SORPRESA DEL TIEMPO

An awesome show indeed!! The concert is enhanced with the music of a Philharmonic Orchestra that really fills most of the songs (all tracks except 8, 11, 12, 13 and 14) but never interferes with the original versions. The recording and production of the concert is superb and in cases IMO better than the original versions (like in "Obertura", "Oda al Tulipan" and "Esto es Iluminacion"). I think the highlight of the album is the version of "Hombres Solos (El Caiman)" and the outstanding bass playing of Cesar Bustamante, which in the original studio versions is, at moments, not possible to fully appreciate (he is specially great in Avenida Larco, Pastas, Pepas y otros Postres and Oda al Tulipan, one of my personal all time Fragil favorites). Of course the other members do their jobs great, as always. Here they make an extended amazing version of "Hombres Solos (El Caiman)", with extra choruses and flute, guitar and saxophone (Jean Pierre Magnet) solos. "Le Dicen Rock" is for sure not one of their best songs, but it has become a tradition in Fragil concerts to end the show with that song (check out the lyrics to find out why). The thing i will never understand is why the &%´*^! they put "El Abuelo" in the album, is just a mere fill, is not even a song. After the "Avenida Larco" tribute part of the show (they play all of that incredible album's songs except for "Floral") they play "Animales", one of people's favorite and a great rocker in my opinion, from the album "Serranio". And finally they play "Caras" a new song only available here, also a rocker with pop elemnts and a repetitive chorus, with a cool interlude starring Cesar Bustamante and Jorge Durand, and the fretless main riff of Tavo Castillo. The Bonus Tracks are IMO outstanding songs, Fotograma has a cool intro with keyboards and very good lyrics about nostalgic thoughts of youth, and Sorpresa del Tiempo is one of my favorites, an excellent balad with a latin air brought by Tavo Castillo's flute and Dulude's fine voice that really brings feeling to the song, great. Not a masterpiece but one of the best live albums i've heard. Get "Avenida Larco" first, then "Cuento Real", then this one..... if you are not peruvian, buy whatever Fragil album you find!! I guarantee no regrets.