|
| |
|
|
|
Review Summary: This is the first truly prog rock album of Portugal. It's also one of the best mellotron prog rock albums ever. “Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas” is the third and last album of Quarteto 1111 and was released in 1974. The line up on the album is José Cid, António Moniz Pereira, Mike Sergeant and Vitor Mamede.
Quarteto 1111 is a very special and important Portuguese progressive rock band, and their second and last album “Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas”, or third if you also want to consider the album “Bruma Azul Do Desejado” recorded with Frei Hermano Da Câmara in 1973, is, in my humble opinion, a very special album and a truly landmark in the Portuguese progressive rock musical scene. I believe that it’s perhaps the best Portuguese progressive rock album of the 70’s, even superior to “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte”, the solo work of Cid.
As I wrote before, when I reviewed their debut album, Quarteto 1111 was formed in the late of the 60’s and included some of the earliest recorded output from Cid. Their music didn’t exactly pleased to the Portuguese dictatorships of the time of Salazar and Caetano, and so, a lot of their music was naturally banned by the regime. However, by 1974, the Caetano regime was over and in that year Quarteto 1111 released their final album, “Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas”. If you’re a fan of Cid’s “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte”, you’re going to need this album. It’s basically the starting point of Cid’s exploration of the progressive rock music. Certainly it doesn’t have the spacey cosmic overtones of “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte”. This isn’t properly a science fiction conceptual album, as the other album is. Anyway, “Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas” is also a conceptual album where the poetic, the musical and the instrumental ideas are totally from Cid. I also think that lyrically this is essentially an album of poetry, and musically, it’s a symphonic progressive album, essentially an acoustic album.
“Onde, Quando, Como, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas” is a very different album of their previous eponymous debut, especially in terms of musicality. It tends to more emphasize on symphonic progressive ballads, but not unlike the Moody Blues, with tons of mellotron. And it's the mellotron very much noteworthy on the album. Cid absolutely plasters the entire album with it, more so than on “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte”, tons of mellotron strings and flute. But the mellotron choir so dominate on “10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte” it’s not present here. The album is basically one cut that takes up both sides and it goes through several changes, from romantic balladry, to more acoustic passages, and some more rocking passages. The album consists of two short side-long tracks, with side one fading out and the flip fading in at the same point. It would be nice that in the future, on an official CD release, the two sides could be correctly joined. It’s precisely the same thing that happened with “Thick As A Brick” of Jethro Tull.
“Onde Quando Como Porquê Cantamos Pessoa Vivas” offers a pretty typical southern symphonic progressive music as it was at the same time also produced in Italy and Spain. The album often was compared to Pulsar and other French progressive rock bands of the time, except the vocals which are in Portuguese. Another band that they can be compared with, is the German band Eloy, with their similar spacey synthesizers. But the main characteristic of the album is the massive use of the mellotron. Here begins the comparisons with the first phase of King Crimson. Cid goes completely overboard here, with swathes of strings underlain by cellos with considerable quantities of flutes, too. There’s a nice moment about a minute into side two, where he suddenly switches from strings to flutes which isn’t really a bad moment on the album. The only other keys on the album are an unidentified mono synthesizer which gets used a bit, a smattering of piano on side two, and even less string synthesizers at one point. So, I think it's safe to say, this is a “mellotron album” in every sense of the word. You really like and want a mellotron? So, you’ve got it.
Conclusion: I agree with Cid when he says that this is an album that represents a rupture and it’s also at the same time a leap forward in the work of Quarteto 1111. It represents really a huge step in relation to their eponymous debut studio album. This is a typical symphonic progressive rock album of the 70’s. It’s a very short album, with only 29 minutes, which is a pity, a really concise album, but it’s an exemplary album in terms of consistency. There isn’t a single minute wasted here. It has no pointless intros, unnecessary spoken words or spooky sound effects that you’ve already heard some times in many other albums. Here we have only the music itself. This album is all about music. All in all, this is a genuine gem of the European progressive rock of the 70’s that somehow managed to slip below the radar of many people during so many years. Definitely, I sincerely think that it deserves our best attention. This album is an utter classic, a mellotron classic album. It’s especially indicated for “tronmaniacs” like me. I really hope you enjoy it, like me.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
|
Album Rating: 5.0
What is promised is owed. So, here it is my second review of a trilogy of the José Cid albums. This is really the first truly Portuguese prog rock album of ever.
