NOSOTROS

Originally released on vinyl in 1979, a cd version of this recording is indeed very hard to find. After finally managing to get hold of a copy I wondered why I had bothered. This is a weak effort in comparison to some of the wonderful albums that were released by other Spanish bands in the late 1970's. Released on the Japanese Tachiko label and taken from the vinyl, the dreaded ''phut'' sound of scratches can be heard in the left channel midway through the last track! As to the music itself, the album consists of six songs and two instrumentals. Lead instruments are guitar and the usual array of analogue keyboards. However, the entire first half of the album consists of inferior tracks dominated by disco and funk grooves. Definitely not my cup of tea.

First up is Flash, an instrumental that begins with some synth noodling; this sounds decidedly like On The Run from Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. Unfortunately this is almost immediately discarded in favour of a tedious funk jam that lasts for over 5 minutes, though it seems more like 10 minutes. Not good. Ultimos Momentos also has a disco groove and some really cheesy synth. Vocals are ok, but the drummer sounds like a kid playing with a new toy as the hi-hat pedal is going all through this song. Track 3, Walking, is quite dreadful and sounds like a song by a second-rate New Wave band. Sobre Fuego starts with some nice Hammond, before heading quickly into disco terrain again. All these tracks are basic verse- chorus affairs and this album could be a candidate for a one star rating. Fortunately things pick up on the second half of the album, but only a little.

The Monster And The Butterfly has a decent melody, starts in laid-back mode and progresses through some different sections and tempo changes. However it is ruined by some truly awful English language vocals. On the other vocal tracks Narcis Baiges sings in Spanish and he sounds so much better when singing in the vernacular. Track 6, Impresion, is the best and most symphonic track on the album. The mood is bucolic with birdsong in the background, and the song features good vocals alongside synth and guitar interplay. Very nice, but even this track has some of those dreadful disco interludes and hi-hat hisses. Renacer De La Aurora resorts to the usual funk groove, but includes a nice slow-paced closing section. The second instrumental, HDG, closes the album. It's a short piece and consists of guitar and keys playing a fairly pleasant riff in unison.

Nosotros is a very disappointing album and I cannot recommend it, not even to fans of Spanish prog. In truth there are very few prog moments on the album and it only rates a maximum of 2 stars. If you are looking for some jazz-spirited Spanish symphonic prog then I suggest you try Escenes by Gotic.