LA MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS

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.