10.000 ANOS DEPOIS ENTRE VÉNUS E MARTE

"10,000 Depois Entre Venus E Marte" is a space-influenced prog album from the mid-70's. Although the music is quite good, it does have a dated-quality to it. All of the songs are keyboard-heavy, and emphasize interplay between Moogs, piano, and Mellotron (in fact, the photo, inside the booklet, of Jose CID next to his collection of vintage keyboards will make analog-freaks drool). But the guitarist is given plenty of room to solo for long amounts of time which tends to balance things out. Jose CID also sings on several tracks in a style typical of mid-70s Italian and Spanish prog. "10,000 Depois Enter Venus E Marte" is a very satisfying album that will survive repeated listenings.

Portugal isn't exactly what you call a prog rock hotbed, but perhaps the most surprising figure in the prog rock scene was that country's biggest pop star, and he went by the name of José CID. Yes, this was the guy who entered in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980. Of course, by that time, the guy had little to do with prog anymore. But in 1978, that was a very different story with this, "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus e Marte". Here, he's loaded with tons of great analog keyboards like Mellotron, Mini Moog, Solina string synths, and created a sci-fi concept album about the destruction of Earth, and the two escapees returning to Earth some 10,000 years after its destruction.

Musically, it reminds me a little of such late '70s German bands, like ELOY, especially with the sci-fi concept and spacy synthesizers. The big difference here is CID chose to sing in his own language, which is a huge benefit. One big reason why Mellotron fans are going to need this album is one of the songs actually bears the title "Mellotron O Planeta Fantástico"! Can't argue with an album with such a song. Actually the first two songs, "O Ultimo dia na Terra" and "O Caos" are by far the best, most amazing pieces of music I have heard from the late '70s. Certainly the rest of the album doesn't reach those same heights, but it's truly an incredible album. It's too bad the Portuguese press decided to bury the album upon release, it certainly hurt CID big time, and that's why he turned to more conventional pop.

Jose CID is a pretty famous Portuguese musician who recorded one incredibly awesome progressive monster concept album in 1978. "10,000 Depois Entre Venus E Marte" is a space-influenced prog album featuring a ton of vintage keybords (Moogs, piano, and Mellotron). Songs and melodies are very captivating and the overall feel is highly symphonic with lots of string synths and mellotron. The Art Sublime CD also contains a rare single released in 1977 which is also very fitting and excellent work. Lyrics are sung in native Portuguese and are quite well done. The guitar work on this album is also amazing and works well with the keyboards... fans of spacey French symphonic rock will love this one.

Who am I? to argue with all the previous reviews..

This one to me came from nowhere!! Love at first sight, yes at first sight. When I got this one on the mail, I thought I had made a big mistake, ordering actually an LP; well I said, keep it and someday when my turntable is fixed I'll enjoyed...surprise! surprise! when I open the cover I found the CD packed inside...very clever my friends!. In other words is an LP pack, with a CD inside, Fantastic!!

Now, from the first note I was blown away! The music...a superb 51 minutes of Keys Masterpiece, drench with mini-mogg and mellotron, with a good dose of guitar; indeed, sound like Germany output late 70's with that vintage taste of 70's progressive music. My highest recommendation, especially for the lovers of Symphonic-spacey material that came from Germany or even France, during that time.... lyrics are in Portuguese and even...I believe there are some French??? mixed in there....

4.5 actually. Definitly a progressive rock masterpiece by portuguese standarts, although no more than a excellent addition in the worldwide progressive rock panorama. A bit dated, but if you, like me, got to meet the "pop king" José Cid (the portuguese Elton John, although apparently straight) before discovering his early works, than this a real treat. It is very good quality space/symphonic prog, and the portuguese lyrics don't sound as bad as they tend to.

At first I was very curious about this album because of all of the good reviews. This is avery enjoyable album and a really accesible one, you can pop this into your cd or mp3 player and apreciate it from the first spin. It has some very catchy tunes and a very hard rocking sound to it. The album also has a lot of keyboards but in good use so that it won't sound plastic or childish like other bands. Jose Cid is also a great singer too, not in range but in melody.

Great concept, excelent music and musicianchip, very catchy melodies, hard rocking sound. One can't even tell that this album was made in 1978, it sounds more like a prog album from the "golden age". Credits go for mister Cid for making a great prog album while other bands where goin downhill at that time.

An excellent addition to any prog music collection.

