Search - Roberto Goyeneche :: De Barro

Starkly Emotional

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 01/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first time I listened to De Barro, I "listened" as it played in the background while working at the office. Consequently, I did not really "hear" what Goyeneche was doing and so did not much appreciate the power of what I heard. Then I brought it along on a trip to give it a second chance in my car stereo and listened closely. That made all the difference in the world.

De Barro is an intimate and starkly emotional recording. Most songs are stripped down with minimal instrumentation. Here is Goyeneche at his best. These songs were recorded in several venues over several years, and most have the distinct feel of having been performed in small clubs. Some were recorded live with latter-day collaborator Litto Nebbia, a man who delights in keeping the flames of aging tango legends burning and bringing their music to a new generation. Others seem to be Goyeneche himself with just a guitar and sometimes a bandoneon as accompaniment. Incidentally, some of the guitar work is tremendous.

Unfortunately, the liner notes are not much help as they are as simple as the music. But that seems to be characteristic of CDs on the Argentine "Discos Melopea" label.

What's good here? Well, my favorites are Pedacito de Cielo, Naranjo en Flor, Como Dos Extranos, Viejo Ciego, Malevaje. Contramarca, and Berretin. The best of these are the command performances of Naranjo en Flor and Viejo Ciego. That last one is a deeply emotional song in which one can almost feel the pain of Goyeneche's awareness of his impending mortality. And the ability to project such an emotion in song contributes to his immortality.

So if you are a fan of Roberto Goyeneche but hadn't hear some of his latter-day work, pick this up and listen closely. You will be glad you did."