PASTORAL

After the quiet disbanding of Merlin, Alejandro De Michele was back together with old mate and musical partner Miguel Angel Erausquin, both ready for a second run of their duo, Pastoral. This had been a key outfit in the foundation of an acoustic folk-rock scene in Argentina since early Seventies, obtaining in the process an unconditionally loyal hardcore fanbase. For that reason, the reunion immediately raised high commercial expectations. But the artists had altogether different plans for their new creation: not their inicial fresh folk-rock, nor the dreamy psych-folk of the sophomore En El Hospicio, not even the exquisite prog-folk evolution that came later, from Humanos till De Michele - Erausquin. Pastoral retained the lessons learned with Merlin in the recording studio, and went for a clear modern sound this time, with a new space for synths, and a songwriting (always the basic element in their music) taking advantage of those new resources.

But fate had other plans: Alejandro was killed in a car accident, and the album finally remained as a sad memory in people's minds. But it doesn't really sound or feel that way. Generación rather presents a strong collection of songs, with terrific vocals, unique melodies, and marvellous musicianship with plenty of uncredited instrumental contributions from a full-fledged band: Gustavo Donés (bass), Daniel Colombres (drums), Fernando Múscolo (keyboards), and Mario Herrerías (piano). Just listen to the very start, with uplifting classically arpeggiated piano and delicious vocal melody in two-part harmony, and I bet you'll agree.

Of course, there's more: the fantastic vocal lines soaring on the wing of synths and bass in the (almost) title track Generando, the angular acoustic melody of Circular, so greatly asymmetric that flows fittingly with lyrics imagining a girl that turns to be Liberty herself. Equally asimmetrical is Cuidarán, with subtle staccato vocals, and down-to earth lyrics oriented to social irony. Sexto "C" is the radio-friendly spot, that won considerable airplay back then, with charming melody, flawless vocals, heartbroken witty lyrics, and irresistible hooks in the chorus.

A couple of lesser tracks, and a few dated sounds (some drums & synth naiveties) stop the rating at four. Yet, with some CD editions, we get a nice bonus track, Mensaje Mágico (a truly classic Single A-side not included in the original albums), throwing back to their early folkie days.

Fifth studio album by the Argentinean vocal duo Pastoral, joined by a considerable and interesting instrumental host.

In the opener, "Aquí­ Luis", we find a unique and gorgeous melody, wrapped in a sparse acoustic setting and pristine vocal harmonies. The ethnic touch comes from Jorge Cumbo in sikus (a woodwind from the Andean high plateau).

"Mujer Silencio": Soaring vocals by Alejandro De Michelle taking off from an idyosincratic rythmic base by Francisco Ojstersek (bass), Daniel Colombres (drums), and Lito Epumer (guitar). Good guitar & ethereal keyboards break, too.

"Capitán Sueños": Nice folk tune featuring lead vocals by Miguel Angel Erausquin, with fine contributions by Manolo Yañes (mellotron) and Osky Amante (percussion) creating the necessary ambiance for a sailors story.

"Pregunta Infantil": Sharp and impressive performances by De Michelle and Epumer in a protest against child exploitation. Excellent jazzy harmony and flourishes complement the amazing vocals

"Hacer": Social commentary based on the most particular free association style lyrics.

"Lucifer Asomó": The most varied track of the album, creating great contrast in dynamics, rythmic signature and instrumentation. The vocals are subtly understated and the electric guitar solos are just great.

Delicious track by track, perfect as a whole

I can hardly believe that there are no reviews of this lasting gem of acoustic progressive folk-rock, so here I am attempting the first (and hoping not to be the last) one.

The main attraction here, as in all Pastoral recordings, is the clear, high-pitched and infinitely ductile voice of Alejandro De Michelle. To him joins Miguel Angel Erausquin as well, the other half of the duo, providing a sensible touch in the harmonies and a nice balance to the vocal equation with his spirited and delicate baritone range, who comes to shine on his own in some few solo parts, and in Mi Soledad Sola (My Lonely Loneliness), accompanied by exquisite classical fingerpicking.

