Almendra for Psychedelic Rock

BIO

Almendra was a rock band founded in 1967 at the city of Buenos Aires (Argentina) by schoolmates Luis Alberto Spinetta (guitar & lead vocals) and Emilio del Guercio (bass & vocals), joining thereafter Edelmiro Molinari (lead guitar & vocals), and Rodolfo García (drums). They had their first run between 1967 and 1970, releasing two albums, Almendra and Almendra II (the second of them a double LP), and a few singles. They created a strong influence in their time, as pioneers for rock songwriting in Spanish, as well as experimentalists recognizing no barriers for re-invention of the then existing musical forms. Each member continued expanding that influence after their initial break-up:

Luis Alberto Spinetta founded the bands Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade and Spinetta Y Los Socios Del Desierto, having also enough time for his own solo career.

Emilio Del Guercio founded Aquelarre with Rodolfo García, and have also a solo career. García went to create the fusion band Tantor after that.

Edelmiro Molinari founded the psychedelic trio Color Humano and the one-album-only Edelmiro Y La Galletita, another trio.

The original line-up of Almendra re-united for a second run, from 1979 to 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


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

              

Edited by Heart of the Matter - 7 hours 28 minutes ago at 16:26

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.

aren't these guys related to Aquelare & Tantor? (the first one is in for sure, the second one should if it isn't)

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

^ 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:



Edited by Heart of the Matter - 17 hours 41 minutes ago at 06:13

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.

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.

^ Thanks Hugues and Ken! Renaming now to Psychedelic/Space.

Their 2nd album (Almendra II) has been pointed out as the most psychedelic one.

Listen: https://open.spotify.com/album/4MsNzFYnP4twrraRWNFjqJ

^ OK, thank you Ken for keep me posted!