Wonderful, late-period prog album
BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 08/12/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since Spain's prog rock scene came a bit late, it's only natural that their best albums came out in the latter-half of the 1970s. The first two or three Triana albums, Ibio's Cuevas de Altamira, Gotic's Escenes, Canarios' Ciclos, and Mezquita's Recuerdos de mi Tierra are just a few examples of prog albums from Spain. Crack is another example, with their one and only album, Si Todo Hiciera, originally released in 1979 on the Chapa label. I was a bit hesitant buying this album mainly because of the year of release. Many prog rock bands in other countries had pretty much fallen by the wayside by that time, and in the UK, those that survived turned to pop (Genesis, being the best known example). Punk rock and disco had really taken its toll on prog, but apparently didn't so much in Spain, else the county wouldn't have produced so many gems in an era where prog bands elsewhere gave us Love Beach (ELP), Giant for a Day (Gentle Giant), A La Carte and Russian Roulette (both Triumvirat), I Can See Your House From Here (Camel) or Tormato (Yes). Anyway, Si Todo Hiciera is a truly recommended album for those who enjoy such Italian prog bands as Locanda Delle Fate or PFM. That means the music is on the gentler end of the symphonic spectrum, but I think the music has a little more punch than Locanda Delle Fate. The instruments are the usual prog gear, including flute, ARP synth (I believe, it sounds like one), and Mellotron. Vocals are in Spanish, both male and female. The male vocalist reminds me a little of Locanda Delle Fate's Leonardo Sasso. The use of piano tends to be classically oriented, and there's enough Mellotron to keep people happy (although it's not tron overboard like say, Edgar Froese's Epsilon in Malaysian Pale, Spring's one and only album, Gracious' This Is... or Epidaurus' Earthly Paradise). There are a couple times the band explores more pop-oriented territory (like what many Italian bands had done). For example, the first half of the title track. I got thrown off by the female vocalist, who got a bit on the squeely side (trying to do something Mariah Carey would do more than a decade later, which is enough to scare any proghead off). Luckily the piece isn't that bad, and it gets more progressive throughout the cut. Usually the female vocalist adds that wonderful touch to make the album even more stunning, and don't usually resort to what she did on the title track. Perfect example goes to "Amantes de la Irrealidad". The rest of the album for the most part, is top quality prog sure to keep fans of the genre happy. What's really hilarious about this album, is if you listen carefully to "Cobarde o Desertor" you'll hear someone whistle "Yankee Doodle"! Another favorite of mine is "Marchando una del Cid", especially the part that reminds me of Jethro Tull. As for the rest of the album, it's really difficult picking out the high points. What I forgot to mention is this album basically lacks any Spanish/flamenco influences like you might get with Triana, Ibio, Mezquita, Cai, etc. There might be a slight Spanish folk influence, but it might be hard to notice, and it's nowhere as obvious as say, Ibio. Si-Wan Records in Korea (who reissued many great and essential prog albums) reissued Si Todo Hiciera. Unfortunately the liner notes are in Korean, making it difficult for me to determine who played what in the band. Regardless, despite the late year release, this is truly another essential prog album to your collection."
