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BLOPS

Blops

Prog Folk


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Blops Blops album cover
3.42 | 27 ratings | 3 reviews | 4% 5 stars

Good, but non-essential

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Studio Album, released in 1970

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Barroquita (4:22)
2. Los Momentos (2:52)
3. La Muerte del Rey (4:11)
4. Niebla (1:57)
5. Vértigo (8:37)
6. La Mañana y el Jardin (3:51)
7. Santiago Oscurece el pelo en el Agua (5:28)
8. Patita (3:47)
9. Atlántico (2:35)
10. Maquinaria (7:05)

2001 CD bonus track:
11. Valle de Los Espejos (4:14)

Total time 48:59

Line-up / Musicians

- Eduardo Gatti / guitar, accordion (hexatron)
- Julio Villalobos / guitar, accordion (hexatron)
- Juan Contreras / flute, organ
- Juan Pablo Orrego / bass
- Sergio Bezard / percussion

Releases information

LP Dicap DCP-4 (1970, Chile, mono)

CD BMG Chile S.A., RCA 74321 87875-2 (2001, Chile, different artwork)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to NotAProghead for the last updates
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BLOPS Blops ratings distribution


3.42
(27 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(4%)
4%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(41%)
41%
Good, but non-essential (37%)
37%
Collectors/fans only (19%)
19%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

BLOPS Blops reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by ClemofNazareth
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk Researcher
4 stars Los Blops’ first album is without a doubt the most engaging and interesting of their three official studio releases from the early seventies. Like so much acid folk of that era, these are compositions recorded in simply and earnestly by young university students (on only two-track recordings, I believe). Today many of these artists would be considered naïve and almost primitive, but of course for those of us who count ourselves fans that is precisely where their charms and appeal lie.

The opening “Barroquita” is also the first song the band composed together. Like most of the rest of the album this is an acoustic instrumental with a hauntingly familiar and sedate tone. The song highlights the exquisite blend of Western influences and native instrumentation that made the Blops and their Chilean countrymen El Congreso, Los Jaivas and Congregacion such powerful and regionally popular progressive folk voices at a difficult time in their homeland.

The instrumentals are the stars of this album; along with “Barroquita”, the songs “La Muerte del Rey”, “Patita” and “Atlantico” are solid, melodic and Latin-tinged folk delights that show a band of musicians who may still be developing their technical skills but are clearly in-synch as a single-minded collective. The intricate acoustic guitar fingering and simple piano set the tone for each, while the breathy flute and liberally-sprinkled percussion spice each up and give them contextual meaning.

Elsewhere the tracks with vocals such as “Los Momentos” and “Maquinaria” are decent enough, but their appeal is probably stronger with those of the same language families than to a broader prog folk audience. The band does manage to showcase the breadth of their musical influences on the ranging and moody “Santiago Oscurece El Pelo en El Agua” though, which undoubtedly included many British acid folk acts as well as psych masters of the day including Hendrix and the Doors (check out the ambitious electric guitar work on the second half of this tune as well as the spacey vocals and tempo of “Valle De Los Espejos”).

This is a band that never got the sort of recognition they deserved, unlike their more well-known and publicized Chilean counterparts like Los Jaivas and El Congreso. To bad, because this album, and to a slightly lesser extent their second one as well, have a definite place in the collections of any serious progressive folk fan. I’m torn between three and four stars so in the interest of this warm and uplifting spring day I’m going to err on the positive side and go with four stars. Well recommended to folks who appreciate South American modern folk, as well as acid folk fans of all stripes and persuasion.

peace

Latest members reviews

3 stars In my route across the Prog folk of my country i decided to stop a moment to analyze the work of an important Chilean band: LOS BLOPS, contemporary with their colleages; Los Jaivas and Congreso, but much less long- lived, "Los Blops" are a forgotten jewel, while Los Jaivas and Congreso are living ... (read more)

Report this review (#1424248) | Posted by Hannibal_20 | Sunday, June 7, 2015 | Review Permanlink

3 stars I had heard of the band several times, and finally decided to have a listen. I was disappointed, expecting a much better album. Don't get me wrong, it is good. However, it's neither a masterpiece nor a necessity. The three tracks that stood out to me on the album are "Barroquita", "La Muerte De ... (read more)

Report this review (#230774) | Posted by Concentration Moon | Sunday, August 9, 2009 | Review Permanlink

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