Agamenon ‎- Todos Rien De Mi 1975 (Spain, Psychedelic Rock)

The band was led by Carlos García, a musician and songwriter who, at the age of 14, formed a group with his sister Carmen and some friends, Dulce and Meli. Soon, they join Javier Moreno and Enrique Medina, guitarists and Carlos’ partners in the choir of the Cervantes Institute, where the three studied. They begin rehearsing a repertoire consisting primarily of songs composed by Carlos and arranged between Carlos and Javier and some acoustic versions of The Beatles and The Mamas & The Papas. They decide to baptize the group with the name of Agamenón.

Some time later, Meli and Enrique leave the group for different reasons, and the acoustic sound becomes electric. Since 1970, various drummers and keyboardists have been in and out (Fritz, Jose Ramon Ganchegui, Andrés Canteras, Ralph Schneider, Juan Jose Moreno [guitar and Javier’s brother], etc.) until the end of 1971 when they meet Arturo Terriza (drums). and, shortly thereafter, Vicente Andujar (keyboardist), who are definitive until the group’s dissolution in 1975.

Years earlier (May 1971) and after responding to a press announcement in which new musical talent is sought, they perform and return with a contract to record a single on Columbia Records’ Top Records label. To do this, the first step is to register the name. Going to do this, they find out that Agamenón had already been registered by a former producer/group manager, so they cannot use the name, being forced to change and choose, in principle, the name Tálamo. It is the producer who suggests that the name be shortened to Álamo. The group admits and under that name publishes the coveted album, a single with the songs “It was a dream/Nighty night” (Top Records, 1973), two songs composed by Carlos and Javier and lyrics adapted to Spanish according to producer requirements. After the promotion of the single, when Vicente Andujar joins the group, the group recovers the original name of Agamenón and no longer uses the name Álamo.

Agamenón, with the established line-up, continues to rehearse the repertoire, with new songs composed by Carlos García and arranged between Carlos and Javier, and performing live in various places in Madrid and in many places in Spain. They form a powerful sound that is based on powerful rhythmic foundations, with Javier’s clean guitar (sometimes distorted) and vocal harmonies influenced by The Beatles and the psychedelic pop character of West Coast hippie groups The Mamas & The Papas and Jefferson Airplane. Members also draw attention for their hippie image, as do their reference groups.

This style adopted by the band catches the eye of famous Belgian producer Alain Milhaud, who offers the opportunity to record a record for his label Explosion, which he has just founded.

The recording sessions begin in April 1974 with the already known formation. In one week, almost all of the rhythmic foundations are done, most of the voices and six of the ten songs are completed, leaving the rest in the absence of solo guitar recordings. At that moment, Javier is called and needs to leave the group because his destination is Ceuta city, so it is necessary for another guitarist to finish the pending work. This is César Fornés Berlanga, known to the group and a great guitar player, highlighting his powerful style and his mastery of fuzz and wah-wah pedals. With it, the recordings end and the LP “Todos ríen de mí” is born (Explosion, 1975), which confirms everything the group was able to offer.

The extension contains ten songs, eight of them in English and two (by imposition of Milhaud, the producer), in Spanish, despite the opinion against the group, which did not want to fit some Spanish lyrics into songs originally written in English. The result, however, is quite convincing and the album comes out, editing 5,000 copies. However, there is a lack of promotion (which should be the responsibility of the label) and the album has no impact or reception among the audience, which discourages the musicians, and the group breaks up a few months after the LP recording.

The album remained thirty years into oblivion, known only (and highly valued) by progressive rock collectors, though not quite a record of that style. In fact, it is one of the few Spanish albums featured in the Hans Pokora’s book «3001 record collector dreams» (section Spain — page 71), which reproduces the covers of the world’s most sought after albums for music collectors.