This album by Portuguese keyboardplayer/singer Jose Cid has a kind of 'cult-status' among the Tron-maniacs. Many years ago I listened to the album but I was not really impressed. Because of the huge amount of sheer euphoric reviews on this site, I decided to give this album a second chance (thanks to Portuguese proghead Roger Silva (obrigado!), I got the opportunity to listen to it).

After a first listening session I know why I was not impressed at first: this is a very varied album and it is not layered with Trons as you might expect. The climates ranges from mellow with spacey synthesizers to up-tempo rock with distorted electric guitar. The Portuguese vocals sound very warm and all compositions are tasteful arranged with pleasant work on piano, some sensitive and howling electric guitar soli and frequently the majestic sound of the choir-Mellotron (my favorite one), subtle or surprisingly blended with the melodic and pleasant progrock Jose Cid has created.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL, OFTEN COMPELLING PROGROCK EXPERIENCE!

This really has been a joy to listen to this past week. Beautiful, melodic and often drifting music, with those warm Portuguese vocals that remind me of some of the Italian vocals I like. There should be a warning label about the mellotron though, because those mellotron choirs are intoxicating, and they are all over this album.

"O Ultimo Dia Terra" opens with a blast of mellotron. It takes a minute to really get going as mellotron, drums and synths start off quietly and build. Vocals are reserved almost ELOY-like, while the mellotron is so heavenly. It's all over this song. Great start. "O Caos" is an uptempo track with a good rhythm. Vocals with floods of mellotron. A tasteful guitar solo before 2 1/2 minutes. A calm a minute later as spacey synths and vocals lead the way. The full sound returns with a more aggressive guitar solo. "Fuga Para O Espaco" opens with piano, light drums and synths. Waves of synths continue as a beautiful lazy guitar solo follows. Nice. Vocals 2 minutes in are very expressive and Italian-like. Another guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in as vocals follow. Piano continues. The best guitar solo is saved for last as it soars above the drums and piano. Vocal melodies go on and on with the guitar.

"Mellotron O'Planeta Fantastico" opens with a great instrumental section with tempo changes. It calms down with vocals after 2 minutes. Mellotron before 3 minutes as bass and guitar follow. The contrast continues. "10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte" features beautiful spacey sounds with vocals arriving 3 minutes in. "Parter Do Zero" features swirling keys as mellotron and drums create a great sound. Synths, bass then vocals come in. Instrumentally this is just gorgeous. "Memos" opens with drums and piano before the guitar comes in and goes on and on with vocal melodies joining in like on the end of "Fuga Para O Espaco". "Vida(Sons Do Quotidiano)" is a bonus track that fits perfectly. Piano with someone speaking and mellotron to open. Gale force mellotron continues as passionate vocals come in as the tempo picks up. The same themes are repeated. The conclusion is so relaxing as it drifts endlessly with mellotron and synths.

Well, if your looking for complex and challenging music look elsewhere. If your into tasteful, melodic and classy music with lots of mellotron, you need to take this recording for a ride. Easily 4 stars.

The lonely prog rock album of a successful Portuguese pop artist, and it rocks!

I gotta say that this album always impresses me for three basic reasons: 1) It IS a very good album 2) It's a Portuguese album recorded in the 70's (at that time Portugal was very poor due to its great military expenses maintaining its overseas colonies in Africa) 3) José Cid is actually a pop rock artist (something that can be proven listening to his other solo releases and / or his albums with Quarteto 1111 prior to Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas). Both the instrumental and the lyrical works are very good, besides the great difference between the portuguese spoken in Brazil and in Portugal.

The music made here by José Cid is symphonic in nature, but the lyrics are more fitting in a space rock album. That is because, in the concept of 10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte, the Earth is apparently doomed due to humanity's actions and so some humans escape the Earth and search for a new planet to live. 10,000 years later, the humans that escaped Earth were still searching for a planet to live until they find a planet between Venus and Mars, where they start everything from the beginning.

One interesting thing with the album I have is that it does not have the bonus track Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano). At first i was quite disappointed, but now i realize that its better without it for 2 reasons: 1) the track doesn't fit the concept 2) It makes the album too long for its own good. However, if you have the opportunity, listen that song because it is quite good.

However, there are some drawbacks here. The biggest one is the pronunciation. The portuguese spoken in Portugal is very different from the portuguese spoken in Brazil, besides being written the exactly same way, and that makes the lyrics to be a lot harder to comprehend, to understand. The other drawback is technological: the mellotron and the synthesizers sound old, dated.

