ANACRUSA II

This isn’t really a very good album as far as I’m concerned. Only a few songs would qualify as progressive folk, and those only on the strength of some mildly creative flute and acoustic guitar arrangements. On the whole I’d say this is closer to run-of-the-mill contemporary adult music.

I don’t speak the language but I’m pretty sure these guys are singing Portuguese. The vocalist Susana Lago also plays piano and something that sounds like a pump organ. Her voice is pleasant enough but without much range or depth, and seems a bit weak at times.

Several tracks like “Coplas de Cundinamarca”, “Calfucurá” and “Saqué mi Corazón de la Tierra Quemada” come off as rather pedestrian seventies soft rock, although on the latter two there is some fair piano/flute interplay to offset the average vocals. Two tracks (“Polo Coriano” and “Palmera”) are heavy on piano and flute (there are two flautists in the band). “Polo Coriano” is an instrumental, and had the band put together an entire album in the vein of this one it would have been much stronger than the mixing in of contemporary vocalized songs.

Really the biggest problem with this record is that it is so one-dimensional. Flute and piano arrangements with some tepid female singing (occasionally backed by male chorals); that’s about it. Not the kind of record that is going to get people all excited, and one that obviously has been largely forgotten in the thirty-plus years since it released, probably for good reason. I’m going to say this is a two star effort that the band’s fans undoubtedly appreciated in its time, but which has no real hope of attracting many new progressive music fans today.

peace

Second offering from this Argentinian Folk Rock group,simply entitled ''Anacrusa II'', just a year after their self-titled debut.This time leaders Josè Luis Castineira De Dios and Susana Lago have shortened the line-up to a sextet and try to sound a little more closer to rock music.

Side A opens with a couple of tracks close to Latin Folk with dominant flutes and acoustic guitars and Susana Lago delivering some of his best vocal harmonies.''Polo coriano'' is a Symphonic Folk instrumental number with nice piano and flutes,leaning to pure Folk towards the end.With ''Palmero'' Anacrusa get back to their Folk side.Flute work byJulio Pardo is again excellent and the classical guitar of Castineira is lovely,not to mention the excellency of Lago's voice again.''Zamba de la Despedida'' is a nice instrumental Symphonic piece with a mellow atmosphere,featuring good organ,piano and flutes and a sign of the band switching to a more adventurous style.

Side B opens with ''Homenaje'',an acoustic crescendo of Castineira with Pardo's flutes supporting and Lago on an orgasmic, almost operatic performance.''Saqué Mi Corazón de la Tierra Quemada'' is a soft, pastoral instrumental mini-Symphony with a dreamy atmosphere,based on piano and flutes,but with strong bass work as well.The longest track of the album ''Calfucura'' (and the closing one as well) shows much more intensity.This is again a piece of Symphonic Folk with good interplays between keys,flutes,guitars and the rhythm section,Classical-influenced parts and a generally captivating sound with strong performance by the mass of the musicians partcipating.

''Anacrusa II'' was a good forward step for the band,which started to flirt with symphonic arrangements and to sound really interesting.The album has a very soft atmosphere though,but it is played with a definite rock attitude.Recommended to both Symphonic and Folk Prog fans.