Source: http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=815
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 01:25:45+00:00

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LA MAQUINA DE HACER PAJAROS was the band created by Charly García after dissolution of SUI GENERIS. It was a project which leave the folk genre of SUI GENERIS to achieve the symphonic rock. In the short life of this band, two LP's were recorded: "La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros" (1976) and "Películas" (1977).
«In this band I did what I liked», remembers Charly. Inspired on the "elaborated" rock of STEELY DAN and the GENESIS "symphonism", Charly García formed the best of the Argentine bands in the progressive genre. «We are the YES of Third World», synthesizes García. But for that time, none of the LP's was sucessful, being recognized after. LA MAQUINA was the most deep and complex intent of the symphonic rock in Argentina, and García introduced in it the new of two simultaneous keyboardists (himself and Cutaia). Maybe this new style were the most significant barrier between the band and the people, habitued to most simple SUI GENERIS.
LA MAQUINA DE HACER PAJAROS dissolved by internal trouble, nearest 1977. Charly remember: «I leave LA MAQUINA after a show. The show ended and I came to a hotel, in which were Zoca- his wife- and we make plans to go to Brasil. I heared Milton Mascimento, and his music shake my head» (Chirom, pág 30).
El Festival del Amor was the last show of LA MAQUINA, at a full Luna Park, in november 11, 1977, where they played together with Nito Mestre, León Gieco, Raúl Porchetto, Gustavo Santaolalla, Markoff brothers, and other. Between the musicians that formed part of the band in the show were David Lebón, the SUI GENERIS acoustic basement (Rinaldo Rafanelli - Juan Rodríguez), and the CRUCIS musicians Aníbal Kerpel and Pino Marrone. The highlight of the show was the beautiful version of Violeta Parra's "Volver a los diecisiete", which wasn't succesful between the audience, not habitued to South American folk music.
Charly García, after failed attempts to create la BANDA DEL AMOR (with David Lebón and other musicians), convinces David Lebón to go to Brasil and create the project of his new band, SERÚ GIRÁN.
Band formed in 1975 by Charly Garcia - leader, keyboards and voice - (ex SUI GENERIS) who joined a group of premium musicians as Oscar Moro (ex COLOR HUMANO) in drums, Gustavo Bazterrica in guitar, Carlos Cutaia in keyboards (ex PESCADO RABIOSO) and Juan Fernandez in bass guitar.
In this stage of his career, Charly Garcia continued experimenting a Symphonic rock vein initiated in his last album with SUI GENERIS (folk rock duet) - "Pequeñas Delicias De La Vida Conjugal".
LA MAQUINA DE HACER PAJAROS is maybe the highest point in the prog style of Charly García, but it was not his most popular band. The music is deep, with some Latin rhythms, majestic organs and synths, wonderful guitars. A personal style maybe influenced by the main bands of those years (GENESIS, YES, ELP). Worth to be listened to those who enjoy 70´s prog.
3.75: The first album by the second progressive band of charly garcia. It is a very good album with a lot of interesting ideas, most of the content is symphonic prog, mixing it with a lot of changes in tempo and jazzy moments. I have to recognize that is not a conventional symphonic album, it is very risky, achieving really good moments in the process, but being inconsistent in a few moments. Vocally, I would like to hear more Garcia singing, is one of the things that I liked most in Sui Generis. Finally, what i liked most was the constant changes in music and the variability shown in every song. I considered it a excellent addition to any prog collection without being a essential one.
Charly Garcia is a known name in the Argentine prog, I stumbled upon his name when I got a few albums from Sui Generis to review for a Dutch progrock magazine. I highly recommend their CD Pequenas Anecdotes Sobre Las Instituciones from 1973, unique, very varied prog with a typical Latin-American touch and loaded with strong ideas and shifting moods: the one moment the atmosphere is mellow with twanging acoustic guitars, flute, violin or Grand piano, the other moment it is blues with mouth organ or sumptuous symphonic rock with Moog synthesizer flights or beautiful strings. After Sui Generis disbanded Charly Garcia founded La Maquina De Hacer Pajaros, with this band he released two albums, La Maquina De Hacer Pajaros (1976) and Peliculas (1977). This review is about their eponymous debut album, more symphonic rock than the second effort (with the emphasis more on latin and soul).
