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Almendra for Psychedelic Rock

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127476
Printed Date: November 27 2024 at 21:35
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Topic: Almendra for Psychedelic Rock
Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Subject: Almendra for Psychedelic Rock
Date Posted: October 07 2021 at 19:10
Bio:
Almendra was an Argentinean rock band founded in 1967 at the city of Buenos Aires by Luis Alberto Spinetta (guitar & lead vocals), Edelmiro Molinari (lead guitar & vocals), Emilio del Guercio (bass & vocals) and Rodolfo García (drums). They had their first run between 1967 and 1970, producing two albums, Almendra and Almendra II (the second of them a double LP), and a few singles. They re-united in 1979 until 1981, releasing their first official live album (Almendra En Obras) and a third studio album with new songs (El Valle Interior). There was a third and final re-union in a concert spanning the entire musical career of Spinetta, in 2009 (Bandas Eternas, documented on DVD)


Listen to their first album: https://open.spotify.com/album/23jZzJ9u5M9p03nf84zuO1" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/album/23jZzJ9u5M9p03nf84zuO1


From left to right: Edelmiro Molinari, Rodolfo García, Emilio del Guercio & Luis Alberto Spinetta

              



Replies:
Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: October 09 2021 at 09:08
Albums (in chronological order):


Almendra




Almendra II





Almendra en Obras





El Valle Interior



Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: October 09 2021 at 16:11
Proto-prog and prog related are not handled like the regular prog genres for inclusion. PR and PP must be submitted through a genre team vote. That means on your end you would suggest thwm to a prog sub-genre. You can certainly mention in the comments you believe they might be more appropriate to PP or PR, but the artist must go through a genre team to get there.

Otherwise, thank you for following the artist suggestion format.

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https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">
https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: October 09 2021 at 16:40
Thanks, didn't know that. I'm changing my suggestion to Prog Folk, which was the other sub-genre that I considered.


Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: October 11 2021 at 06:18
aren't these guys related to Aquelare & Tantor? (the first one is in for sure, the second one should if it isn't)

-------------
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: October 11 2021 at 07:34
Yes sir, they are. Del Guercio and García formed Aquelarre right after the dissolution of Almendra. And in time, after the dissolution of Aquelarre, García and guitarist Héctor Starc join the bassist from Invisible ("Machi" Rufino) and formed the mostly instrumental fusion trio Tantor (releasing a highly recommended first self-titled album). Tantor remained inactive during the second run of Almendra, and regroup right after as a (weaker) quartet, with a vocalist and without Rufino, releasing then the sophomore Mágico Y Natural (not bad, but not even close to the quality of their first effort).


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 14:02
I just found this older thread with a great amount of additional information on the band:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58184&KW=Almendra" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58184&KW=Almendra


Posted By: Argentinfonico
Date Posted: January 13 2022 at 14:41
Almendra should really be here in PA, especially for their first and last album. Almendra (1969) is the first Argentinean progressive rock album Big smile

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-Will I see you tonight?
-I never make plans that far ahead.

Casablanca (1942)


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: January 15 2022 at 06:24
^ Thanks Mariano for support and appreciation!
Here we can listen to a live performance of Jaguar Herido (a song not included on any studio album), taken from Almendra En Obras:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkNvVD5O1B4" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkNvVD5O1B4


Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: February 15 2022 at 11:55
Originally posted by Heart of the Matter Heart of the Matter wrote:

I just found this older thread with a great amount of additional information on the band:
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58184&KW=Almendra" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58184&KW=Almendra


Indeed, that second album with the Arab head is folf rock, but the double s/t is much more psych rock.
Therefore, I would favour Almendra either in Psych or Proto-prog (because of the double album), rather than prog folk though that Arab Head does qualify them (a single album).



As for their later albums In Obras and El Valle Interior, from what I heard there is not much prog.




-------------
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: February 15 2022 at 16:48
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:


Indeed, that second album with the Arab head is folf rock, but the double s/t is much more psych rock.
Therefore, I would favour Almendra either in Psych or Proto-prog (because of the double album), rather than prog folk though that Arab Head does qualify them (a single album).

I completely agree with the Proto-Prog suggestion. That categorization should be preferred for two reasons:
1) To avoid missing the more than obvious psych aspect, which you just pointed out.
2) To make justice to the huge influence this music had on the growing of a prog movement in Argentina.
So, I think you're right proposing this categorization.


Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: February 21 2022 at 12:40
so...should we start with psych and then move to proto prog?  Psych is a full fledged prog category whereas proto is somewhere between prog related and prog as I see it, though it has more of a temporal component


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: February 21 2022 at 14:43
Originally posted by kenethlevine kenethlevine wrote:

so...should we start with psych and then move to proto prog?  Psych is a full fledged prog category whereas proto is somewhere between prog related and prog as I see it, though it has more of a temporal component

Hi Ken, I thought that the Proto category had room for a Psych element, among others, like Folk, that are also present, particularly in their 1st album (which is by far the most influential). That's why I first tagged Proto-Prog this topic. In that way, you don't miss the Psych nor the other elements.

Now, having said that, if you feel that Psych is dominant in their sound as a band, I think you should have a vote on that first. Your decision, anyway.


Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: February 21 2022 at 14:52
Originally posted by Heart of the Matter Heart of the Matter wrote:

Originally posted by kenethlevine kenethlevine wrote:

so...should we start with psych and then move to proto prog?  Psych is a full fledged prog category whereas proto is somewhere between prog related and prog as I see it, though it has more of a temporal component

Hi Ken, I thought that the Proto category had room for a Psych element, among others, like Folk, that are also present, particularly in their 1st album (which is by far the most influential). That's why I first tagged Proto-Prog this topic. In that way, you don't miss the Psych nor the other elements.

Now, having said that, if you feel that Psych is dominant in their sound as a band, I think you should have a vote on that first. Your decision, anyway.


Proto-prog is generally difficult to clinch, bevause it is the admins who decide. I think it might be easier to clinch entry thru Psychedelic/space team. Wink

After all, the important is that they're in PA.


-------------
let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: February 21 2022 at 15:17
^ Thanks Hugues and Ken! Renaming now to Psychedelic/Space.


Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: February 21 2022 at 15:50
ok I will notify the Psych team


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: February 23 2022 at 06:21
Their 2nd album (Almendra II) has been pointed out as the most psychedelic one.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/4MsNzFYnP4twrraRWNFjqJ" rel="nofollow - https://open.spotify.com/album/4MsNzFYnP4twrraRWNFjqJ


Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: March 23 2022 at 22:49
there doesn't appear to have been much interest from psych.  One person said proto, and the others were silent.  I'll see what Greg thinks


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: March 24 2022 at 07:01
^ OK, thank you Ken for keep me posted!


Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: March 24 2022 at 10:58
Originally posted by Heart of the Matter Heart of the Matter wrote:

^ OK, thank you Ken for keep me posted!

You're welcome!  Greg has some family issues at the moment so it may take a bit.  Sorry!


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: March 24 2022 at 17:13
A seriously researched documentary on Almendra and their multiple relations with other prog and rock bands (in English, made & posted by Blood Wake):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOB0y9RZQw&list=PLqyoYX2XbKbrcDpqbCiAU4ex4NkAq0XKc&index=1&ab_channel=SeansMusicHunt" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhOB0y9RZQw&list=PLqyoYX2XbKbrcDpqbCiAU4ex4NkAq0XKc&index=1&ab_channel=Sean%27sMusicHunt

Original post: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128698&PID=5993931&SID=3817260dz4ee54bc444dbb3d19ebb7076967593#5993931" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=128698&PID=5993931&SID=3817260dz4ee54bc444dbb3d19ebb7076967593#5993931


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: January 15 2023 at 05:48
Here they sound pretty psychedelic to me:





With a more heavy riffage, hard-hitting guitar solo, and jazzy flavor in the vocals:



Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: January 19 2024 at 10:28
Nobody linked A Estos Hombres Tristes yet?

IMO it's their most prog-like song and probably the only one that can be clearly labeled as proto-prog or even full fledged prog folk or crossover prog. B)

Innovative structure ✔
Harmonic complexity ✔
Time signature changes ✔
Dynamic tension building ✔
Flashy solos ✔
Virtuosic instrumental performance (especially the bass) ✔

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“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: January 19 2024 at 17:39
^ Thanks, that brought to my mind Hoy Todo El Hielo En La Ciudad, a micro-universe of prog delights within just 3'




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