NOCHE ABIERTA

Flamenco prog rules! If you don't know it, I invite you to listen to some old-school Spanish bands such as Triana, Crack, Mezquita or Cai, they all have a distinctive sound that can please the strictest prog fan. I particularly enjoy that kind of music, love the vocals and the guitar style. Now I am reviewing Cai's second but most recognized album to date, entitled "Noche Abierta" and released in 1980. The eighties was not really the prog decade, however, this album is just an example that if you dig and search you'll always find great music, no matter the year.

This 36-minute album features seven compositions, starting with "Soñé Contigo", a symphonic song with great guitars and an exquisite piano sound, after a minute vocals appear and then you will understand why these Spanish bands have that unique sound, I really love that conjunction between symphonic music with flamenco (vocals and guitars).

"Despertar" is a nice song, a bit weaker than the first one in my opinion, however it is still enjoyable to listen to that soft piano sound accompanied by those Spanish vocals, also, there is a moment where electric guitar add a special flavor to the sound. Next track is better, "Alegrías de Cai" is an excellent composition that starts slow but it gradually progresses, the drums work is extraordinary here and the atmosphere created by keyboards and guitars also good. This is an instrumental, gentle and friendly track that can ease everyone's tension.

Now the title track, "Noche Abierta" offers a similar style to the previous song, fast keyboard- guitar-drums play making some good symphonic (in moments jazzy) sound, and actually, seconds later you will notice that Andalucía sound, and I say it before vocals appear, just listen carefully. When they appear, along with the flamenco guitar, the sound is more evident, of course.

"Extraña Seducción" is a pretty interesting and complex track. Since the first minutes we can appreciate that the band aimed to something big, so they created a piece with odd-time signatures, difficult to appreciate In the first listen, and of course, if we add that Spanish sound then we have to be patient if we want to truly enjoy it. One of their best symphonic pieces!

"La Fábula" creates some kind of spacey sound at first, later it slows down and sounds actually as a ballad but just for ten seconds, because later guitars appear and produces a rockier sound. However, it stops and returns as it began, just in order to change again later, to the second verse. This is a weaker song, in my opinion.

And the album finishes with the longest and best composition, "La Roca del Diablo" which starts slow with some atmospheric sounds, and after a minute it makes a sudden change and a new mood is being build up, the addition of new keyboard elements, drums and guitars leads the song to an intriguing direction. The song is pretty interesting, all the minutes have something to offer, its changes in time and tempo produce several things while listening to it. Worth listening to this track, believe me.

Well, I like this album and play it every now and then, I love its Spanish sound, but to be terribly honest, I am not really convinced by the music on this whole record, I mean, it is that feeling that don't leave you alone, despite I would like to give it a better rating, there is something that stops me and I just cannot do it. My final grade is three stars.

Enjoy it!