The cover of their first album contains funny cartoons, far away from the Roger Dean, Hipgnosis and Mark Wilkinson album covers! Charly Garcia is not only the prime mover and composer but also a multi-instrumentalist: he plays piano, synthesizers, Fender piano, clavinet, acoustic guitar and he does the lead vocals. A nice element is the presence of a second keyboard player, Carlos Cutaia on organ, Mellotron, piano and an array of vintage synthesizers. The music is very melodic, harmonic and varied with lots of different atmospheres and shifting moods. The one moment it is Sixties inspired or rock, the other moment classical, jazzrock or symphonic rock. The songs are embellished with outstanding soli (from fiery guitar to spectacular synthesizer) but without the infamous 'self-indulgence tendency'. And the interplay is amazing, this is excellent latin-American progressive rock, alternating between a wide range of styles, and featuring that unsurpassed distinctive cheerful Latin-American climate.
This is very interesting prog to discover for the adventurous proghead.
La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros was a symphonic rock group formed by former Sui Generis singer Charly Garcia.The myth says this was the most expensive album to come from Argentina. This album features a Moog synthetizer for the first time ever in any group from my country. It's funny because Garcia called the group as: Yes from the Third World. However , I have to do two comments here. First of all their music , while clearly symphonic prog , has nothing to do with Yes (the bass playing is an exception to the rule). I would describe it as a mixture between RPI and jazz rock. And in second place , those musicians weren't undeveloped at all.
The opener Bubulina was already presented to the public in the Adios Sui Generis concert but this time featuring symphonic arrangements. The song is really calm and reminds me of some RPI bands like Celeste or PFM , the vocal harmonies are really good. At 3:37 there it is , the Moog for the first time in a local record! The second song Como mata el viento norte is a folkish ballad drenched with Moog synthetizers , although is a really short tune it's one of my favourites from La Maquina. Boletos pases y abonos starts really funky ( Garcia was a Steely Dan fan) but then turns into a powerful number. I specially like the interplay between both keyboardists and drummer Oscar Moro , this guy was one of the best drummers to come from my country.
No puedo verte mas , follows the same line of the previous tune. However , Garcia's vocals are somewhat exagerated and don't do justice to this song. It's a pity since there are great basslines all over and a really tasteful jazzy section remindng me of Brand X. Rock and roll is not a Led Zeppelin cover. It features a majestic symphonic like beggining and then turns into a powerful rocker , too much in the vein of Seru Giran for my tastes. Por probar el vino y el agua salada is a folkish tune in which the synthetizers resemble some violins , in my opinion is the worst song of the record. I find it to be really cheesy. Luckily for me , after this letdown comes the best song of the album: Ah te vi entre las luces , this is an epic that can do well against the best of the genre. The band really shows it's symphonic side here , the athmosphere is really calm with Charly's subltle synths and vocals being the principal feature here. It reminds me of Canto nomada per un priggionero politico by Banco.
Overall , La Maquina's debut is a landmark in argentinian and south american progressive music. Moreover , the musicians involved were among the best of it's generation. This two facts make this album a really good addition to any collection.
LA MAQUINA DE HACER PAJAROS were found in mid-70's by ex-Sui Generis vocalist/keyboardist Charly Garcia after the disbanding of the later.Except Garcia,fellow Carlos Cutaia plays also a number of keyboards (moog synthesizer,piano,mellotron) to lead to the band's very rich sound,filled with different colours and moods.Their first LP was eponymous and released back in 1976,at a time when symphonic rock and jazz rock were at its pick in Argentina,with bands like CRUCIS,ARCO IRIS and M.I.A. leading the way.
