Week of November 18, 2007

Tarantula

Personnel:
Vicente Guillot - Mellotron, String Synthesizer, Moog, Hammond Organ
Rafael Cabrera - Vocals
M.G. Peydró - Guitars
Emilio Santoja - Drums
José Pereira - Bass
Ana Maria González Pazos - Vocals
Enrique Alfonso Almiñana - Vocals
Manuel Grau Faerna - Guitars
Francisco Domingo - Bass
Juan Torres - Drums

Albums:
Tarantula 1 - 1977 Novola 1073; CD: Walhalla WH 90378, 2006; Si-Wan (SRMC 4002) 1993
Tarantula 2 - 1978 Novola; CD: Si-Wan (SRMC 4003) 1993

Tarantula's two albums were quite different, reflecting the great changes in the crew. They were essentially the group of keyboard player Vicente Guillot, who opted for a versatile and powerful sound usually fronted by mellotron and moog. On Tarantula's first album, he builds complex constructions competing with Gentle Giant and the serious and ambitious Italian progressive sound, with a powerful male vocalist to match it. Indeed this is an excellent album, balanced between these mighty mellotron melodramas and more plain heavy progressive rock with guitars. Elements from baroque music and Spanish folklore were thrown in for good measure.

On the second album the entire backing group had been replaced and Guillot's new formula was a lot heavier and more upbeat. Unfortunately some of their new tracks seemed like cartoon parodies of heavy rock with rampant guitars and Ana Maria's high-pitched, creaky vocals buzzin' in your ear, uttering five words per second. But between these absurdities were some more measured tracks. The first album was best, but depending on your taste in humour, you might find the second album quite hilarious.

Taken from Scented Gardens of the Mind - A guide to the Golden Era of Progressive Rock (1968-1980) in more than 20 European Countries, by Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, Borderline Productions, ISBN 1-899855-12-2


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