Fonomusic
Daniel Vega : La Noche que precede a la batalla (SP,1976)****'
Now and then in the ‘70s, in Spain were made great epos-like musical-concepts (Luis Llach did some great albums). Also Daniel Vega’s album is such an album, with a bit of impressive spoken word on the introduction, jazzy rock improvisations with electric piano, with a fundament often laid by acoustic guitar, with a few parts of impressive acoustic guitar layers on top of each other, flute, with some wah-wah and amplified guitar, saxes, and very emotionally sung songs by Daniel Vega. The style is progressive song driven music with rhythmically and emotionally driven musical evolutions, in a very progressive way. A masterpiece.
According to a Spanish review I read, the first track refers to the battle of Covadonga in 722, the starting point for the Reconquista, where the soldier prepares himself for his destiny. Then the theme thoroughly changes to relate to the hard life of the miners (who had their revolt in 1934).
The album was originally released on the legendary label Movieplay-Gong and is now re-released on LP and CD.
Participating musicians : Daniel Vega (leading the project), Luis Mendo, Miguel Sanz “Judas”, Manuel Aguilar, Pedro Perez, Rafael Perez and Juan Carlos Medrano. The cover by Máximo Moreno is the same artists that designed the first two albums from (the first popular flamencorock band in Spain) Triana.