''La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros'' contains it all and will leave every progressive rock fan pleased.Abandoning the folk side of Sui Generis,Garcia turned to the more complicated yet symphonic of progressive rock,mixed with pop,hard rock and South-American elements.There are definite influences by GENESIS (smooth acoustic guitars) and most obviously YES (keyboards acrobatics,sudden breaks and changing rhythms),but there is also some sort of Italian prog flavor in the multi-vocal poppish parts blended with acoustic guitars.At times guitarist Gustavo Bazterrica will rock you to the bone with hard rocking riffs,while a few nice instrumental parts are closer to funk and fusion music in the vein of WEATHER REPORT or RETURN TO FOREVER,led by Gracia's Fender Piano.Despite their short presence withinh the progressive rock circles,LA MAQUINA DE HACER PAJAROS left us some great music to remember and their debut should be another South-American great entry,if added in your collection.
So, you thought only in Europe and in the States are good prog musicians? you're wrong, here in south America there are good progressive bands too, and one of them is La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros. Charly Garcia, member of the folk-rock band Sui Generis, decided to create this band to explore new frontiers in the musical spectrum. And he did it very well, with two fantastic albums, LMDHP and Películas, both with an extraordonary amount of good ideas, followed by beautiful lyrics.
Now, talking about this album, I specially liked Obertura 777, with an spectacular opening with the acoustic guitar and a piano creating a very nice ambient that breaks with the entrance of the drumm played by Oscar Moro. After that, it begins a pretty riff with the sinthezier accompained by some funky chords, good stuff.
Marilyn, La Cencineta y las Mujeres, the tipical rock ballad with good guitar riffs and a good message in the lyrics. No te dejes desanimar, the perfect mix between the tenderness of the verse riff in 7/4 and the progressive passage of the instrumental section.
Que se puede hacer salvo ver Películas, ingenious lyrics accompained by a latin base with the bass and guitar in the beginning...Then we find again another instrumental part.
Hipercandombe is the other one that I most like in this album. Fast and heavy riffs makes this song a permanent running, with excellent guitar riffs, followed by the synth.
El vendedor de las chicas de plástico. Nice lyrics with a relaxed ambient, with some good stuff at the instrumental part were the guitar solo takes place.
Ruta Perdedora, this one reminds me the old Sui Generis songs with good voices work. The instrumental part its just awesome, really good stuff!
This must be one of the very few reviews I post here, in spite of my frequent visits. It is just due to lack of time, sorry brothers.... so today for a change (after a full three weeks immersion) I award this time to greet of the greatest bands among those that I have recently discovered thanks to PA, and I don't say this very often... La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros, after a few listens, is in my own private olympos of perfect-though-not-the-ones- everybody-knows-about prog bands, together with Banco, Osanna, Ange, Fruupp, Fusioon, and few others.... headed by the charismatic singer and keyboard-wizard Charly Garcia (strange fellow...) who is to become later one of the best known Argentinian popstars, LMDHP delevered in 76-77 two masterpieces, in balance between accessibility and extremes sophistication, great sense of melody and unusual harmonic solutions. The second LP "Peliculas" is maybe slightly minor though still a very solid and complex album, obviously times were changing fast also in Argentina, but the first record is just a gem, starting with Bubulina (check it played live in Youtobe with Charly's earlier band Sui Generis in a slightly different format) one of the best record openers I have listened to in years, stands right up there with PFM's "River of life" (also structured in a similar way), and the rest follows, a "third-world Yes album" as garcia once defined his old band, but rather close to PFM "Isola di niente"-period, and other latinamerican giants like Crucis, MIA, or Bacamarte, with two keyboards and a solid Squiresque Rickenbacker bass by mr Jose Luis Fernandez. The last piece of the album "Ah, ti vi entre las luces" is pure prog bliss, between tango and Pink Floyd.... Too bad that Charly did not continue to do great prog albums but still his work, which I still don't know very well, has been remarkable, having been at the centre of the Argentinian rock and pop scene for decades in many very well- known bands. A 4,7 stars album (just below Darwin, Lizard, the Lamb and Tales from TOPOcreans) for me.
