LA MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS

This is a Charly Garcia project after Sui Generis separation (Sui was a folk prog duo who'd innovated the Argentinian musical scene in the late 60s). But who is Charly Garcia? One of the most prolific musicians of South America, known by his music as well as his eccentricities. His approach to prog music was with LMDHP, a band with two simultaneous keyboardists (in the way of many Italian bands of the era) and his high popularity peak was with his next group (Seru Giran, a super pop-rock band who'd conserved in the early moments some progressive feeling). After Seru, Garcia began a very long -and really poor-solo career. LMDHP (The Birds-Making Machine) first stuff was a melodic prog album with some jazzy and even funky touches. Just two excellent songs (tracks 1 and 2); the rest of the album is composed by nice moments and some complex structures, but nothing special. Worth a listen, but if somebody wants to know the 70's best Argentinian prog I would recommend Crucis, MIA or Espíritu.

One of the best albums I ever heard, the last track just blows my mind, the mid instrumental seccion is outstanding!! The sound quality isn't poor at all, and it has nothing to do with Sui Generis, this is an excellent album, with really really good songs and very well performed also.

Charly García had just decided to dissolve Sui Generis, the folk-pop band (with subtle art rock pretensions) that he had led for four years, after seeing Crucis perform on stage - he felt immediately that he neede a change of musical direction for his career, so he steered his eyes into the prospect of playing prog rock. After recruiting bassist José Luis Fernández (of Crucis' original line-up), Oscar Moro (hired drummer for SG), a second keyboardist with much experience in the hard rock field named Carlos Cutaia, and finally, young talented guitarist Gustavo Bazterrica, the first Argentinian prog band with two keyboardist was born: La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros (The Bird Making Machine). This image of flying living beings portrays very well the free spirit incarnated in the band's repertoire. Their major influences are Genesis, 73-75 Pink Floyd, Yes, RtF, always leaving some space for some folkish excursions (tracks 2 and 6) - but the prog material is predominant and more relevant. Both their jazz-rock oriented numbers ('Boletos, Pases y Abonos', 'No Puedo Verme Más') and their symphonic ones (the eerie opening title 'Bubulina','Rock',the amazing 11-minute closure 'Ah Te Ví Entre las Luces') exhibit a sense of enthusiastic energy and genuine freedom: Bazterrica's soloing can be fiery, subtle or ellegantly texturial, thanks to his skill and versatility; Moro's jazzy drive makes his drumming function as solid anchor against which his fellow members can sustain their performances, complemented by Fernandez's precision; the dual keyboards allow García and Cutaia build walls of organ-and- synth simultaneously, or while one of them is soloing. In a few words, the instrumental ensemble is well constituted by effective individual pieces. What about the compositions? They're great and with some degree of catchiness in them: IMHO, the most accomplished are tracks 3, 4 and 7. Though my fav album from LMDHP is their following one, this debut would certainly make "an excellent addition to any prog rock collection".

This album is the definitive change of direction former singer and keyboardist Charly Garcia wanted to do when he was in SUI GENERIS, his previous band, which was sort of folk rock that began to sound more progressive in the last album of SUI ... called "Pequeñas Anecdotas Sobre las Instituciones" (1975), anyway this one effort presents two beautiful folk cuts: "Como Mata el viento Norte" and "Por probar el vino y el agua Salada", the rest of the stuff is progressive, recommended to hear songs like: "Boletos, pases, abonos", "Bubulina", "Ah, te vi en las luces". The album combines styles like folk, some good pop and great progressive rock. A joyful album to hear.

If not the last ten minutes long composition this album wouldn't even deserve this 3 stars. The main point for all other six compositions are - double keyboard's solo which has no taste at all, no Jazz passages what so ever and the worst is the disturbing, screaming vocal.

Last track stands separately. "Ah, te vi entre las Luces" is the complete composition with all it's reach traditions that always assists Progressive Rock. In a way we can draw the parallel with Camel's "Ice" and this composition & with these two albums too.

Resume is like this: Buy the CD anyway, & listen to it at least because of the last composition.

I can think about this album is a following of the work that Charly Garcia made with SUI GENERIS. I could consider this album very magnificient. Here we could appreciate influences like MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA, BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, QUEEN, GENESIS, RUSH, VANILLA FUDGE, FREE and IRON BUTTERFLY.

Charly calls this band the "Yes of the third World" ... I think it is an exaggeration. Nevertheless, This album (the stronger of the two) is excellent symphonic prog from Argentina with some of the best musicians from the country. This album does not sound like Yes at all. It is closer in sound to Spinetta, Seru Giran, and Genesis.

