BIENVENIDA AL INTERIOR

To start off - Bienvenida Al Interior - the beginning melody reminds me of Chicago's - Saturday in the Park. Just the part of the lyrics - Saturday .. in the Park, I think it was the fourth of July. Then comes a heavier guitar part that recalls Joe Satriani's album Surfing with the Alien Surfer, and a return to the early melody, although it doesn't bring the song to a right finish.

As we move on, the Satriani thing sticks in my mind. As if Satch has set up a Neo band and recycled some of his musical ideas from the Surfing & Flying in a Blue Dream albums. The difference being that he'd reined in the shred guitar.

As we come to Doble Arcoiris, I thought for sure I'd heard the melody in a pop song ( a good one, btw). It eventually come to me - it's similar to the chorus parts on Klaatu's Little Neutrino. But I'm still wondering why I think where I heard a pop song that sounds like this. I thought of some mellow Beatles Lennon tracks, but nothing clicks so far.

Bajo El Domo De Cristal is an encapsulation of the album. The Neo sounds, with its' AOR and modern pop sensibilities, the melodic Satriani guitar fills & solos, and the synths washes & backing all come together as a summary of the sounds found herein.

Kinnara ends the album and could well have a fit on any number or latter day Marillion albums.

All in all, a decent album. Not one that will grace my CD player too often, but not one that made me grab the remote to skip sections or songs when I replayed it.

Nice, but not necessary. If you liked Fragil's Avenida Larco, but would prefer a more Neo, or SYmphonic sound along with the pop sensibilities, though, this could be a worthy investment.

postcript - towards the end of Kinnara, I swear I thought they were about to play the opening riff from the Scorpions "Animal Magnetism".