Grade and Final Thoughts

This album is a very good product from the 70's and is one of the few representatives of the Portuguese prog rock from the 70's. However, its grade is 4.5 stars.

01. O Ultimo Dia Na Terra Shout! Silence! Sounds! The bumbo ... marks the beginning of music, vocalizations to the bottom and a synthesizer well headed in the background. The voice of Jose entirely in Portuguese (Portugal) is very well sung, and the letters are very well made. The concept leads us to a science-fiction in the style of Super Man (I am not surprised if the whole concept has been taken of the story.) The guitars are well played by Joe Turnip (that name!).

02. O Caos The guitar is an original charm. And the tones of keyboards that fill the disc only pave the way for a disk-space. Then enter a guitar divine a strange time. This to me is the highlight of the disc. Sensational voice with charming Portuguese accent. The space rock caused by the keyboard is a delight. The second part of the music is very beautiful that you then return to start for the basis of a great guitar break. Epic so sensational.

03. Fuga Para O Espaço Beginning of a beautiful piano, synthesizers and mellotrons, low fat. Jose invites us to take a tour of the ship by fleeing to escape and start a new life. Sensacional the symphonic arrangement for the song. The guitars of the whole disc is a case the party, also here in this beautiful land. Beautiful voice also folded. The vocalizations The Great la Gig In The Sky leaves give the final.

04. Mellotron O Planeta Fantastico That introduction of low! Wow! Beautiful tone and riff, drums and guitar together wha-wha. Why then the instrument that gives its name from the band in action, you then divide the area again. The parades make me remember to follow a sound that I can not remember exactly who it is. The vocals are very beautiful in a sad lament.

05. 10,000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte Instrumental with influences of Camel (only missed the flutes). Vocals and keyboards simply duplicates superb tell us that everything can start ...

06. A Partir Do Zero ... From scratch again. Tones and more tones, tons of them. Keyboards for all corners, sharp band playing the theme at your fingertips and very precise.

07. Memos Memos is a song of passage of the most beautiful, full of Floyd influence here.

Simply this unforgettable 10,000 Years Later Between Venus and Mars, a conceptual disc (the best) and that the difference is the voice in the native language Portuguese, which is the charm.

www.progshine.com

2.5 stars really

Around 1980, when I left the radio I was helping in (because the became a POP station instead of Classic Rock), the owner gave me several Prog albums that he didn't cared about and/or didn't needed for the station, among this LP's I received "10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte" (10,000 Years Later Between Venus and Mars) by JOSE CID, then I noticed this guy had several releases and asked for them, but the musical editor told me that the others were in the line of the radio (in other words plain POP).

So took it and listened it at home in my old but reliable "Dual turntable", what a disappointment, the album in my opinion is less than average, to be honest it was not a terrible album, but I imagined hat it could sound like other Portuguese artists as PETRUS CASTRUS who released the fantastic "Mestre" and "Ascenção e Queda", but there's no comparison.

So threw it in the pack of forgotten albums, and never cared about it again. A few months ago I read the reviews about this album in Prog Archives and all were so good that gave a second chance to JOSE CID, but my opinion hasn't changed at all, it sounds as a hybrid between Symphonic, POP and Space Rock, well played but lack of greatness.

The greatest problem is in the vocals, JOSE CID reminds me of those artists with fake accent who try to sing in their native language but sounding as an English or North American vocalist (read MIGUEL RIOS from Spain), Portuguese is such a beautiful and warm language that you need to listen he songs with the full native accent and JOSE CID tries to hide it.

There are some excellent moments as the PINK FLOYD influenced "Fuga Para O Espaco" which is really inpressive and the fantastic (but short() instrumental "Memos",. full of drama and good taste, but other terrible ones like "Mellotron O Planeta Fantastico" (The Fantastic Planet Mellotron), which has nice (even when excessive) use of Mellotron, but the organ sounds terrible, as if CID was using a cheap "Casio".

The guy has good ideas, and obviously he's a well trained musician but sounds like a POP musician trying to show the world he can simultaneously play as many different keyboards as any Prog artist, without knowing when to use Moog and when to stop using too much Mellotron, so all his efforts are lost with his lack of depth and the cheesy use of different synths.

Not bad, not good, simply average, so 3 stars is the most I can give to this release, a rating that would be lower if we were allowed to use half stars.