Again, your comments are always very welcome.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I guess it is finally time to check this haha
nice review dude!
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Thanks, dude. I'm very glad, indeed. Then, you can tell me your opinion about it if you want.
Cheers.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Great to see some portuguese stuff getting reviewed; about the review, it's great once again, but kinda sad that the lyrical part didn't get much attention as it should (what would be of us without 25 de Abril?), and José Jorge Letria, who wrote the poem 'Cantamos Pessoas Vivas', needs credit on this one.
Anyway, bom trabalho, amigo!
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Yeah, I can agree with you. I gave less attention to the lyrics, this time. Perhaps because they're in Portuguese and as you know almost all the people here don't know Portuguese. Anyway, I agree with you. What would be of us without 25 de Abril?, and of course without the quality of our great poets, the oldest and the newest, especially in this case with the poem of José Jorge Letria, "Cantamos Pessoas Vivas".
Mais uma vez, obrigado amigo.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I need to check this one too. I think this will be much easier to check.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Do that, man. This is really much easier to check, indeed. You can listen to the album complete on You Tube.
By the way, Ziguvan made an excellent comment about my review, saying that I gave less importance to the lyrics that they should have. I agreed with him.
So, as a complement to my review, I need to say that the lyrics were based on an original text by José Jorge Letria, "Cantamos Pessoas Vivas", which has everything to do with the end of the dictatorship and the beginning of the democratic system in Portugal. Letria is a contemporaneous poet, composer, musician and singer. With this explanation it will be perhaps easier to can understand better the context of the album, despite the lyrics being in Portuguese.
Go to check it, dude. It really deserves.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks man for your explanation. Certainly it's better to know something about the lyrics to catch the album in its entirety.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Damn this is probably the shortest studio album in the history of prog rock. I find it quite enjoyable. A pure bliss for mellotron fans like me, but if anything, I find it not enough developed. The musical themes last for too long and they take too many rooms. More variety would have been better I think, but after all, the 30 minutes are more like an unique and complete song. I can see it growing on me, that's why I give to it a solid 4 till now.
You pretty much nailed the similar bands named in your review. I personally would add Le Orme. I even found a similarity with song Grendel by Marillion somewhere. Same beat, same speed, same all. So samey that I hear the vocals of Fish in my head when listening to the passage. Try it at 11:08 of Quarteto 1111 (and subsequent sections) versus Grendel at 3:33. Of course, Marillion came in 10 years after. Anyway, maybe it's purely coincidential.
If you wanna try, here's the link of Grendel;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFzR7hKO64w
Excellent review, buddy. Pos'd.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Damn. It rules hard indeed but I think I still prefer 10000 Anos by a small margin
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
ONDE
QUANDO
COMO
PORQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
| | |
been on my 'to check' list for years..
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
@ Jethro
Yeah, unfortunately the album is very short, but very enjoyable and a pure bliss for mellotron fans like us.
About the develop of the album I really never felt it. I always thought that this is a perfect album. We mustn't forget that this is a conceptual album. So, this is really a unique and complete song. However, this is probably because I'm Portuguese. If you see the ratings of the album made by the Portuguese members, here on Sputnik, you can see that almost ot us give to the album 4.5 or 5. This is because we are all Portuguse and a punch of nationalist guys, I really don't believe on it.
The mainly motif is about the lyrics and the meaning of them in us. The poem of José Jorge Letria "Cantamos Pessoas Vivas" had a very deep impact in many of us. This deep impact is common of all of us who lived in that opressive political regime. Because the lyrics are in Portuguese and mainly because we lived in those times. As I wrote on my review, this is essentially a poetical album. You must be Portuguese to can understand the real meaning and the real depth of the album for all of us. The poem talks about freedom and life. "Cantamos Pesoas Vivas" means that we are talking about living persons and not about dead persons. Only the the revolution of 1974 could bring to us the ressurection of the people. Before we were almost dead. We were a kind of walking dead. So, this is a very special album for us. Perhaps it's impossible to ordinary mortals to can understand the really meaning and impact of the album between us. Probably you must be a Portuguese guy and lived in those times to really catch the really meaning of it.