"What can be done except for seeing films"
About this band already I spoke in the review of "LMDHP"
"Obertura 777": A good beginning for the work. In this piece the emotions abound as much as the keyboards. Perhaps a greater presence of the guitar could be expected, but anyway the result is very good.
"Marilyn, Cenicienta y las mujeres": this song begins like a ballad that lets see something of "synphonism" in the harmony. More ahead the theme advances until arriving at the greater intensity.
"No te dejes desanimar":This beautiful song caused that I began to listen to LMDHP. Per moments it makes me remember Gentle Giant. The piano, the synth-strings and the voices, do of this song one of most exciting of the album.
"Qué se puede hacer salvo ver películas": In the beginning of this work, the bossa's air surprises. In this song the instrumental piano, and all parts stand out. In addition, on the end, the arrangement of voices is surprising, one of the best that I have listened.
"Hipercandombe": it is a very rythmical and energetic work. Music shows clearly the influences of the tango and other Latin American styles (like candombe). Excellent work of symphonic rock.
"El vendedor de las muñecas de plástico": the music of this work is really good, but the lyrics are done as a game, and is, perhaps, a little obscene (double sense). The title explains everything: "the salesman of the plastic dolls".
"Ruta perdedora": This musical composition is another sample of the "emotivity" to the service of music. This characteristic is the one that it captivates to me of all the bands of "Charly Garcia". A passage in half of the song stands out in this work: a counterpoint between guitar, bass and keyboards, that interchange tunes (melodies) and accompaniment until arriving at climax.
"En las calles de Costa Rica": A good instrumental closing for the album. An excellent summarized sample of the LMDHP music.
Oh mi first review, well this La La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros debut album in which many differences between the songs can be noticed.
The first song called Bubulina has a great synth opening with volume raising until the apperaeance of an overdrived guitar leading to the union of the whole line-up.The drumming in this song is perfect but the most interesting side of this song is the middle part in which a beatiful keybords-synths-guitar playing takes part.A beatiful song.
The 2nd one is a short folky song with a really nice passage and a common piano solo( DO NOT expect Keith Emerson in here) with a perfect bass playing, somehow reminding me to Squire.
Boletos, Pases y abonos has an interesting mixture of 70'-funk style with a jazzy guitar work in some passages.The bass and drums fits perfectly while the singing.At the middle of the song a 2/4 rock 'n roll almost common section starts leading to a perfect end.Just listen to it!
"No puedo verme" ( I can`t see myself) has an introduction really closed to Deep Purple's "A 2000 " from Burn album, then reaching to a funky part( a repeated pattern in this album) to a relatively calm passage and the back to the typical latin funk.Pay attention to the drums.
Rock has a beatiful introduction( perhaps the first Seru Girán song considering only the introduction .LOL) and then is not prog rock.
"Por Probar el vino y el agua salada"(" Because of tasting the wine and salty water") is a pure folk song but really enjoyable, with clever lyrics and a marvellous lead vocal melody and a violin behind in orderto make the song more authentic.WARNING: you may feel some piano similar to ELP`s The Sheriff, don`t panic!
The last Song "Ah, te ví entre las luces" is simply incredible, surprising for the one who is listening.Evertything in this song is just perfectly done, every note, every drum fill, everything.Honestly I still have not heard anything similar to it in ANY band.
My rating: Bubulina:5/5, Como Mata el viento norte: 3.5/5, Boletos, Pases y Abonos:4/5, No puedo verme: 4/5, Rock:3.5/5, Por Probar el vino y el agua salada:4/5, Ah, te vi entre las luces 5/5.
I`l make it five because of being a debut album and because of being far from Europe classical prog rock.!!

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