RAYUELA

Named after one of Argentinean writer Julio Cortázar's most bizarre novels, this band - also from Argentina - recorded one LP alone, which is yet to be re-released in CD format. Their music was not as bizarre as Cortázar's literary vision: its major asset lies on the creation of captivating emotional ambiences through pleasant melodic lines and their tasteful arrangements. Rayuela's repertoire is pretty much based on a delicate compromise between jazz-fusion and acoustic folk, two different musical sources that share an equilibrated presence in this album. The musicians' versatility allows them to instill symphonic airs into the final result: this very symphonic element helps the overall repertoire acquire a touch of stylish sophistication, mostly provided by the elegant keyboard inputs (textures, leads, layers) and the elegant use of sax and flute on most of the main melodic lines. The opener 'La Casa del Hombre' and the amazing instrumental 'Aéreo' are arguably the best examples of Rayuela's jazz-tinged progressive leanings. On the other hand, 'Los Últimos Grillos' and the blues-tempo acoustic ballad 'Vientos de la Calma' showcase the band's melodic aspect in a folkish context: the former of these two is really captivating, bearing an evident beauty and a not so evident sense of subtlety in the eerie arrangements, which helps it to increase its primal appeal. In many ways, it sounds similar to the ballads by their compatriot band La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros. The album's second half [tracks 5-7] is the most cohesive, and also the most rewarding in progressive terms. 'Acaso Tú Crees (Que no Me Dí Cuenta de que Te Fuiste hace Diez Años)' and 'Sexo y Dinero' are two catchy instrumental pieces that give way to a more candid exposure of the musicians' skills (without really showing off in excessive bombast). The former displays a pretty main motif recycled via the use of jazzy cadences and almost orchestral amalgams, while the latter paves its way across the funky-jazz trend. The album is closed down by the sung track 'Vendré con el Viento', yet another exhibition of the band's ability to bring out beautiful melodies: its overt romantic aura make it sound like a cross between "Wind & Wuthering"-era Genesis and classic Supertramp. The sax and guitar solos really complement the emotional spur reflected on the lyrics ("I want to have you without getting out of myself / without searching for you"). While not a masterpiece nor being consistently excellent, Rayuela's one and only album should be acknowledged as an inspired legacy of melodic art-rock, faithfully akin to the general spirit of South American melodic prog.

Rayuela's sole album is a prog rock gem. While almost all of the prog giants of the early 70's had already imploded by sheer pompous wankery (I've always wanted to use that word), there where bands still popping out in different parts of the world with unique sound of their own. In Latin America, for example, we can see bands that have heard its fair deal of European prog rock and still try to make a name of their own. Rayuela is one of those bands. Their first and only album came out in 1976-77. Taking the name of Julio Cortazar's famous novel, this band delivers a highly energetic, complex and melodic sound that bears resemblance to the Italian prog bands, due to it's keyboard-laden/pastoral style, and the Canterbury scene, because of its tuneful jazz compositions. The whole mood of the album shifts between a dreamy atmosphere that then turn into a dynamic and catchy instrumental play. The solos don't seem excessive, nor do they try to break the melody with forceful showmanship. What makes this band such a joy to listen to is that the album flows beautifully between its intricacies, between buttery melodies and diverse song structures. Every song here is a real treat to listen to. If I had to pick a favorite I'd be constantly shifting between the first song (La Casa del Hombre; Youtube-it, you'll see what I mean.) and the last three, which are so good that it makes one want to play the whole album again. In fact, the first time I listened to Rayuela I played it twice, and so forth until a week had passed and I was still listening to it without even feeling a hint of weariness. A couple of days later and here I am, writing a review because I've been whistling their songs for days and can't stop recommending this band enough to my friends. Now I share my enthusiasm to you, music-loving internet people. Check these guys out. They're worth it.

If there's any South American prog album that any prog fan should own, this is the one. "Rayuela" is the sole release by an Argentinian band of the same name and it's an absolute shame that they never carried on further in their studio career. But at least this gem remains to showcase the talent, imagination and legacy of the five men involved.

This is a very nostalgic album for me and one that I was captivated by from the very first opening note of "La Casa Del Hombre". The whole album is a splendid mix of jazz, folk and symphonic prog with a distinct European familiarity and rich Latin flare. Lively and melodic, I don't think that I've ever been so emotionally involved or taken on quite a journey by a 39 minute album. And for a South American release from a time when prog was fading from popularity by an unheard of group, the production quality is crystal clear and stunning.

