OBRAS DE VIOLETA PARRA

1. "Arauco Tiene una Pena" (11:07) opens with the call of some Chilean brass horn--like a valveless trumpet. Ominous synth combo chords respond to the horn for a bit before piano joins in playing some very complex classical-like solo stuff--eventually supplanting all other instruments until 3:33 when bass drum signals full band's arrival. Descending whole band three-chord romp is repeated while electric guitar boldly claims the lead. Slight shift in weave allows music to feel more integrated--guitar to feel welcomed within the mix, instead of above it. At the six minute mark, everything stops to allow contemplative reevaluation, but then we switch channels to a totally country Spanish motif to take over. Gato starts singing in this part--very Spanish feeling melodies and stylings. A bit too folkorico for me; though I love the infusion of native and traditional melodies and instruments, to go straight to a folk song in its pure form is not the same thing. And this is the entire final five minutes. (17.25/20)

2. "El Guillatún" (8:47) chaotic pounding of piano and multiple percussives precede the formation of a rhythmic base in the second half of the second minute. What forms is a kind of folk takeover of a semi-rock, semi-militaristic motif over which traditional Latin-American folk choral vocals are presented. Occasional forays of impressive classical piano push their way into the music but never enough to take over or turn down a different road. At 4:40 there is a little "taps"-like horn before rejoining the chorus for the next verse. Traditional folk instruments join in the next more-proggy variation on the theme which leads into a bare, almost Leonard Bernstein-like, classical section to close. (17.5/20)

3. "Mañana me Voy Pa'l Norte" (4:40) Andean flutes with synth flutes and militaristic drumming turns into what feels and sounds like a traditional Andean drinking folk song. Banjo- and accordion-like sounds in the mix as well with polka-like bass and drum beat. Pleasant and happy for a folk song. Not so much for a prog song. Electric guitar solo at the end of the third minute--then joined by a second electric guitar. (8.25/10)

4. "Y Arriba Quemando el Sol" (11:03) ominous piano chord, alternated spaciously by acoustic Spanish guitar strum and slow picking. One chord! And then, finally, another--both played and held for long periods. The vocal that ensues is very cool: as if the singer is telling a story of local history importance. Great Native American feel and pacing with many subtle yet beautiful contributions by incidental instruments. When background harmony vocals join in at the three-minute mark it's even more magical. The first electric instrument arrive soon thereafter--then electric bass and more piano inputs as the song morphs into a kind of variation on Ravel's "Bolero". Very cool! Synth horns arrive in the seventh minute. Pure prog perfection. Easily the best song on the album and my favorite. Chorused electric guitars and multiple synths get bigger roles in the ninth minute. (20/20)

5. "El Gavilán" (11:43) part jazz, part classical-influenced prog rock, this has a Spanish KEITH EMERSON feel to it. At 2:45 it launches into a complex classical passage that has a very strong GENESIS, John TOUT, and even GRYPHON feel to it. This one is definitely a study in classical compositional performance--even down to the orchestra-like percussion work. The solo piano turn that starts at the 7:00 mark is, in my opinion, the song's weakest part--except for the way the piano is mirrored by the sparse guitar, bass, and cymbal play. Then it all breaks loose into a very MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER-like full ensemble expression. Then the tenth minute is occupied by yet another variation, this one more centered on the syncopated percussive rhythmic pattern. Reminds me of some DISCIPLINE/Matthew PARMENTER passages. The final section is yet another recapitulation which, in my opinion, is another weaker version. (18/20)

6. "Un Rio de Sangre" (8:28) female singer (Isabel Parra) over bar-hall music. Reminds me of something that you might see and hear in the background in the background of a saloon scene from a Hollywood Western. A GENESIS-like proggy section begins at the 3:00 mark. Piano sweeps in and takes over before gorgeous flute steals it back. The melodic, jazz-rock fusion that ensues is actually quite gorgeous--raising the song quite a bit from the 8/10 of the first three minutes. (17.75/20)

7. "Run-Run se Fue Pa'l Norte" (5:14) piano and orchestra of a Spanish folk combo combine to render this song more palatable to the prog-minded music lover. Nice melodies--almost lullaby-ish.(8.25/10)

8. "En los Jardines Humanos" (9:35) this classically-molded song feels more like the GRYPHON-like anachronistic fare than any of the previous songs--even down to the chamber choir-like vocals. The stop-and-go plodding along gets a little old over the first seven minutes. A pan flute-led military drummed section starts in the eighth minute before celebratory piano play begins with electric guitar and the rest of the band soon joining in to both melody and rhythm. A challenging composition to play, I'm sure, but not as fun to listen to. (17.25/20)

9. "Violeta Ausente" (5:06) for the first 90 seconds, this feels like a saloon-playing pianist's demonstration of his dexterity. Then the full band kicks into the barrel-house rhythm as the solo lead singer launches his limerick-like punchlines. The chorus is multi-voiced with some interesting harmonic structures--all the while the pianist continues his showy showing off. Interesting. (He is a very good piano player!) (8.75/10)

Total Time: 77:04

While there are some amazing progressive rock high points of this album, there are also some more-folk/traditional songs and motifs here that, in my mind, detract from this being a true prog album. While I love the clever synthesis and blending of folk elements into prog music, I''m never sure that purely folk (or purely classical) songs or motifs should be included. I get it that many artists never launch into an album's recording sessions with the expressed purpose or intention of creating a "prog" album, so I can cut these Chilean virtuosi some slack. Plus, I am really, really happy for having been exposed to this album--this music. What a band! And with this album I do think they've progressed and matured well beyond the achievements of Los Alturas de Macchu Picchu.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection and a near-masterpiece of folk-infused prog.

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