To make the story brief, listen to the exquisite vocal blend in track 3 Tía negra, the soaring melody accumulating momentum and reaching its climax in the chorus renders a perfect depiction of the anxious waiting for the train arrival and the final family reunion. But if you were looking for the song with the most surreal and chilling lyrics, then you better go straight for Hoy, Recién Hoy (Today, Just Today).

''En el hospicio'' ended up to a be a pretty succesful album commercially speaking, but what set Pastoral apart from the other rock groups in the country was the addition of deeply thoughtful lyrics, dealing with death, madness or self-destruction.The pessimistic approach of the band continues with ''Humanos'', the 76' album released on Cabal, another effort of a humanistic lyrical content around death and existence.De Michele and Erausquin were surrounded by the top of the tops in this album, Charly García plays keyboards, Crucis' Pino Marrone is on guitar, Hugo Villareal plays the bass, Osvaldo López of Luis Alberto Spinetta fame and Oscar Moro are the drummers, a member of La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros and Serú Girán, composer Gustavo Beytelmann comes on piano and orchestrations and Guillermo Conte plays also drums in one track.''Humanos'' was recorded at Studio Audion in September 1976.

While the atmosphere sounds more or less the same as in the second album, the music has some big differences compared to the rural soundscapes of the previous years.The duo of De Michele and Erausquin had sunk into a world of refined, lush orchestral textures, highlighted by a dominant string section, to be combined with the acoustic guitars and the smooth rhythm section.The result reminds me of the works of Italian singers/songwriters like LUCIO BATTISTI, struggling to find some space for instrumental parts, trying to come up with moments of a proggy attitude, but eventually fading into the labyrinth of elaborate arrangements and artistic melodies.Despite the presence of the elite of Argentinian prog stars, the music is rather easy-going and once more the lyrical parts and the beautiful vocals of De Michele and Erausquin are the driving forces of yet another Pastoral album.The tracks contain some light flute parts, the display of piano lines and the cinematic power of an orchestral background, making this one a decent flirt with the Italian Prog Pop scene.The acoustic themes are pretty dominant with some mellow electric guitars in a supporting role, but the album has somewhat moved away from the folky ovetones of the debut for the sake of a more melodic Psych/orchestral sound.The arrangements and vocal harmonies remain pretty good and the tracks are memorable, but the true progressive value of the album is a matter of discussion.

Some sort of vocal-based Orchestral Psych Pop is what I hear in ''Humanos''.Great music for fans of compact songwriting, definitely recommended, just don't expect a deep progressive content as this one supposed to contain.

Among the most famous Folk bands in Argentina, the Patoral duo was found in Buenos Aires in 1972 by Alejandro De Michele and Miguel Angel Erausquin, making their first live appearance during the autumn of 73'.The same year their acoustic self-titled debut was released on Cabal, but without any kind of promotion it went unnoticed.For their second album though they were helped by Litto Nebbia and his supporting group, while Nebbia helped Pastoral also with the production of the album.''En el hospicio'' was released in 1975, again on Cabal.

Pastoral's music is based on delicate and deeply lyrical acoustic songs with an intense Latin atmosphere due to the constant presence of vocals.Nothing to do with complex arrangements or multiple instrumental ideas.This is a pure Acoustic Rock/Folk work, mainly headed for those capable of understanding the Spanish language, with little variations or changing moods.The music remains soft all the way, the atmosphere is overall melancholic and rather depressive, but both voices of De Michele and Erausquin are beautiful and warm with a sensitive touch, somewhat overcoming the music parts of the album.Some tracks present a richer sound, featuring short and smooth electric solos, light organs and pianos and the presence of Nebbia's rhythm section and the sound obviously comes a bit closer to Folk Rock.But even these are played under a very gentle and elegant atmosphere, although there are some space for instrumental parts.

Hard to judge this one.''En el hospicio'' is far from the fundamentals even for Prog Folk fans, but its unique atmosphere and fantastic lyrical content are hard to met.Recommended, especially if you like emotional acoustic soundscapes.

