only time I have ever seen that on an album. Paul had to find a way to sit in with the dance, which was often in 6/4, keeping it tight, but also ensuring he was not getting in the way of the stamps and claps. John's playing is immediately recognisable to anyone who has played the classic trio of 'TOTRNR', 'Songs from the Wood' and 'Heavy Horses' as much as I have, and one can only wonder what he would have achieved in music if he had not passed away with at the tender age of 28. David was the primary songwriter, although the others did get credits here and there, especially as they progressed, and while it was not unusual for John to play chords, David could often be found picking as opposed to striking riffs. Four-part vocal harmonies were common, with all apart from Paul taking on lead parts over the course of the three albums.

Every time I play Carmen I 'see' them in my mind as this is extremely visual, with some of the numbers featuring pounding footwork and dynamism while at times they can be gentle and almost dreamy. Personally, I have always felt the music to be extremely open and something that can be played and enjoyed on first hearing, and it is no lie when I say that whatever song I am playing is my favourite. Since I first started listening to these albums more than forty years ago, they have often found their way back to my player, and unlike many albums from this period I don't feel they have aged at all and are still incredibly fresh, exciting and invigorating. They incorporate the styles and flavours that David picked up from his parent's flamenco restaurant where he had been appearing from the age of four yet bring that into a modern era so that while there are still plenty of acoustic guitars there is also room for the rock element plus passion and soul. This is music which has a depth and vitality that is missing from many bands that sold countless millions of albums, and I have often wondered why this band never gained the success they so richly deserved.

As Carmen toured with other bands, including the likes of Santana, Blue Öyster Cult and ELO, they gained confidence and some of those influences did have an impact on them, but they never lost their focus. The two final bonus cuts are interesting, at least to me, as I am somewhat responsible for the former while the latter is not a Carmen track at all. The first is a song that was released on a single but has never been available elsewhere, "Flamenco Fever". This is one of the singles that I paid extortionate money for years ago but am now glad that I did as if this is indeed the Angel Air version then what can be heard on this CD was remastered from my own copy which I lent the label. The second song was a 2007 recording from Widescreen with Angela singing, "Only Talking (For John)" which is very personal, very moving, all about the person she lost.

All praise to Cherry Red for making these albums available again, all in one set. I must admit I had not played all three back-to-back for some time and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I generally play 'Fandangos', but the others are just as strong which again beggars the question as to why this band never made the big time they deserved. Hopefully this set has some success and we eventually get a live recording as the material must be out there. There is high quality video/audio of the 'Midnight Special' show and I find it hard to believe there is not more of that available, or of other shows. Until that comes out then discover one of the finest progressive rock bands to never get the kudos they so richly deserved, Carmen.

If I had never discovered their music, nor written to Record Collector, or been asked to then write an article on them, then I doubt I would have had the life of music I have had for nearly 40 years, and for that I will always be grateful.

The final Carmen album loses a little something in the production - Tony Visconti was out of the producer's chair (a side- effect of the decision to record in the US), Steve Elson was in, and the production approach is a bit more generically hard rock and less delicate than perhaps the flamenco side of their flamenco-prog rock mix merits. In addition, there's a certain melancholy mood that settles in here; whether or not the band consciously realised that they were approaching the end of the road, perhaps there was some sense in the air that the good times were over. Band members have certainly said in retrospect that things were not well behind the scenes when they came to record this, with the loss of Visconti compounded by the departure of their former manager, which resulted them being paired with a label-imposed manager who didn't really gel with them.

However, in terms of the musical execution they seem to have risen above these circumstances, producing an album which, though it veers a touch more towards anthemic rock than previously, still keeps their "flamenco prog" approach going. The title track might have some of their most prog rock-inclined playing in its long outro, the heartfelt Come Back comes across as a purposefully composed farewell, and the closing instrumental Margarita has something of the sunset about it - almost like a flamenco funeral march.

