Saturday 25 June 2016

Spanish Franklin's unreleased magnum opus Life Circle from 1974 [no download]






Back on holidays now and therefore no downloads for the next two...



Quite recently someone made mention of how surprising it is that there is still classic progressive rock available to us we don't yet know.  Here's the perfect example of that--  at least for me.  But I doubt anyone knew of this one before it was rereleased in Spain in 2007.

Discogs:

Spanish prog-rock band founded in 1971 by Pablo Weeber and Antonio García de Diego (with Mariano Díaz on keyboards, M. A., Rojas on bass & Juan Cánovas on drums), backed by producers Maryní Callejo and Teddy Bautista. They released one single and after a year another one with different musicians (Pino Scaglianini on keys, Terry Barrios & Chema Espinosa on drums, Juan Toro on bass), and an LP that wouldn't be released until 2007. They split-up in 1976.


Consider the track called Renaissance, with its gorgeous tritones, of which I'm sure we could never get enough (btw the tritone is the odd-sounding sustained note at the end of the melody that gets repeated in different keys).  Not only is this melody developed by modulating it into different keys, going up fourths or thirds, and at one point even piling on the second interval melody up creating an additional unholy dissonance thereby, but in the middle passage notice how exuberant the soloing gets with the electric guitar on one and keys/synths on the other channel.  Really recalls the masters of electric Italian prog like Campo di marte or the great Alphataurus, doesn't it?





But stay till the end, where the mellotron strings take us right off the planet and into outer space...  where we belong, after this track.

Shocking this wasn't released at the time, in the early seventies!!

Consider next the utterly inappropriate dissonances of Caos - decomposing that build and build until you're gasping for relief like a beached whale:






And I think after hearing those two sample you will surely get this immediately if you don't already have it.

Note that the CD compilation includes what are surely inferior singles/cover versions before the magnum opus that constitutes the all-instrumental album called Life Circle, obviously a concept album about the universe or creation.

5 comments:

  1. Most excellent album which I also recommend highly!
    (was a very pleasant surprise when I bought it years ago)
    Julian's top-notch review absolutely nails it (as usual!)
    and I can't get over the feeling of a J.P. Massiera vibe ;)
    adding the metaphysical cherry on top of this deluxe dessert!
    Yes Summer vacation R-n-R time is here (even if it's only mental traveling - hey thinking is the best way to travel!)...
    PhishSummerTour's Afoot! & Summer Festivals share their love,
    like the Wind and Sea we are free!
    Energetic progress in the Good
    raises the Vibe finally exploring Higher Aspects!
    Have a Great vacation brother :)
    The Force is with Us!

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  2. Both sample tracks are incredibly intense, great stuff.

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  3. You've really taken this blog up another level in 2016.

    Managed to find a copy of this and it is fantastic. I heeded your warning and avoided the additional tracks at least until after I'd taken in the album itself, glad I did.

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  4. OK
    For me, this one is REALLY GREAT !
    We love symphonic rock enough simple but all simply great ! It's not necessary to understand CHOSTAKOVITCH or BOULEZ or all MILES DAVIS !
    Progressive music is just an evolution of pop music but not art or absolute scientific music ... and it's better so, isn'it ?
    Unbelievable they are not much known ??????!!!!!!

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