Don Caballero

[Yesspaz]

I mentioned this band way back before AM got this fancy board. I thought I'd bring them back up again. Most of the "prog" bands were listen to are promoted as such. However, as I am also into the indie scene, I've got my pulse on some other progressive bands that are ignored in the progressive market per se, yada yada yada, blah blah blah...

Everyone needs to check out Don Caballero. It's not a guy, it's a band. "Don" is a title, ala "King" Crimson or "Sgt." Pepper. They are an all instrumental band. Five albums, no vocals. They are incredible. I have their three of their albums, SINGLES BREAKING UP VOL. 1, AMERICAN DON, and FOR RESPECT. They have been compared to '80s King Crimson, minus vocals. Get yourselves some MP3s (ok to use for research, I say). Check out the piece "Ones All Over The Place."

Some tasty nuggets from reviews include "creating meticulously arranged, post-King Crimson-like songs that attack odd time signatures," -- "poly-everything instrumental workouts" -- "Don Caballero remains perhaps the only band that can appeal to Mötley Crüe fans and PhD candidates alike" -- "all-instrumental axis somewhere between Black Flag’s Damaged and King Crimson’s Red" -- and "Don Cab refined its ultra-complex sound in microscopic detail"

Interested? Here's some links to check out, the last of which are sound clips:

http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=155345327/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/itemid=629927/select=review/pubid=49/docid=117848

http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=155345327/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/itemid=499064/select=review/pubid=57/docid=13564

http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=155345327/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/album.html/itemid=499064/select=review/pubid=58/docid=21275

http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=155345327/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/popsearch.html/clickID=tn_srch_txt

[Yesspaz]

on that last link, type in "Don Caballero" and hit search. sorry.

[Yesspaz]

Has anyone checked out these links and sound clips? If so, let me know what you think.

[progdirjim]

I've listened to the links, and the program director is seriously considering buying some Don Caballero to add to the station. While I don't quite agree with the KC comparison, there is enough interest there. Which album would you recommend as the MOST prog of theirs? I'll probably start with that.
:)

[Yesspaz]

I'd go with AMERICAN DON. Good stuff.

[Rael]

I just went through a good number of them and liked most of what I heard. They are short clips so I may be wrong but I was reminded alittle of Ozone Quartet. Their first cd "For Respect" and the 1998 release "Whatever burns never returns" seemed more on the heavy side than "American Don", not that I have have a problem with that "heaviness barrier" :} Over all it's sounds worth further investigation so I'm gonna pick up a copy of American Don. Thanks Yesspaz:cool:

[Yesspaz]

Their first two albums, FOR RESPECT and DON CABALLERO 2 are definitely a little heavier than thier other albums. Also, in typical prog fashion, they can't keep a bass player. Hey have had a different bassist literally every album, although one was a returning member, ala Wakeman. So the sound changed slightly each album, but it was always Don Cab, the way Yes always sounds like Yes and KC always sounds like KC, no matter who is in.

The main reason I suggested to get started with AMERICAN DON over the others is not the heaviness, but the length. FOR RESPECT has 11 tracks, but is barely over 35 minutes, which tells you that 7 of the tracks are between 2 and 3 minutes, with the longest barely topping 6. AMERICAN DON, on the other hand, is much longer, almost 50 minutes, with only 9 tracks, including a 10 minute, a 9 minute, and a couple of 7 minute tracks. However, all the albums are very good.

[progdirjim]

Well, I've received "American Don" and will be ripping it shortly. Look for it on the station soon...

[Yesspaz]

schweeet...

[Yesspaz]

I heard "Ones All Over the Place" today. It was great.