Carmen - Fandangos In Space/Dancing On A Cold Wind

Spanish prog, plus Mary Hopkin on Round Two

While the concept might sound like something out of The Muppets, this collective, led by David Allen and wife Angela (on keyboards), won over fans such as David Bowie in the mid-70s. Fandangos In Space consists of Spanish claps, dance beats, vocalisms and acoustic guitar, melded with a mix of space, prog and AOR. Opener Bulerias suffers from risible lyrics, but Bullfight sees the castanets and English-language vocals shift into Hawkwind-like overdrive, before mellotronics on Sailor Song and others. Lonely House is one of several acoustic-led pieces that are redolent of Renaissance, while Tales Of Spain adds syncopated pulses and xylophones to the mix. The title track sounds like Gentle Giant on holiday in Polynesia. The 14-song follow-up, Dancing On A Cold Wind is bolstered by a couple of hissy, but worthy, efforts. The main course is a smorgasbord of chorale pieces. Drifting Along could have come from Apocalypse Now!, while The City sounds like The New Seekers, and People Dressed In Black is a strings-laden lament. It all rather merges into oneness by the end, but at the time that would’ve been nirvana, no doubt. 

Angel Air | CD 229

Reviewed by Tim Jones
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