SI TODO HICIERA CRACK

From the northern Spanish Atlantic coast , from the semi-Celtic province of Asturias and from its capital Gijon, this little known band made a sole album in the late 70's that sounded more like what Italian bands were doing a few years before. Actually this is not a rare happening since after the end of Franco's dictatorship , many groups tried to make up for lost time so roughly the Spanish prog scene was split into symphonic and fusion. The former had to deal with the huge success of Flamenco inspired Triana, which inspired a lot of younger groups while those not willing to follow that route obviously indulged into the early and mid-70's Italian groups.

Crack is one of those groups and their only album certainly draws from Italian inspiration , but there are other folksier ambiances that can make you think of Tull (this is reinforced when the flute makes an appearance) and sometimes in more symphonic moments Genesis and Yes. The album title would amount to something like: If Everything Would Go Crack........

What strikes most in Crack is the vocal delivery which comes out like PFM, QVL and Osana, but this feeling is not limited to the singing: the songwriting also is strongly influenced. This is particularly the case for Coward Or Deserter and Good Desires (3rd and 4th tracks), which are IMHO the weaker tracks on the album. The second side of the record holds the two tracks that make the backbone of the album starting of with Marchando (an almost 8 min track divided in two movement) with abundant flutes and mellotrons providing all the possible dramatic effects to your attention - this where the comparison with Quella Vieccha Locanda fits best. The 10 min title track is the other standout track, but it seems rather tamer than its predecessor borrowing lots from Yes's GFTO album in terms of sonorities ending in a small piano and flute dominated Epilogue reminding me a bit of Quebec's Maneige.

Overall, one of the better late-70's Spanish album and a minor gem only waiting for the prospective proghead to make its claim on it. But not original enough to deserve above the 4 star status.