CALIFATO INDEPENDIENTE

IMAN CALIFATO INDEPENDIENTE is another high-quality Spanish prog band that should round out a good Spanish-prog collection. The album consists of only 4 tracks. Side A is filled by a 20-minute epic track featuring a less complex form of symph-prog that occasionally mixes in noticeable flamenco styled scales. The music throughout the LP is mostly led by synth and guitar in a style that comes close to bands like FUSIOON, symphonic-era ICEBERG. While the synth-leads here sound a bit different from the typical Moog sound featured on most prog albums (even the ones from Spain), the sometimes cheesy "Elka-like" sound shouldn't bother most listeners. In fact, these days, I find myself prefering albums with Italian and Russian keyboards rather than the tired Moog and ARP sound. Anyway, Side B features 3 mid-length tracks of equal quality to Side A. While the music here didn't really blow me away, I find nothing to criticize. Most listeners will find the melodies likeable, the musicians top-notch, and the compositions above average. While I wouldn't rate IMAN CALIFATO INDEPENDIENTE as high as GOTIC or even FUSIOON, this band comes very close.

The Spanish progrock quartet Imán Califato Independiente has its origins at a convention, given by the meditation guru Maja-raj-ji, in the mid Seventies. Like genuine hippies, the musicians lived together in one house in El Puerto De Sta. Maria and eventually they founded Iman and in '78 they made this debut album, entitled Iman Califato Independiente, two years later followed by the LP entitled Camino Del Aguila. Iman also appeared on the Spanish compilation albums Rock Andalus ('94) and Duende" ('97, a 2-CD).

1. Tarantos del Califato Independiente (20:46) : The title points at a strong rhythm in the flamenco music. First a wonderful string- ensemble sound in a sultry atmosphere with twanging guitars and electric guitar play with a strong Morish undertone. Then lots of shifting moods with great guitar-synthesizer interplay (evoking Iceberg) and exciting soli on guitar and synthesizer, a piece with lots of percussion. The final part delivers a slow rhythm with a beautiful and very sensitive electric guitar solo, accompanied by a lush string-ensemble sound, goose bumps!

2. Darshan (8:30) : Again those wonderful strings, followed by great interplay between guitar and synthesizer with the support of a very adventurous rhythm-section. Next a howling guitar solo and an accellaration with fat, pitchbend driven synthesizer flights and a duel between guitar and synthesizer in a captivating atmosphere that blends Prog Andaluz and jazzrock.

3. Cerro Alegre (7:33) : The intro delviers fragile piano work and sensitive twanging classical guitar, then a swinging rhythm with sparkling piano and flamenco rhythm guitar. Halfway a fiery guitar joins, supported by a powerful bass and subdued harpsichord runs. Next a part with bluesy Fender Rhodes electric piano that gradually changes into an exciting interlude with a guitar solo that sounds like the Andalusian Carlos Santana (Caravanserai-era) and culminates in a swinging rhythm, Prog Andaluz meets jazzrock, what a dynamic and cpativating musical experience!

4. Cancion de la Oruga (5:32) : This is a beautiful piece that starts with dreamy twanging classical guitar, soaring keyboards and warm vocals, then a mid-tempo featuring fat synthesizer runs with a Morish undertone and propulsive percussion.

This is a very exciting fusion of Prog Andaluz and jazzrock, highly recommended!

Complex, well-executed and interestingly-composed Andalusian jazzy progressive rock that borders on NeoProg at times with its lush keyboard washes.

1. "Tarantos del Califato Independiente" (20:46) a very long and drawn out intro which eventually culminates in some very nice HAWKWIND-like two-chord jazzy prog over which the electric guitarist and synth player take turns soloing with competency and Spanish-infused creativity. Too bad it took them seven minutes to get there! (Must be the effects of the hash.) At 9:40 there is a cymbal crash, stoppage, and reformulation to create a new motif that has a bit of a Reggae feel to it--though more of a GONG-like version of Reggae. At 11:40 there is a stoppage of keys and guitars as drummer and bass player begin a motif with some staccato syncopation played off and with one another. The rest of the band soon rejoins, continuing the staccato motif but quickly bringing a Moorish flavor to it--especially melodically. This turns Miles Davis Spanish in the fourteenth minute with the takeover of a synth horn in the lead. Then things break down into spacey/eerie synth and guitar textural sounds before bass and guitar begin forming a spacious nest for some organ and then vocalese (on two tracks). Very pleasant and relaxing. The vocalist (Iñaki Egaña) is very good! Around the 18-minute mark we return to full rock, albeit slow and atmospheric, for some nice electric guitar soloing from Manuel Rodrigue--which takes us pretty much to the end. This is definitely way more proggy than jazzy or jazz- rock fusion, despite its instrumental nature. It's a very nice construct. (36/40)

2. "Darshan" (8:30) a lush two-chord keyboard bed of wash that provide the comfortable backing for guitarist Manuel Rodrigue to solo. Then, four minutes into the song, there is a sudden shift in motif and tempo as Manuel slips into rhythm guitar role for Marcos Mantero to solo on his synth. The motif is blues but fast, like Country-Western, held down by some very solid drum and bass play. In the eighth minute things fall back into half time as the synth wash chords rejoin and the music plods along for some more guitar soloing. Proficient and disiplined soloing over some rather monotonous musics. They sound a little like 1990s NeoProg band KALABAN to me. (17.5/20)

3. "Cerro Alegre" (7:33) acoustic guitar solo opens before piano takes over. The rest of the band gradually joins in, figuring out their roles in the song, until finally shifting into a fully-planned motif with and harpsichord beneath some fiery electric guitar soloing. Another down-shift into a kind of mysterious spy-thriller soundtrack motif over which Marcos solos on his electric piano. When Manuel is given the lead again, the music is very thin, slow, and very synth washy, but his SANTANA-like solo is so clean and excellent it wouldn't matter what he was being accompanied by. Great stuff! More tempo and motif changes ensue for piano and Spanish themes to express. Wow! What a journey these guys just took me on! Worth many more listens. (14/15)

4. "Cancion de la Oruga" (5:32) the album's final song opens with some airy synth soloing over gently-picked acoustic guitars (multiple) before bassist Iñaki Egaña enters with his pleasant singing voice. There's a bit of a Renaissance "Trip to the Fair" feel to the chord and melody choices the band establishes after Iñaki's first verse (almost as if it has been lifted directly from the Sheherazade album!). Even when the band goes instrumental and heavy on the percussion its still feels like I'm listening to the creepy, eery parts of "Trip to the Fair," albeit a Spanish version. I have to admit, however, that the band has done a rather remarkable job of adapting this to their own instruments, language, and interpretation, thus, I'm going to give them credit and respect for the petit vol. (9/10)

Total Time: 42:21

An album that has some great musicianship if sometimes dull NeoProg foundations, I am very impressed with the band's dextrous and rather complete adoption of progressive rock forms and sounds.

B+/A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of jazz-infused progressive rock music.