So, if you was a Portuguese guy perhaps you must give to it 4.5, at minimum. Anyway, 4 is a good rating.
About the similarities about Le Orme and Marillion, I must confess that I never thought about it. About "Grendel", thanks for the link but I know very well that piece of music. Marillion is one of my favourite neo-prog bands and "Grendel" is one of my favourite tracks of them in Fish era. I even intend to review all, of their albums soon as I can, the albums of the Fish era, of course. Marillion is my favourite neo-prog band. About the similitudes they must be a coincidence. Unfortunatelly, I really don't believe that Marillion ever listened to any album of Quarteto 1111.
About the quality of my review, I'm glad you liked it. I'm really honoured with your comments.
Thanks and cheers, buddy.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
@ SirLord
Yeah, it rules hard indeed. As you can see, we in Portugal can make some very interesting music, sometimes.
About your preference, I can understand it. Probably "10.000 Anos Depois Entre Vénus E Marte" is a more professional working. I really think Cid has the same opinion as you. However, if you have patience to read all I wrote to Jethro, you can understand my point of view, why I prefer the album of Quarteto 1111. Probably because you also lived in a dictatorial political regime, even worst than ours, the Pinochet's regime, you can understand better what I intend to say.
Thanks buddy." Onde, Quando, Porquê, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas" is absolutely necessary. We really must talk about living people and not about dead people.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
@ TheCrocodile
"been on my 'to check' list for years."
It's now time to do it man.
Cheers.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Oh I can, I mean, when I was born we were already back into democracy thank god but the consequences of the regime were terrible so I get what you say. The second half of Parte 1 is probably better than anything in 10000 anos and from what I understand about the lyrics, it certainly seems better in that section. I really see this as a grower over time.
Remember to check Los Jaivas dude haha, some harsh anti-dictatorial lyrics in there too, some by Neruda haha
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Ok, man. I really need to do that. Seriously. I know that Los Jaivas is perhaps the best prog band of Latin America. However, I really didn't nothing about their lyrics. This is a very important point to check them very soon, I hope. The problem is that I spend most of my free time writting and preparing my reviews. So, I have very little time to do that. But I promise you that when I have some time free I will check them, Sigur Ros and Godspeed.
Thanks, dude and cheers.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I'm aware that the album came just after a lenghty hard time for your country, and so it represents kind of a revolution against the opression you've been through. It surely increases the impact that this album conveys. I have no doubts that the lyrics are important to consider. But being not a Portuguese speaker, my only reference is the music and the quality of the vocals. Both are appealing to me. The vocals are reminiscent of Le Orme's, and the music is a blend of Pulsar, Le Orme and Locanda Delle Fate to my ears, and it's a good thing. It seems that Portuguese and Italian have a lot in common musically.
Onde, Quando, Como, Porque, Cantamos Pessoas Vivas took a long time before making its way in me. I think it's because there are not many hooks into it. That's why I talked about the lack of variety at places. But now that I listened to the album several times, I can capture the essence still more. Part 1 rules, and I wish that part 2 would be just as stimulating. I guess I miss the lyrics there, but I feel that part 2 drags on too much, and that probably explains why it took to me so much time to ''get'' the whole thing. Now I can live with part 2, now that you put me in the context.
Edit; Relistening to Part 2 at the moment, there are intense moments as well, especially when they sound like Pulsar. I guess the album is all right as it is, and I think I could eventually bump it up to a 4.5
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Part 1 grew hard on me, it is really perfect
Part 2 isn't that strong for me, but that might change with time
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Thanks guys. I can feel that you could pick up the real feeling of the album, musically. I mean. About the lyrics it will be very hard because you don't have knowledge about my mother tongue and you didn't live those times in this place. Anyway, I think you managed to get the essential of it.
Cheers.
| | | |
|
| |
