(Sympho Prog) Cast - Castalia (Live) - 2000, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Страница в Прогархивах:
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=51

Официальный сайт:
http://www.castlives.com/

Ревью из Прогархивов:

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=325

As I have already mentioned in my ten previous Cast album reviews, I prefer the band while playing live or on compilation albums. Several of less interesting numbers are avoided and therefore, these works are most interesting. So, I was not really worried when I discovered this live album.
The "Introduction" is fully an ELP track. Loads of keys (but Vidales has used us to this). Cast's influences are spread within three bands : ELP, Genesis and PFM. The latter is definitely not far away in "Hiddem Poems". A great song with complex sounds, full of gorgeous keyboards, but the whole band is doing a great job.

Highly skilled (at times too much), this band can also play easy and beautiful music : some flute and light atmosphere automatically reminds me of the Trespass period. This is a very melodic track which belongs to the very best of Cast. This live version is just sublime and is one of the highlight.

Since Cast has an enourmous back catalogue (already nine studio albums before this live one), they will please the crowd with some "medleys" to give an overview of their work. Although I am not always keen on those exercises, I have to admit that Cast does a pretty good job even if the "Legacy" album does not belong to their best releases.

"Simple Things - Cosas simples" will be sung in Spanish and the second medley "Reality & Misantrophy" is both Spanish/ English which is fine as well as far as I am concerned (vámonos amigos, vamos a gozar). This long part (over seventeen minutes) is the other highlight of the album.

This live album is a pleasant (and for once short) effort. You'll get a bit of what Cast can deliver, but still their best live album remains IMO "A Live Experience" which featured some long epics from the band. Their early repertoire is completely forgotten here which at this time of their career sounds logical but would have deserved a song here and there. The last piece "Moving Universe" beautifully closes this good live album.

To be honest, I would rate this one with seven out of ten. My (step-family) roots will have me upgrade it with four stars (at least you know why). But do not be afraid : if ever you listen to this album you will not be disappointed.

Do not expect easy listening music and great guitar soli. You won't get here. Most of the music is rather intricated, difficult to reach yet played with great skills.

Review by ZowieZiggy

Ревью с Musea Records:

http://www.musearecords.com/ext_re_new_catselect.php?np=7276

As steady as a click, CAST carries on making albums, so regularly that you have the feeling the Mexican band has always been a part of the Progressive rock scene. It even could have been so, if only a lack of funds had not forced them to wait twenty years until they could release their works. At least, since the band's birth in the Seventies, it had time to polish up its music ! "A Live Experience" showed the arrival of these musicians from Mexicali to Musea, and this allows the delighted listener to listen to their best titles recorded between 1995 and 1998. Eighth studio opus by CAST (...Since 1994 !), "Imaginary Window" (1999) develops lyrical compositions perfectly structured. "Legacy" is from 2000 and is as good as the ones before, whereas the double-CD "Laguna De Volcanes" makes for the first time, covers of former tracks in Spanish ! "Castalia" is the witness of a concert given in Italy on that same year. Now with a dozen disks (Studio and live) in their pocket and as happy promoters of the BajaProg festival in Mexicali, Alfonso VIDALES and the guys could easily have some deserved rest. No way ! 2003's double-CD "Al-Bandaluz" shows that CAST is still far from reaching the end of its musical evolution. The staff is renewed, still based around its charismatic leader and the singer Francisco HERNANDEZ. From their early works influenced by Seventies Progressive rock (CAMEL, GENESIS, PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI...) and neo Progressive (MARILLION, IQ...), you can obviously find highly symphonic instrumental parts. The Latin side is still there, though it's not ostentatious. Actually the evolution is more generally based on a constantly rising ambition regarding songwriting. Here diversity rules. Watch out, this is an essential release for 2003 ! The concept-album "Nimbus" (2004) continues this will to embrace different musical styles, still pushing CAST closer to perfection... It seems so difficult to Alfonso VIDALES and his fellowmen to restrain their creativity today that they have started to collect double-studio albums ! The new opus "Mosaïque" (2006) doesn't change that rule as it presents sixteen new or older tracks, all of which were previously unreleased. This symphonic and adventurous music has gone beyond the mere neo Progressive rock for a long time now, as it integrated new instruments such as saxophone, cello or flute. The warmth of Spanish language contributes in giving, if necessary, a unique touch to this enchanting music. An essential album ! Like the legendary phoenix, CAST arises from its ashes, again and again. With the precision of a Mexican watch, Alfonso VIDALES and his crew awake with the spring coming. Believe it or not, that's also when the new edition of the BajaProg festival takes place. This time, the new album is called "Com.Union" (2007): it's simply excellent, imaginative and aventurous, and one may wonder when all this will come to an end... Later, later on, for sure ! And what's next ? The answer is... "Originallis" (2008) ! In a way similar to THE FLOWER KINGS, CAST loves multiplying the releases and alternating single and double-albums. This time, the twin-edition has been favoured. And the motto "Excellent symphonic Progressive rock album" has been kept. A quality trademark still shining south of the Rio Grande...

- Dino Brassea / vocals
- Francisco Hernandez Reyes / guitars
- Luis Alfonso Vidales / keyboards
- Antonio Bringas / drums and percussion
- Rodolfo Gonzalez Quiroz / bass