Gualberto - Vericuetos

Bitrate: 320K/s
Year: 1976
Time: 30:30
Size: 70,1 MB
Label: DRO East West (2003)
Styles: Progressive Folk
Art: Full

Tracks Listing:
 1. Luz De Invierno - 4:07
 2. Continuando El Dialogo - 6:47
 3. Corre, Vuela, Que Te Pillo - 4:50
 4. Noche De Rota - 5:40
 5. La Manana Siguiente - 9:04

Musicians:
Gualberto - guitars, sitar;
Antonio Diaz - bass;
Marcos Mantero - keyboards;
Arthur Wolh - violin;
Tico Balanza - drums.

Gualberto is the name of the guitarist-sitarist that achieved success in the early 70's with hard-rock group Smash, whose first two albums serves as reference in the Hispanic world! During the recording of the latter (where Gualberto Garcia Perez played on sitar, guitar and fused Smash into weird psych rock), he started to work on a solo album that was not to see the day until the late 70's, but after he split away from Smash, he changed directions dramatically turning more towards Indian music and more adventuresome progressive rock. His group took on his name but from the writing credits on this album it seems a fairly democratic affair.
This totally instrumental second album (actually the third if you count the one recorded during Smash) is actually a very symphonic affair where the Indian influences are sometimes felt but well integrated as not to shock the mostly ultra-symphonic nature of the music. The opening track (winter Light in English) is a weird cross between western classical music, Arabic influences and sitar-laced themes that escapes further description, but it must be heard to be understood. Continuing Dialogue (English title) fuses romantic classical into rock rythms full of synths layers and can fit the term ultra symphonic, so much so that it is a bit awkward/corny to my ears. The third track rounding up side 1 is more energetic and can be considered as one of the highlights as the middle sections allows for good musical interplay.
Side 2 picks-up on the ultra-symphonic rock prog of the first side but clearly from the second track's first moments, the latter is the main attraction with a good droning violin and a slowly evolving moody crescendo.
Gualberto Garcia Perez came into the spotlight as a member of the legendary hard-rock group Smash, who made two albums released in 1970 and 1971. On the second one, Gualberto made few contributions as he was busy recording his first solo album. It remained unissued at the time, but was finally released in 1978 on a double album with various artists. This first attempt combined the powerful rock of Smash (who provided the backing) with weird psychedelia and quiet folk songs on 11 short tracks. Most significant was the occasional addition of sitar and violin, which was to become trade marks of Gualberto on later albums.
The first of these, A La Vida / Al Dolor (1975) was a combination of two different compositional cycles. To Life was a beautiful song cycle (with English lyrics) of electric folk-rock with baroque and psychedelic elements. This is very innovative with the use of Spanish and electric guitars, sitar, violin, bass and drums ending up in a strange instrumental flight on "Seagulls Song". To Pain explored in depth the possibilities of combining Spanish and Indian folk instruments with classical violin (also viola) and featured sudden bursts into heavy progressive (on "Prisioneros"). The album ends quietly with a dialogue for Spanish guitar and violin only.
Vericuetos (1976) was completely instrumental, focused on guitars, violin and sitar, but also adding keyboards (mostly a synthesizer overdub). Gualberto's music became very complex on "Continuando El Dialogo", recalling Univers Zero and Frank Zappa (in the latter's 'serious composer mode').
Gualberto's music was less rigid and more lively and eclectic, though. In 1976, few others had even thought of chamber rock. Both these albums are recom-mended - this is really exciting stuff! With a new version of Smash, Gualberto recorded a split album in 1978, shared with the flamenco artist Agujetas, with whom Gualberto would later collaborate. Otros Dias (1979) was dedicated to classical chamber music and his farthest venture from rock. He collaborated with other artists in the eighties and then made a come-back solo album in 1993.

Vericuetos