He!

Symphonic Synth Prog Rock of grandiose kind which is done by supposedly Portugese pop rock star. Well, lyrics (and vocals) are good, good enough to be pleasant and not to sound bad as with Petrus Castrus (even I quite like this band). After (how people colloquially call it) $hitload of Symphonic Prog today (about 15 Symph. albums heard today), I would say this is just another album of this kind, of very special value, very great quality, extremely Symphonic, exactly as we like it.

But what's so special about it ? How can we compare it ? How to determine final rating ? Well well well, let's figure it out while typing these words.

It's easy. Even when we compare superb album to other superb album, they can be different. Even mostly in little things. For example Fuga Para O Espaco is extremely exceptional track, because (it's common that in these comparisons that there will be a lot of positive adjectives) it's quite hard to be so pleasantly symphonic, but not cheesy. And not only this, this record as whole sounds so great that it's hard to think about certain tracks only, maybe also because it's a concept album. Even sung in language I don't know (Brazillia hello), I somehow feel it.

5(-) and exactly as I feel tempted to give high rating, I will do so because (as I say) when I stumble over something of great value, sheer impact this has on every human living being that can feel magic of this album, well, I'm breathless.§

Good one José (my father's nickname)

This classy concept album by Jose Cid is an excellent mostly-instrumental symphonic prog piece with a strong space rock influence in the guitar parts. Like Bo Hansson, another pop keyboardist who turned his hand to producing prog solo albums, Cid does not use the album purely as an ego trip - he knows when his (well-played) keyboards need to be at front and centre, and when he needs to step aside to let another instrumentalist take the lead. In particular, Zé Nabo's excellent guitar contributions - reminiscent of Dave Gilmour's work at points - enhance the album notably. Cid is also adept at using both newer synthesisers and classic prog stalwarts like the Mellotron, and shows great taste in choosing which to use when and blending the new and the old.

It might have sounded a bit retro even in 1978, but 10,000 Anos is a fine album - and whilst it might have been the only solo prog effort by Cid, it's one that I can listen to over and over again.

For those not yet in the know Jose Cid was Portugal's grand godfather of pop...and folk, and rock, and, for a brief while during the mid-to-late 1970's, progressive rock. His overall contribution to the genre was limited, yet that didn't stop him from producing one of the genre's cult items in the form of this quaint yet much-loved slice of synthesized space-rock. A concept album, '10,000 Anos Depois Entre Venus E Marte' arrived pretty late to the prog-rock party - 1978 no less - yet still managed to rack up impress sales figures in both Cid's homeland and throughout Spain and, to some degree, across mainland Europe. Non-Portugese speakers, of course, will have difficulty deciphering the album's story, yet thanks to some startlingly inventive music, it doesn't really matter. This is an album chock full of dreamy mellotron runs, ethereal acoustic moments, Cid's yearning vocals and neon-kissed guitar solos, whilst also featuring a truly cosmic atmosphere. It's a fairly short album, running at just over 38 minutes, yet when listened to from beginning to end it seems to stretch out for a lot longer thanks to the many fluid instrumental passages that bring to mind elements of 'Meddle'-era Floyd, touches of Klaus Schulze-style synthadelia and Cid's own folk background. Maybe occasionally '10,000 Anos...' delves into slightly poppy territory, and if the whole affair may well sound a tad dated to some ears the album does, for the most, prove pretty captivating listening. Opening piece 'O Ultimo Dia Na Tera' sets the standard, as pulses of gleaming keyboards and shimmering guitars swirl into a grand cosmic mesh, though the real highlights prove to be both the excellent 'Fuga Para O Espaco', which features a soaring guitar solo as its centre-piece and the self-explanatory 'Mellotron O Planeta Fantastico', which pins dense mellotron washes over yet more impressive guitar work and is, funnily enough, pretty fantastico. The fact that Cid would take such a stylistic detour to produce this lushly epic work - he would revert back to producing simpler pop product soon after - speaks volumes about this highly revered Iberian musician, both in terms of his musical ambition and his technical ability. The real joker in the Jose Cid career pack, '10,000 Anos...' proves a dreamy psychedelic opus, mixing prog-rock flourishes and space- rock atmospherics into an science-fiction fused whole that should delight all true prog-rock fans. Surely one of the great European albums of the 1970s, this is heady and highly enjoyable stuff indeed. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012

Review Nº 101

"10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" is the only solo progressive rock album of José Cid, as a solo artist, and it was released in 1978. Beyond it, he made another progressive rock experience, "Vida (Sons Do Quotidiano)", an EP released one year before, in 1977. The line up on the album is José Cid, Mike Sergeant, Zé Nabo and Ramon Galarza.