Yes, the more I listen to this, more more I think that the band decided that the jig was up in the process - and made the commitment to each other and their listeners to go out on a high. Their sound might have sidestepped in a slightly more mainstream direction here, but that just means that each Carmen album offers a slightly different take on their core sound, which remains intact. Go for the preceding two albums first to get yourself an ear for their more offbeat flourishes, otherwise you might overlook them here, but if you like those two releases, give this one a go.

This is perhaps the furthest that Carmen developed the prog side of their prog-flamenco blend, largely thanks to the side-long medley Rememberances (Recuerdos de Espana). On their debut, Flamencos In Space, their gimmick was fresh and new and had novelty value; here it offers at least a touch of staying power, yielding an album that's a bit less immediately grabbing than its predecessor but is still compelling in its own right. With four of the five bandmates sharing vocals at points (playing different roles), this helps get across some of the theatrical flair of their stage show, and with Tony Visconti continuing to produce them they get the best possible shot at winning over the listener. It may well be the best of their albums, though there's not a whole lot in it between their three releases.

A few facts.

This album number is ranked #46 in the Rolling Stone list of 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time.

Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt told Metal Hammer in 2012 about this first Carmen album. "It's a crazy flamenco prog-rock folk record! They had tap dancing on the record and castanets too! Everyone I've played it to has been blown away by it."

Well, that sounds as music to my ears, such a huge appreciation for flamenco elements in prog music by such a known prog metal musician. As an aficionado of Rock Andaluz (from Triana and Cai to Medina Azahara and Sherish) since the late 70s I was excited when I stumbled upon the LP Fandangos In Space (Paramount Records version), in the early 90s.

But it didn't turn out to be that awesome musical experience as I expected. Simply because the music is not my beloved Rock Andaluz but an unique blend of many different styles, from rock and psychedelia to folk, avant-garde and flamenco, very adventurous, created in the captivating early 70s, in the London music scene. With help from legendary producer Tony Visconti, and musical friends like Marc Bolan and David Bowie who recommended the Carmen music to their friends. This resulted in 3 albums between 1973 and 1975, and playing as a support act for Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, ELO and Jethro Tull. Carmen's stage performances featured Amaral and Angela Allen (David Allen's sister) dancing on a specially amplified stage floor so that their zapateado (flamenco footwork) became an integral percussive addition to the music.

But back to the music on this album (I consider Fandangos In Space as their best effort), it's mainly rock-oriented, but varied and dynamic, blended with avant-garde, psychedelia, folk and flamenco in a very adventurous way. Not always my cup of tea (and in fact a bit disappointing because I had expected more flamenco elements) but the music is fascinating, surprising, exciting, and performed by 5 skilled musicians, including ex-Jethro Tull bass player John Glascock and ex-T. Rex drummer Paul Fenton. Lots of swinging rock in the 11 tracks, with fiery guitar runs and powerful riffs, at some moments mixed with soaring Mellotron, classical guitar or the art of the flamenco with guitar, castagnettes and zapateados (footwork). The music is topped with strong vocals (male and female), and lots of vocal harmonies (English, with some Spanish).

Every serious proghead should have had at least one listening session with this album, unique prog in the genuine tradition.

David Allen, effectively sans-Carmen, goes quiet.

Released in 2007, David Clark Allen's Widescreen was also compiled with Carmen's otherwise final album, 1975's The Gypsies, which I listened to earlier today. In the least, I do recommend perusing that album.

Introducing this album is the very traditional "Veracruz", with light percussion and acoustic instrumentation. Also handclaps! In retrospect, a sure highlight.

"La Luz" is instead minimal. Same for "Tango For Pia". And I'm seeing now, all percussion is apparently sampled material. It sounds good enough. Gets the job done.

"Delta" in the least has some soloing. This album though has turned out to be very minimal, very traditional in tone, and not often if at all in the 'progressive' camp. "Seti" on the other hand does have a slightly more upbeat rhythm. But ultimately still... not a whole lot here for me.