"Bubulina" is an eerie track that starts the album well enough with a melodic mellow tune with a brilliant instrumental section full of guitar and organ showmanship. "Como Mata el Viento Norte" is a simple pop-folk tune in the vein of Sui Generis. "Boletos, Pases y Abonos" is a bombastic and virtuosic tune with a large instrumental section full of solos and amazing musicianship (these guys really know how to play their instruments). "No Puedo Verme" was the first song I liked from this band. It has an excellent guitar riff alternating with good melodies. It also has a good instrumental section like always. "Rock" is another virtuosic track full of instrumental brilliance. "Por Probar el Vino y el Agua Salada" is a beautiful folk song which gets energetic in its last minute and features great synthesizer playing. "Ah The Vi Entre Las Luces" is easily the highlight of the album. For non-spanish speakers ... this song is almost all instrumental. It rises to a musicianship of masterful playing like Crucis, Genesis, and Yes. Afte a highly melodic singing section, an energetic instrumental section begins. The two keyboardist create a wall of sound, while the drumming and bass guitar lead the rhythm section, and the gutar leads the bombastic section. In The last minutes of the song, the repetitive 'ah, te vi entre las luces' vocal line is backed by excellent musicianship. The finale is highly melodic and mellow. An Argentinian masterpiece of music!

Beware, this is not an easy album. I had to listen to it over 5 times in order to love it.

1. Bubulina (8.5/10) 2. Como mata el viento norte (7.5/10) 3. Boletos, pases y abonos (8/10) 4. No puedo verme más (8.5/10) 5. Rock and roll (7.5/10) 6. Por probar el vino y el agua salada (9/10) 7. Ah, te ví entre las luces (10/10)

My Grade : B+

Is incredible, their music makes you can fly... Charly Garcia is one of the best musics and writer of this century... her poetry and musicality is something envidiable, and the magic sensation of listen two pianos in the same moment is so atmosferic... many groups of the our days they should learn of this terrific latin music... and innovation music is in the way

On their eponymous debut album this Argentine five piece band (including two keyboard players) is led by the versatile Charly Garcia, a legend in the Argentine (prog) rock history. He plays piano, clavinet, organ, synthesizers, guitar, he sings and is the main composer. The music on this alternating and melodic album from 1976 sounds as a pleasant and entertaining blend of Sixties rock, jazzrock, classic and symphonic rock featuring lots of soli on guitar and synthesizer and strong interplay. The compositions are drenched in the progrock tradition but have a strong typical South-American atmosphere featuring latin and soul elements. Don't expect prog like Genesis, Camel or ELP, this is the unique progrock sound from Latin-America!

I think this album is a true proggressive masterpiece because all of there songs have something that makes them special, some of these tunes are very catchy like BOLETOS, PASES Y ABONOS, and POR PROBAR EL VINO Y EL AGUA SALADA... All of these songs have excellent drumming and very creative lyrics but one of latinamerica's greatest musicians: CHARLY.

Before getting to know LA MAQUINA I still haven't digged that much into Charly Garcia's other bands such as sui generis or seru giran, but this band helped me discover what a great musician he is, how creative this bunch of guys can be and how talented they all are at their instruments... they have nothing to envy to northamerican or european prog!

My highlights for this album are BOLETOS, PASES Y ABONOS.... COMO MATA EL VIENTO NORTE, and NO PUEDO VERME MAS... the latter being a very complex song and also the most hard tune on this album...

seriously, there's no weak track on this album, no fillers, and I think this album is essential in any prog rock collection!

All of C.Garcia's projects have an high emotional burden. This work is not an exception. In this album, LMDHP presents an emo-symphonic rock, that mixes classical music and tango, in rock format. The musicians are good. García and Cutaia (in various keyboards) smelts the melodies with atmospheres. Bazterrica and Moro ('the clock'), display his skills and creativity. Sometimes, Fernández achieves Sqire's sound.

The album begins with an old song: "Bubulina" (this theme was played in the last Sui Generis live album). 'Bubulina' begin as a prog-ballad, go through a psychedelic/symphonic moment and arrive to climax: a furious and emotive part, which introduces me in the final.

The next track "Como mata el viento norte" is the less prog than the others, but is good.

"Boletos, pases y abonos" starts with a hi-hat's "game"; well, the song begins with a "pentatonic sound"; in the middle of the theme, the 'symphonism' is presented.

"No puedo verme más" and "Rock and Roll" might be described as 'symphonic rock and roll', because there is a R'n'R influence but the instruments and voices generate complex symphonic textures.

"Por probar el vino y el agua salada" is singly nice 'country music'.

The latest song ("Ah, te ví entre luces") is the longest work in this album and maybe the most ambitious work in the combo. Some parts are angelic: only voices and strings. Another parts are intense: 'weighty' drums, guitar and bass; synths to full, and choral voices arrangements.

Listen "La Máquina de hacer Pájaros". If you want to have an complete collection of symphonic prog, you must have an ejemplar of this album. The second album ("Películas") is better yet. Shortly I will review it.

Marcos

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.

Simply Awesome!!!

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.

Overall:29/35= 4 stars

I`l make it five because of being a debut album and because of being far from Europe classical prog rock.!!

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.

3.5 stars...

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.

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.

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.

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.

The first of two master albums by the highest band Charly García has ever led. A delicate blend of classical music and symphonic rock. An album with tinges of The Moody Blues, ELP, Yes... I find similarities with Going For The One which was released the following year! "Ah Te Vi Entre Las Luces" is one of the greatest songs ever created. Everyone should listen to it, you have to believe me! Anyway... Charly had just left Sui Generis, a band in search of an original sound but never giving up on popular success and dependence on the public. Here you can see a progressive leader with a lot of potential and who seems to have already found his legitimate sound.