“We want to be in Seville, sitting in the park, Glorieta de los Lotos, smelling flowers. Yes, we want to be there, yes, we want it all. Oh, what a roll, what a roll, they won’t let us,” Smash sang in 1970. Six years on, Spain remained unsettled, yet with the dictator gone, the authorities started to loosen their grip. The younger generation seized the moment to explore new freedoms, and one of its most vocal figures came from Seville. Louis Clemente, inspired by that exact Smash song, released a project in 1976 called crossroads of water lilies, a radio show that traced the history of Spanish rock through Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville.
“The media favored the big cities, but Seville carried a distinctive character, not only for flamenco but also for a seedbed of underground music,” Clemente recalls, a flamenco specialist who believed the radio show deserved to become a book.
“I was gradually leaving journalism to listen to music for pleasure, not out of a sense of obligation to current events. Then I realized I mostly listened to 70s music, and after publishing five books on flamenco, I met Vicente Fabuel, a Valencian records collector. I called him, asked if there was anyone who did something similar, and he replied no. That sparked the start of a serious book project.”
Almost half a century after its inception, Spanish Progressive Rock finally saw the light as a book. It spans over three hundred pages with hundreds of photographs, compiling the most representative LPs and singles from the late 1960s to 1979. It opens with 1966, the year a new approach to making music emerged. Music of the 60s fed the 70s, laying down the principles for a future sound. The author emphasizes how this era marked a shift in music and culture that still resonates today, as Clemente explains how the landscape evolved into something broader and more exploratory.
“By 1969, bands began to shed the old musical template. Between 1969 and 1971, pure progressive developed, later expanding into symphonic rock, folk, and even punk. The project is not a straightforward discography; it captures non-commercial music with an infringing spirit,” Clemente notes, acknowledging that many classifications sit on a fine line. He highlights, for instance, the group Humble Souls, whose work is notable for its elegance amid a busy field, and the Sun Will Shine in Winter, which stands out for its distinctive character that warranted inclusion in the book.
While Clemente gave the study a broad sweep of the Spanish progressive scene, he remained firm about where it ends. “The book concludes in 1979. Even if that closes out some cherished recordings, like Tabletom’s debut or Silvio and Luzbel’s album, I didn’t want to start a chapter that carries everything into 1980. I kept a logbook, not a simple discography or a list of biographies,” he concludes.
Spanish Progressive Rock represents a lifetime project for its author, who has invested time, knowledge, effort, and money. Beyond writing and editing, Clemente funded the production and even managed sales. The only way to obtain it is to contact him directly by posting a message to the project’s coordinator.
“I’ve been self-publishing for twenty-five years. That’s how my other books came to light because I love writing, design, and the production side, even though it’s more laborious. For me, it remains the best route, but it doesn’t mean I’m not employed elsewhere. The natural home for Spanish Progressive Rock is bookstores because when readers pick up a book, they want to own it. The challenge lies in predicting distributor margins. My plan is to fund a first print run and then a second, larger edition with a distributor to reach stores. Translating it into English is also on the table, provided a second edition goes ahead.”
five jewels
Luis Clemente selected five standout recordings from the book for El Periódico de España, presenting rare gems whose originality cemented their place in the history of Spanish music.
Sisa’s ‘Orgy’ (1971).
“His first LP Armhole is a surreal delicacy, a collaboration-driven piece that blends misty electronics with the help of multiple guests, including trumpeter Rudy Ventura. Ramón de España notes that it contains an orgy of poetic-musical excesses sprung from a uniquely inventive mind. While some aimed to oppose Francoism with off-key guitar, others spent days refining their left-hand technique on the piano. Sisa crafted hallucinatory stories wrapped in beautiful, strange melodies with peculiar effects. Shortly after its release, Orgy saw Sisa step back from active music making, pursuing other paths and developing ideas that would shape his later work.”
“He then revisited the studio and forged new directions, culminating in a follow-up that would gain its own recognition.”
‘April 14’ from Goma (1975).
“Goma distilled the energy of a group rooted in an art gallery culture, featuring five world-class musicians. A lineup that included a Gong-like saxophonist, Smash on drums, and a guitarist known for adventurous textures created a bold, avant-garde sound. The promotional text promised a hopeful international arc, yet the album remained a milestone rather than a commercial hit. Critics describe its music as a patient, meditative experience that rewards careful listening, echoing the King Crimson influence while maintaining a distinct Mediterranean sensibility. Some components, such as Alberto Heart’s contributions, faced censorship, yet the album maintained its provocative edge.”
‘Brossa d’ahir’ (1977) by Pep Laguarda & Tapinería.
“An authentic Mediterranean sound with evocative acoustics and intergenerational energy, evidenced in lines like light-year blues in Milan. The Valencian lyrics tell stories of family, rebellion, and raw emotion, sung with a charisma that comes from a tight-knit ensemble that includes the Riba brothers and Pau Riba’s electric momentum. This atmosphere could have carried a sequel; two years later Laguarda released a second album that never fully surfaced.”
“The shoeshine boy who wants to be a bullfighter” by Cucharada (1979)
“An LP critiquing consumerism and imperialism, presented with a satirical flair. Trained in Madrid’s metro tunnels and involved in theatrical rock, Tablespoon’s trajectory intersects with Zappa and The Living Theatre. The CHueca Collective Laboratories recorded two tracks for a compilation, delivering a stark live show where stage theatrics met music. This unique project features the sole Spoonful album with Manolo Tena fronting as Lolilla Cardo, a moment that stands out in the era for its social commentary and bold, unpolished energy.”
NHU from NHU (1978)
“A record that barely sold three hundred copies at the time, yet became a coveted classic for its imaginative approach. It was the first progressive rock album sung in Galician and remains notable for its experimental edge. NHU, short for Una Hermosa Noche, found its home rehearsing in a deserted house on the way to a Santiago psychiatric hospital, a detail that adds to the album’s unusual charm.”
The project’s narrative continues with an unusual origin story and a stubborn optimism about the enduring appeal of a movement that once thrived on the margins, now celebrated as a crucial chapter in Spain’s musical evolution. The emphasis is on a genuine, ground-up history that highlights artists who pushed boundaries and refused to stay silent. In these pages, the past speaks clearly about a scene that refused to be defined by its limits, a testament to the creative fire that drove Spanish progressive rock forward.