DANCING ON A COLD WIND

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.