LA MÁQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS

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.

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. This record is more eclectic and ambitious than it's predecesor but , in my opinion , it does not have a standout tune like Ah te vi entre las luces. However it's a really enjoyable release.

When comparing it to the first record one first realizes that Peliculas is much calmer and jazzier. The first track is an instrumental called Obertura 777. It satrts with an acoustic intro and then has a subtle funky beat , it sounds like smooth jazz sometimes. The second track Marilyn , la Cenicienta y las Mujeres reminds me of Garcia's following band Serú Girán. It's a sophisticated rock song including synthetizers and a little chorus. No te dejes desanimar is one of the highlight's here: A majestic ballad with very interesting vocal harmonies , delicate piano playing and some violin that reminds me of Gentle Giant like another reviewer stated. Que se puede hacer... starts like a Santana song , and you can tell Charly's growing appreciation in this song and the following Hipercandombe. "El vendedor de las muñecas de plastico" sounds like a progressive tv advertisement. It's hilarious!! Ruta perdedora is another highlight here , it has emotional lyrics and impressive synthetizer sounds. The record finishes with the jazz -fusion like instrumental "En las calles de Costa Rica"

This record shows us the transition between La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros and Seru Giran , and in spite of not having epic-size tracks it's a very well composed album full of interesting ideas.

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.

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.

A cross between the flamenco tinged symphonic prog of mid 1970s Spain and a certain Latin American jazz sensibility, La Maquina were 6 skilled musicians that produced this eclectic album. From the appealing opening instrumental "Obertura 777" to the overtly romantic and Italian sounding "No Te Dejes Desanimar" to the soft jazzy ballad "Que Se Puede Hacer Salvo Ver Peliculas" to the very bass dominated "En Las Calles De Costa Rica", the album has wide cross over appeal. The mix of keyboards and guitars is well balanced, as are the variations in tempo. What it lacks is a piece that really grabs me and gets me to return back regularly for a visit. Nonetheless, many fans here would enjoy this, hence the good rating and special recommendation for fans of the various sub-genres upon which La Maquina touches.

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!

En las calles de Costa Rica, instrumental song to close the album, every instrument perfectly engaged to create a versatile composition with a very good work at the bass by Jose Luis Fernandez

For me, Peliculas is an excellent addition to any prog music collection: A very complete album, good voices work and creative instrumentalization. 4 stars

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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.

An excellent addition to any prog music collection, an essential album of symphonic prog-rock