It's back to soft (and at least very lovely) on "Dancing on a Cold Wind"... until a minute in and the beat once again picks up. This has some more instrumentally than on most tracks that came before. The beat keeps it up on "Bouba", which... I don't know. It doesn't offer me much. Modernity didn't help. Another softie in "Isobel"... and in "Hope".

"Margarita" has something different, but still not for me. An apparently new version from a track off Gypsies. Lastly, we have the self-referential "Carmensque". Some strangeness herein. And here, like the bonus track on the aforementioned Carmen album originally released 42 years before, modern sampled percussion all the more. It's a tad abrasive though after all we just heard. This song features keyboards and synth most prominently. It's more like an electronica tune. I'll pass.

Two years following their incredible debut Fandangos in Space, Flamenco-Prog band Carmen released The Gypsies, their third. In my experience, it's a bit confusing just calling them a 'Prog Folk' band. They have so much to offer and so much of that is heavy as hell!

"Daybreak" opens the album with melody and beauty, then with infectious, beefy awesome. Being from LA, I figure they must have been partially influenced by Sparks/Halfnelson. There's an artsy, almost glammy thing going on in this. Also, great solo. Coolest thing I've heard today so far.

"Shady Lady" will sound exactly how you'd expect haha. Honestly, though, the main melody in the chorus is awesome. And the mix is jam-packed. Bright acoustic guitars and soft, crystalline keys ride beside a rockin' beat. It's much better than I first thought (or let on). This song is thick.

"High Time" feels like a Heavy Metal intro, really. Another song driven by the rhythm section. Nice harmonizing guitars. I feel much of this music will appeal to fans of other potential-of-Prog-Lite American bands, like Styx or Kansas. And now that I've written that, maybe Roxy Music fans will appreciate some of what's going on here as well: there's a Pop element that is undeniable. But it's all performed very well. "Dedicated to Lydia" is to follow, a quieted folksy number. I really liked the ending; a little jaunt.

"Joy" has an optimistic, but interesting, eerie feeling. Fitting title. Wordy track, to say the least. Vocally reminiscent of Tommy Shaw or Steve Walsh... Or Dan Fogelberg?! Musically pretty cool. A unique sound. And it continues in this eerie fashion. Another one with a very cool ending.

Another track of interesting feeling is "The Gypsies", our title track; here, Carmen is a sort of Latin-inflected Jethro Tull. Beefy and daring, but really the vocals genuinely straight up sound like a successful mimicry of Ian Anderson. Very cool song. It rages on. "Siren of the Sea" is of a comparable heaviness. Pretty good song. One of the weaker vocal performances? "Come Back" follows and does so pretty naturally, as I feel the melody at the intro was similar to "Siren". This song has a very familiar beat. Not a favorite.

"Maragrita" starts off slow and feeling with piano and chimes. It was pretty. Classical sort of guitar soloed atop. It is juxtaposed by "Flamenco Fever", another heavier Anderson-mimic?! All of the vocals working together really is great, and this is rhythmically very cool and the synth and... the song itself(?) is pretty damn awesome. In the least, a slightly maximalist field day.

And finally, "Only Talking to Myself", starting off with a pretty wild flamenco riff, but then?... This is like a barely-Prog Pop bonus track, not originally appearing on the album. This features female lead vocals, the feeling of which reminds me of Happy Rhodes pretty immediately. Apparently the song was devoted to bassist John Glascock. I had honestly forgotten that he was even in Carmen (as he went on to join Tull in '76); sadly, he passed away in 1979. Lovely track, but it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Not considering that final track, True Rate of 3.5/5.0.

An album where Jethro Tull meets Spanish folk. this is a really fun album to listen to, with elements of hard rock and psychedelic rock cautiously incorporated into a flamenco/fandango style creating a truly original and cool experience.

