ANABELAS

Talk about one shot wonders! Stemming from the land of gauchos, tangos and tin-pot caudillos, this highly rated Argentine opus is no fluke -fly by night -stab in the dark progressive release, veering rather towards a pulsating lava flow of various moods and tones, bubbling rhythms, devious saxophone and flute, gritty violins and splendid keyboard and guitar work. This is one of those rebellious oddities that take multiple listens, each time peeling off a new layer of discovery and amazement. The sexy artwork not withstanding, 'I could scarcely believe all the pleasures inside' (quote from David Cousins of the Strawbs on Out in the Cold), showcasing a whopping maelstrom of exuberant audacity with splashes of early King Crimson discord, hints of Magma-esque darkness, some Genesis romanticism intertwined with heady aromas of RPI and some blistering Mahavishnu storm clouds. Three long pieces of unmitigated adventurism, paved with unrelenting experimentation that still pleases the ear and warms the soul. "El Cortejo?" is a nearly 20 minute odyssey of sonorous cacophony, adorned with jazzy sax flirts, some vicious bass performances and monstrous drumming throughout. The electric guitar remains unusually slippery with some brief riffing as well, winking amorously at Frippian delights and abetted by some coarse violin slashes. The flute also arrives careening out of the blue, so each soloist can participate with equal glee. Certainly not for the faint of heart, the piece rolls on feverishly like some crazed out of control machine. The neo-classical violins provide momentary calm when you least expect it, keeping the listener enthralled, enthused and somewhat confused (poetic lyric, no?). There are some apparent yearnings for dissonance, adding a quasi-Soft Machine like aura to the mix, a mid-section that meanders into reed land, flutes and saxes deeply intertwined like two lovers in a cheek to cheek tango, an ominous vocal choir massed in the sonic audience takes a bow and a blaring whistle to further jar the senses. The celestial choir returns, a sultry sax in tow, all underpinned with some bottom end gusto, until the lead guitar swoops through the foliage and ripples effervescently, like some burning firecracker. Bassist Edgardo Folino weaves some trebly waveforms, encouraged by some rabid drumming courtesy of Senor Eduardo Corbella , all focused on providing the platform for the soloists to explore dimensions that were VERY new at the time. Just plain, WOW! The 11 minute "El Viaje de Anabelas" has a female chorus inviting a Mahavisnu-esque jazz-rock promenade, violin and flute working in unison to create enough density for the first lead vocals, that have an obviously close kinship with Italian Prog but here sung in Spanish. The sax blows with exalted passion, honking at the massed voices that further egg on the ensemble to deeply forage into style and class. The violin spotlights brilliantly the classical fervor that always seems to challenge the rock and jazz sensibilities, a daring attitude at the time. "Suenos de Maniqui" has a Fripp-like blister to open things up, a furious romp ensues that rages in all directions, the rhythm section keeping things ablaze, full of stop and go onslaughts that bedevil. There are some delirious moments as well, hyperactive lead instruments that halt on a dime, then urgently resume some manic direction, tossing in some impassioned lead vocals that surprise and please. The disc ends on some oblique manifestations that instill a sense of ominous doom, perhaps aware of their imminent disappearance and putting their disappointment into musical shapes.

Yes, as sinkadotentree correctly opined, this may be the best ever prog recording from Argentina. 4.5 Yogi bears