There isn't a single weak track on "Rayuela". The lively jazzy opening "La Casa Del Hombre", with its splendid saxophone flourishes, gives way to the mellow "Los Ultimos Grillos", which features flute played in the vein of Andrew Latimer of Camel, but with a jazzier flare. Aereo is a pure fusion instrumental that leads into the bluesy "Vientos De La Calma".

Side two contains two more fusion instrumentals showing off the band's talents and sensibilities as well as the haunting finale, "Vendre Con El Teimpo". A beautiful, minor-key ballad, this song gives me goosebumps every time; the concluding guitar solo is one of those parts of a song that you wish could just repeat forever. The song also brings my attention to the album artwork, which, in its simplicity, is very powerful. The cold, blue woods remind me of somewhere I've been or seen long ago, perhaps in a dream. The mood evoked by the final track is similar to that evoked by the woods and the pairing of the two is truly spine-chilling.

Really, this album is music at its finest, in its truest, rawest, most emotional form. The men playing the music aren't virtuosos and their performances are never over the top, but they really don't have to be. Not a note rings out that's out of place and the compositions are tasteful and balanced. Does Rayuela break new ground? Not necessarily, but that's part of what makes this album so strong. The songs are dance-able, singable, yet still imaginative, fresh but familiar; like those blue woods from days long past, there's something on this album that anyone will be able to connect with. Overall, "Rayuela" is a magical experience. For 39 minutes of beautiful, uninterrupted brilliance, prog fans should look no further.

Man there were a ton of Jazz Rock albums released in the late seventies, but what makes this one a little different are the Symphonic and Folk references. Of course those Spanish male vocals don't hurt bringing Symphonic and even RPI to mind. The beautiful cover art hints at Symphonic as well. Besides the usual instruments we get clavinet, flute, synths, synth(string ensemble), organ, electric piano, bells, congas and sax. This is a gorgeous album with some some incredible playing on it. The bass really stands out which I love and the electric piano impresses but I could go on and on about each member of the band.

"La Casa Del Hombre" hits the ground running with sax out front until the vocals arrive and it's the vocals or sax usually leading the way on this one. I like the bass and organ that jump in around a minute then the guitar arrives as the sax leads here. Vocals are back as themes are repeated. A really enjoyable opener. "Los Ultimos Grillos" opens with some really good acoustic guitar melodies as the vocals arrive just before a minute. Backing vocals too. Synths before 2 minutes as the vocals step aside. Nice bass here then the vocals return with flute this time before 3 minutes. This reminds me so much of RPI. A pastoral track that is beautifully played.

"Aereo" is a top three for me. Some energy here and I like the depth of sound along with how punchy it is. The sax comes in over top but I love that rhythm section. Synths a minute in replace the sax but again the bass and drums shine here. The sax is back before 2 minutes then guitar as they trade off. Love the calm that arrives around 3 minutes then it builds with electric piano and drums standing out. Nice. Love the drum work and the sax is back late.

"Vientos De La Calma" opens with drums and harmonica as laid back vocals join in. We get bass and electric piano as well. "Acaso Tu Crees" is next and it's a top three. Pulsating keys and in your face bass to start. What a fantastic sound! The drums kick in and the tempo picks up some. Guitar to the fore after a minute and it picks up again before 3 1/2 minutes as that opening soundscape is back as themes are repeated. Check out the instrumental work after 6 minutes. So good!

"Sexo Y Dinero" is uptempo along with being bright and uplifting. The bass, synths, electric piano and drums impress here. The sax then kicks in. Love that bass after 3 1/2 minutes. Too much! "Vendre Con El Tiempo" ends it and it begins with some beautiful piano melodies before a calm with atmosphere takes over 1 1/2 minutes in. It's almost silent 2 minutes in then the atmosphere and guitar expressions come to the fore. A beat and bass take over. Reserved vocals 4 minutes in as the bass, a beat and electric piano help out. It's almost ballad-like here. Sax before 5 minutes then that string ensemble arrives creating atmosphere. More great sax and bass before the guitar starts to solo before 7 minutes.

A really solid album where the Symphonic elements really cause it to rise above many of the Jazz Rock albums at this time, and there's no Funk here either.

Rayuela is a band formed in 1976 by Marcelo Morano (keyboardist) and Willy Campins (bass and background vocals). Their name is a tribute to the novel published in 1963 by the most emblematic Argentine writer Julio Cortazar, although their first and only album has nothing to do with Julio's literature.