The album opens with "Bulerias" and in the sequence "Bullfight", this is the "singles" material of the album, showing off all the talent and creativity of the musicians of the band. Here we can already feel the strong influence of Spanish music both in the instrumental and lyrics. The way the vocalist sing, incorporating the Latin feeling to the music is pretty dope.

"Stepping Stone" goes to a more "space-rock" direction, creating a nice change of pace in the album after the two similar songs that come later. The bass in this song is awesome, with louder chords that add a nice "funky" element to the song.

"Sailor Song" begins as what you expect for the name, is a common "sailor-theme" song, classic "slow hard-rock", but I must say that the emotion the vocalist (David Allen) put in here makes worth, in the half of the song the harmony shifts and we are back to the great classic progressive rock.

The next three songs are the "weak parts" of the album in my opinion, "Lonely House" and "Looking Outside (My Window)" are just the basic that is shown to us until now, it's not bad but I consider the other songs far superior. Tarantos is a good acoustic guitar solo, nothing of rock here just a good flamenco short song but without anything exceptional besides this.

The last part of the album is kinda like a mini-suite "Tales of Spain/Retirando/Fandangos in Space/Reprise Finale", and is THE SONG of the album, all the elements introduced before now are used at its full potential. The great vocals of the "Sailor song" are here again together with good backing vocals creating powerful choruses in all the songs. The instrumental is good too, every instrumentalist has their moment to show his skills and none of them disappoint.

Fandangos in space is a hidden gem inside prog-rock who must be listened to by all fans of the genre, especially those who like songs that "rocks" without losing the daring concepts and technical aspects. 4 Stars

Review Nº 420

Ahead of their time, even in the experimental early 70's, Carmen was unlike anything else on the prog scene, least of all the American scene. Allen siblings, David and Angela, were raised on flamenco, forming Carmen in 1970 as a way to meld their roots with their love to rock. Unable to find a label in the U.S., the band escaped to London in 1973, hooking up with Tony Visconti, who recorded the band's debut studio album "Fandangos In Space". Carmen released their sophomore studio album, "Dancing On A Cold Wind", recorded again with Visconti in 1975. Carmen released a third studio album, allegedly a more commercial album, "The Gypsies", before split up in 1975. The finalized form of Carmen took shape in 1973, after relocating from Hollywood to Britain. There, the band's line up was revised with a British rhythm section, which included John Glascock allowing the band to finally unleash its flamenco-infused prog rock.

"Fandangos In Space/Dancing On A Cold Wind" is a compilation of Carmen and was released in 2006. This Angel Air release rescues Carmen from the oblivion. Given the music, it's not a difficult thing to do, but we give credit when credit is due. This double release includes the first two Carmen albums, on two separated discs, "Fandangos In Space" and "Dancing On A Cold Wind", with two favorable bonus tracks and a worthy booklet in the tradition of Angel Air Records.

As I've already reviewed these two albums previously on Progarchives, in a more extensive way, I'm not going to do it again. So, if you are interested to know, in more detail, what I wrote about them before, I invite you to read those my both reviews. However, in here I'm going to write something about them in a more short way. So, of course, I'm not going to analyze them track by track, as I made before, but I'm only going to make a global appreciation of both albums.

"Fandangos In Space": "Fandangos In Space" is particularly a very refreshing album. The band uses footwork and castanets to augment the sonic palette, in addition to a fine, well harmonized, vocal performance of both male and female vocals. Sure, the vocal harmonies and the hard rock-meets progressive textures are reminiscent of Uriah Heep, but they're enriched so well with flamenco-derived ideas that they manage to achieve a singularity of their own. Above all, though, it's the percussive punctuation with which everything is served that provides the album its unique, punchy, hard edge. At times, the tradeoff between the rhythmic approach and the compositions results in slight fragmentation, but the guiding hand of the renowned producer Tony Visconti certainly helped to round up the edges and emphasize the qualities of the music of Carmen. The rhythm section kicks upfront and more than once a wise synthesis of the synthwsizers and the Mellotron with the other instruments creates a noteworthy and original musical atmosphere. The final result of this is grandiose, yet natural, escaping of pompousness. "Fandangos In Space" also boasts a decidedly funky rhythm, and it's the album's shifting, intricate, and unique rhythms that further removed them from the pack.