If you're American or if you were born in other part of the world, the name José Cid might not mean much to you. But if you're from Portugal, you know him as one of the biggest names of the Portuguese pop music. But there was a short time, in the 70's, where he was exploring the progressive rock music, relying heavily on the mellotron and synthesizers. He co-founded Quarteto 1111, the real first band to take a new approach to the rock music in Portugal, with a modern line up and instrumentation. As a solo artist, his own solo LP, "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte", was perhaps Cid at his finest moment during his progressive rock phase, a phase in his musical career. He didn't pursue it any further, since progressive rock by this time had pretty much reached a dead end just about in everywhere, and since there wasn't much competition in Portugal for this kind of music. Tantra was one of the other few progressive acts from Portugal, in those times. So, it's simple to wonder why this is considered, by many, the finest progressive rock act from Portugal. Regardless everything, Cid was basically the daddy of the Portuguese modern pop music and of the Portuguese progressive rock, since he was there from the start playing covers of the 50's American rock and roll music.

"10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" is a conceptual album based in a very simple sci-fi story by Cid. The story is set about 10.000 years after the mankind's self-destruction in Planet Earth, where a man and a woman are travelling in space to returning to Earth to repopulate it. The lyrics are very simple and contemplate the past mistakes and future hopes of all mankind and the hope to correct it in the future. In addition to the auditory component, the artwork of the album is accompanied by beautiful illustrations that tell us the stories set in each track of the album.

Musically, this is very much a spacey album that reminds a little of Pink Floyd and Eloy, especially their album Ocean, except the fact that Cid had the sense to sing in his native tongue, the Portuguese. This whole album is a vintage keyboard lover's dream come true. The gatefold features Mr. Cid standing next to his assortment of keyboards, which includes a piano, two Mellotrons, a Hohner clavinet, a Mini Moog, and several keyboards that I couldn't recognize all.

About the tracks, the first two songs "O Último Dia Na Terra" and "O Caos" are nothing short than two incredible pieces. The mellotron choir sound has got to be heard to be believed. I just love the spacey sci-fi sound that sounds so to the 70's. And if you're a mellotron fan, like me, you can't argue with an album in which one of the songs bears the title of "Mellotron O Planeta Fantástico", another great number. I especially like the use of bass guitar and the Moog synthesizers. And of course, the mellotron is ever present all over the album. The title track is another nice ballad. "A Partir Do Zero" is another good one, I especially love the use of the synthesizers on that one. The album ends with "Memos" which is mainly the main piano theme found on one of the earlier songs on the album, "Fuga Para O Espaço".

Unfortunately, this masterpiece was very little known, in those times, even in Portugal. I think it only sold about 500 LP's, when it was released, which was really a pity. So, unfortunately, it just was born to the world many years later by the hand of an American music producer, I think. However I'm very happy and proud of knowing that it has been much acclaimed all over the world. Eventually, it has been included on a list of the 100 best albums of progressive rock music of all time, organized by U.S. Magazine Billboard, achieving the rare status of a cult album, which is really amazing.

Conclusion: Undoubtedly, we are in presence of a classic album from the 70's. It's very clear the strong influence in this working of some of the greatest names of the progressive rock bands of the 70's such as Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Eloy. But unfortunately the album was a flop. Orfeu, the Portuguese record label, didn't have faith on the album, not to mention the gatefold with a full color booklet (with nice sci-fi artwork and lyrics) would be more expensive to make Cid agreed not to receive royalties. It quickly went out of print and became a major collector's item. I'm really convinced that Orfeu made a big mistake, as many people in Portugal think, too. This is a clear example how a record label can destroy, perhaps, a great musical career of an artist, in the progressive rock scene. I can't forget that of all the albums that Cid has recorded, through the years, this is particularly the album he's most proud, giving the impression that he'd rather have had a career in the progressive rock. But as he couldn't, he had to stick to the mainstream pop. Anyway, progressive rock was never a huge thing in Portugal. So, this is an excellent and perfect example of it. However, I just want to say one more thing: Thank you Mr. Cid for having contributed to our pride of being Portuguese.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)