Rayuela presents a jazz fusion with a touch of psychedelia with folk and symphonic influences. They had their live performances throughout 1977 and at the end of that year they started to work on their record. For those who are enthusiastic about the mix of progressive rock, this band can be very appealing due to the variety of techniques and influences within its 5 members. Rayuela is one of those Latin American bands (like Arco Iris, Flught or Los Jaivas) that seeks universal beauty in their music through indigenous and intelligent sounds. The level of interpretation is raised and fine.

Fun fact: This album is exactly the same length as "Peliculas" by La Maquina De Hacer Pajaros, a similar Argentinian band that probably influenced Rayuela's members.

The album opens with "La Casa del Hombre" without pretext or shyness. A typical jazz rock saxophone and a rather special riff. Goldstein's voice doesn't take long to come in and sounds both clean and lush. The bass rises and falls, the percussion is solid and thoughtful, and the keyboards provide ethereal arrangements that lend a touch of essential delicacy to the song. Berinstein's saxophone is top-notch and never ceases to shine. Halfway through the song, he takes control of the song and causes everything around him to follow him carefully until he decides to bring the album's opening track to a close.

The second song is called "Los Ultimos Grillos". Everything takes a small, acoustic turn. The song starts off sounding in a Zeuhl (maybe French) or folk way with some natural guitars and then gives way to a fragile keyboard solo. The production of the album seeks the vigour of Goldstein's singing to give it as much strength as possible. Despite the prominence of the keyboard, perhaps the best thing about this song is its wind instruments. What beautiful lines!

Then we move on to "Aereo". A bass riff with an unexpected aggressiveness decides to leave the instrumental softness aside to open the first instrumental song of the album and bring a bit of symphonic rock to this work. With the joy of an improvisation and the synchronization of a master band, Aereo treads where it can and wants to establish itself as a risky and very experimental song, but never leaving aside the tidiness and exclusivity.

"Vientos de la Calma" comes, mixing progressive rock with typical Argentinean folk rock, a song that seems to be composed by Leon Gieco starts (and closes side 1), making it clear again that the musicians have no interest in giving any kind of concept to the album. Acoustic and to criollo guitar and harmonica, with a basic lyric but one that becomes one with the instrumentation. There really isn't much to say about this song, it seems to be composed simply to give a pleasant closing to the first side of the disc.

Side 2 begins with "Acaso Tu Crees (Que No Me Di Cuenta Que Te Fuiste Hace Diez Años)" and shows right off the bat that what's left until the close of the album is very progressive through a more psychedelic interpretation and looking for more complicated terrain to move through, with a frenetic keyboard that demands discipline and attention to the others. This energy was needed after a track as calm as the previous one! In this second instrumental song there seem to be influences of Focus in the tempos and King Crimson in the pauses. Everything is more elevated, more engaging and even more satisfying. It is probably the piece of the song where the connection between the 5 musicians reaches its peak. They all simply shine! The closing is sudden and makes way with surprise for the next track.

"Sexo y Dinero" is another instrumental piece that follows the same energy and strength as the previous one. It should be noted that the saxophone is very important for the jazzy and psychedelic essence of this second side. Nothing would sound the same without it. The bass has its moments of hierarchy, sounding a bit like Boss Pastorius. I must say that I am very surprised by the production of this song (and of the whole album) given that in Argentina in the 70s it wasn't usual to have such a classy mastering. It even sounds remastered!

The last song is "Vendre con el Viento" and its absolutely gorgeous. What closes this great and majestic piece of Argentinean progressive music is also the longest song on the album, with an absolutely outstanding and near-perfect piano intro. How beautiful, for God's sake! And after that, the bass, electric guitar and synthesizers generate a sentimental outburst and probably even bring a couple of tears to your eyes. "And I'll scream in your ears, because in my step is my step, but there's no me". The emotional intelligence in this song is sublime from start to finish. One of the best compositions in the history of progressive rock. It's the perfect closer that one can't imagine. Not only the instrumentation is perfect, but also the level of reasonableness and human feeling that the lyrics and the singing possess. It is surely one of the 5 best songs of Argentinean progressive rock. It is one of the songs that you will never forget when it comes to remembering the best ones.

I'm sorry I can't give the album 5 stars, because for this it would really have to be impeccable, but the fourth track leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, which even seems to be just for fill in and to popularize the album. I think it's the one that breaks with the perfect inherence of the album. If it weren't for that track, we would be talking about one of the best jazz rock albums ever created. Still, Rayuela is a must-hear album that every lover of sophisticated music should listen to.