Search - La Maquina De Hacer Pajaros :: Peliculas

A fantastic follow-up to the debut and sadly enough, their l

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 09/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a recent convert to the Argentinian prog scene, I would have to say that my overall impressions of the scene are very favorable. This 1977 album is an excellent follow-up to the equally impressive debut and more or less follows a similar formula. The rough edges however, have been smoothed and the jazz rock influences (think Romantic Warrior-era Return to Forever) really take flight on a few tunes. Like the debut however, there are a few moments when funk styles are used although they are not as noticeable as on the debut. However, this album is so good that the funk is barely noticeable and all you can concentrate on is the incredible prog. Unfortunately, this was to be La Maquina's last album.



The lineup on Peliculas is similar to the debut and features keyboardist and band leader Charly Garcia (piano, mini-moog, ARP string ensemble, electric piano, acoustic guitar, and vocals); who is accompanied by Oscar Moro (drums); Jose Luis Fernandez (Fender jazz bass, fuzz bass, acoustic guitar and vocals); Gustavo Bazterrica (electric/acoustic guitars and vocals); and Carlos Cutaia (Hammond organ, synthesizers, and piano). The musicians are all very good and really pull out the stops in the virtuosity department - even moreso than the debut. As you can imagine, with two keyboardists synthesizers and Hammond organs are all over the place. In addition to the core musicians there are string instruments and a choir. Neither the strings nor the choir used too much and the rock ensemble is featured nearly exclusively. The vocals (in Spanish) are very good.



The tracks are mostly in the 2-6 minute range, and unlike the original there is no long prog epic. In general, this album features many of the elements that I consider the hallmarks of good prog: intricate ensemble work, good individual performances, great melodies, cool synthesizer sounds, dynamic contrast, and interesting arrangements. In terms of influences, although this is 95% prog, there is a tiny bit of progressive pop and a little more in the way of jazz rock. The last track is a simply blistering example of this and the guitarist shreds away just like Al DiMeola. Come to think of it, I recall hearing a bossa nova in there somewhere (Track 4 actually) - it's cool sounding in an Il Volo (Italian prog/jazz rock band) sort of way. But just like the debut however, the non-prog material quickly dissolves into some killer prog.



This album was released by Sony Music Entertainment (Argentina) and the CD is presented as a thin cardboard sleeve with a thin paper insert that features black and white pictures of the band along with an additional sheet that lists the personnel and reprints the lyrics. With respect to the sound quality it is pretty good, and the mix is much, much better than the debut and is less bass heavy. However, the volume of the remaster has been boosted so there is a little distortion and clipping at points. It is not too bad overall though.



In conclusion, I would consider this essential listening for hardcore prog fans (like me). I really did enjoy this album quite a lot - just as much as, if not more than the debut. As such, this album is very highly recommended along with the eponymous debut (1976) and other albums from the Argentinian prog scene including Crisalida (Espiritu, 1975)."