"Dancing On A Cold Wind": "Dancing On A Cold Wind" continues where their first debut album left off. This album also features an expanded line up with some other guest musicians. "Dancing On A Cold Wind" has impressive electric and acoustic guitar playing, fuzz-rich bass sound and a spacey aura paint the earthly, human scenes with some exotic fascination. The songs flow better as a unit, half of which function as a lengthy love affair suite as is usual in all conceptual albums, and manage to sound less fragmented, but it lack to it some of the previous album's rhythmic vitality. "Dancing On A Cold Wind" was even more adventurous than their debut. The rhythms are more disjointed the styling more operatic and the sound more majestic. At points, the album meanders into prog rock, as Angela's spacey keyboard effects swoop across the grooves, elsewhere British influences strongly surface. Visconti's production understandably emphasizes the glammy feel of this set, the last one rocked. This one glitters in the vastness of the sparse arrangements. The fourteen songs are bolstered by a couple of hissy, but worthy, efforts. The main course is a smorgasbord of chorale pieces. It all rather merges into oneness by the end, but at the time that would've been nirvana.

Conclusion: Anyway you look at it, the Carmen material included on this release should be considered classic stuff, and is therefore highly recommended for all fans of the 70's progressive rock music, if only for the taste of heard something a bit different. Of the two albums, "Fandangos In Space" is the most "commercial" of both albums, so much of the songs could get airplay, even today. "Dancing On A Cold Wind", in contrast, is the most intriguing for the noodlers and lovers of the unique and original style of this band. Maybe we can say that it's, perhaps, more prog. With this excellent release, Angel Air reissued of the two albums together on two CD's releasing a couple of bonus tracks, Carmen returns with a passion and love for the good old prog days, the days of the 70's. This is highly recommended.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Not necessarily much worse than the debut album, this one has less memorable songs, is also a bit more derivative of other bands in the prog-space but has the same instrumental quality. "Viva mi sevilla" keeps vocals to the minimum and displays strong keyboard, guitar and rhythmic skills by the band. After that, the flamenco influence is diminished until the final suite arrives, while progressive and folk elements remain. Anyway, I can't help myself thinking that Jethro Tull was listened to by the band members. The long suite at 23 minutes is a bit of a letdown due to low compositional and not exactly the depth that a progressive rock suite would be expected to bring. On a positive note, there are female vocals and a good melody.

The music has more unique and interesting sound that it has its compositions. Very original blend of flamenco, folk rock and progressive rock. Singing is of acquired taste with average voice colour and not big range but harmonies save it quite often. The focus is on the feeling and flow more than on instrumental prowess and that is good so because the sound keeps its folky spirit and warmth. Rhythmically, especially the first track makes you want to dance and it certainly provide quite some dynamics - Bulerias with its Spanish lyrics is one of the highlights. "Bullfight" has some hard riffing but great folk harmony vocals and finally also a decent keyboard solo. The vocal intensity reminds a bit of Ian Anderson, we can all this track a true prog-rock work.

But then we get a simplified and poppy song like "Stepping stone" which create an obscure feeling. "Sailor song" has a perfect blend of folk charm, vocal harmonies and gorgeous melody. This is a well constructed track. "Lonely house" is a good ballad. "Tales of a spain" is quite a unusual signature - adventureous development of the composition but takes repeated listening. "Retirando" is a beautiful lyrical song that only goes for two minutes - they could have kept in instrumental. The title track is one of the most complex compositions but for me not particularly a stand-out.

Worth listening, maybe even a repeated one ;)