Search - La Union :: Mil Siluetas

Origen del rock

Jessenia Pineda | Salinas, California | 01/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"En primer lugar, yo siempre estuve enamorada de la cancion, lobo-hombre en paris. Esta cancion se encuentra en este disco. Al oir el disco completo, me quede sorprendida del estilo de musica que se ha usado sobre este origen del rock-en-espanol. La Union representa el tipo de formula que se usa para hacer un exito. Quizas ahora La Union no se encuentra, pero este disco seguira siendo un clasico."

A classic...despite some blatant recording flaws

Howard L Lambert | Lemoore, California United States | 06/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rafa Sánchez (lead singer) is the real deal. Our fathers where best friends when I was a kid growing up in Madrid (60's/70's) and I remember he could sing and dance like...Micheal Jackson (extremely talented). I think the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" was the turning point - he learned all the songs/choreography and performed them whenever anyone would watch. The fact that he looked like a young Marlon Brando was icing on the cake.



He sent me a cassette of Mil Siluetas in the mid 80's and I immediately loved the music (my Spanish had deteriorated to the point where I basically couldn't understand the lyrics) so much that I played it about a hundred times before buying the CD. I've, since, painstakingly translated it, giving it a second life. (Now, to translate those "Mortadelo y Filemón" comics.)



Even though I prefer the darker/rocking parts of this album, my favorite song is "Mujer Cosmopolita" (one of my favorites songs by anyone, for that matter). Vocally, Rafa really loosened up and just wailed - you can really hear his potential. Musically, it's haunting (in a beautiful reggea way, much like The Police) and has a great melody. They really knocked it out of the park on this one.



Despite some botched drums, I also really like "Todos Los Gatos Son Pardos" because of the guitar riff and the energy.



"Voracidad" may have been inspired by my older brother, R.I.P., who was a voracious reader with a superiority complex. Although friends, he and Rafa clashed frequently.



This album is very catchy - I frequently find myself singing the songs. Even though I think it's a classic, I have to take off one star because of the sloppy percussion on "Todos Los Gatos Son Pardos" and that ridiculous coughing at the end of "La Niebla" (perhaps they'll edit those flaws on a remastered version?).



I'm disappointed in the direction they took after this album. They immediately dropped the new wave/mysterious darker (a'la U2/Depeche Mode) themed rock for bluesy/jazz love ballad pop. I really can't blame Rafa, if he had anything to do with it, considering he's a passionate Madrileño.



It would have been great if they had followed up this hit album with the same theme...a couple would have been fantastic. In my opinion, LA UNIØN had sooo much more potential."

The Cure (1980)+ New Order (2005)= La Union (1984)

WalterDigsTunes | 11/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a word, essential.



The instrumentation is a perfect synthesis of The Cure's early 80s sound (A Forest, Primary, Other Voices) and New Order's sound on 2005's Waiting for the Siren's call album. Track 7, "Voracidad" is pretty much N.O.'s "Krafty" (21 years before that song came out!) and then turns into a caffeinated "Play For Today." It's genius!



The vocalist can best be described as the halfway point between John Lydon (from his PiL days) and Daniel Summers (from Hombres G). It's a weird spot, yeah, but it compliments the sound by giving it a nervy edge.



The individual songs can vary in catchyness, even though they're all cut from the same cloth. "Sildavia" is a fantastic opener that sets up a moodyness that's later bolstered by beats and synths. "Lobo Hombre en Paris" is reminiscent of Bauhaus' "She's in Parties," only faster and with a classy piano and a catchy chorus. The rest of the tracks all stand up quite well, but the aformentioned tracks are the highlights of the album.



Overall, if you like post-punk and don't mind Spanish-language lyrics, buy this album immediately. The vocals and sonic atomospherics are reminiscent of Bauhaus, Siouxie and The Cure, while the rhythms are totally New Order. This is an indispensable addition to anyone post-punk fan's collection."