Another Progressive folk work from Argentina. Very balanced but a litle more folk influecies that other work Humanos. Some classic guitar sound in most of parts of this album made a diferent context of other's but to me, not a bad work but a good work in folk context. A female voice made the most important folk atmosphere that most of people, that don't like folk progressive, don't like this album, but the work of the musicians made a not comercial album. Some people that listen this album don't like and think that it's a boring album, but try listen this work in a dark room with a not very high sound and I think that you give some good sensations. I don't realy apreciate Progressive Folk but i now recognize a good music work of other music contexts. In Argentina context this is a important album in progressive collection and I have a M2U digipack with a great sound. I give 4 stars.

A nice prog folk album for this group from Argentina. Very calm with some acoustic guitar parts with nice folk vein. Nice lirics with a female voice very balanced and very good. I listen the M2U label album with a great record sound. This is a 70 decade group with all conditions of this time but it's a work with very good musicians because the performances are very nice. It's my first Pastoral work that I listen and I realy don't apreciate progressive folk but some folk bands made some nice works that I realy like listen in some calm contexts specialy when I study or work. If you like a calm act with some nice acoustic guitar and a calm voice this is a good album. Is not a masterpiece but it's a good work made in Argentina in 70 décade.

Is some difficult to explain what Pastoral really is for those who grew up, as i did, in the Argentina of middle seventies and first eighties. Those where terrible years for my country, years of violence and political chaos. Pastoral was a duet formed by Alejandro De Michele and Miguel Angel Erausquin. The first of both was the songwriter of the most songs and it would be and act of justice to name it as one of the best lyrics writers born in South America. His words are bleeding, aching, depressive.. some times near of poets like Rimbaud or Baudelaire. His words talk about death, madness, loneliness... or the mother womb. En el Hospicio is one of the best argentine songs of all times and tells about the story of a friend of Alejandro De Michele, who fell in madness and he was driven to a mental health hospital ´til finally he suicided falling down from a window. I hope to translate to english in the best way i can but is something like "i want to catch the sun into a desert wall... i feel such a free man that even i am being drowned by the idea... It makes me ill... the reality to know the dog is just a dog and nothing else... I want to unhook the sun... to run through the corridors.... to breathe my own loneliness and to look for the reality of knowing the dog is not a dog and nothing else... Real cage... mud cloister.. shadows... shadows... Why don´t they let me thinking of all that human people? And then, just to play, they tie me up against my bed... It makes me ill.. the realito to know the dog is just a dog and nothing else". That is the idea... Desperation, disolation, frustration... Terrible and poetic. If we attempt to the lyrics of ·Hurgando la Genialidad" (and asking for your understanding about my effort to translate it in the most correct way) De Michele writes "I feel tired of hearing you justifying silly phrases spoken by worn-out kings of the old chess game... I am tired of labeling the beautiful, prostituting each hour of nature light... Fool genius.. You are dying coz you are mortal..." Well, these examples could give you and idea about the topics and the language in the lyrics. Musically Pastoral is basically an acoustic duet with some influences of folk of latest sixties and early seventies, but with a personal style also... I think is perfectly and act of justice to include them in a site dedicated to prog rock coz they were all time into a prog attitude and they were always searchers of new ways of expression, even when the prog direction is easier to find in the following albums, specially the third (Humanos) and fourth (Atrapados en el Cielo), when they explored a lot of new musical horizons.

This compilation samples the all too brief career of this sweet sounding folk duo with substance. While protest folk rock seems to be the template, enough progressive and pop characteristics are present to make PASTORAL worth exploring especially if you are into Latin music. The earlier part of their output seems best, particularly those tracks drawn from their 2nd and 3rd albums, "En El Hospicio" and "Humanos", including the sublime title tracks of each. "Humanos" is ably backed by some prog heavyweights from that time period, yet retains a commercial savvy, widening its appeal and explaining their success, and "Me Desprendo de tu vientre" is dramatic with an open sound, worthy of the group moniker. But even some of the later output is noteworthy, particularly "Atrapados en el cielo" and "Peleandose", showing that Alejandro de Michele and Miguel Angel Erausquin never lost the touch, and could have been part of a later revival had tragedy not cut the story short. A good place to start.