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| Track List: 1. The Soundmaker 2. Torito 3. Sunday Neurosis 4. Misty Moses 5. Somnium 6. FRAM 7. Megalopolis 8. The Russian Messenger 9. La salle des pas perdus Running time: 40 minutes Released: 2014 |
The first current year album in the list, and interestingly one where every track apparently have a dedication. Quirky.
I am looking forward to this as I have not had a chance to listen to any of these tracks yet. I've heard them once each, but not listened.
And it's straight into hooks that remind me of the moment I first saw Rodrigo y Gabriela. I was watching a BBC program on world music (yeah, I know) and they featured somewhere. I do not recall exactly where, but the clip was of them with their guitars just launching into something acoustically; from the Beeb's Glasto coverage one year. I was immediately smitten and rushed to order. Then did not really pay attention to what arrived. My bad. It will all be rectified soon, as they will be the first artists I listen to twice in this project.
A five minute track is over in what seems like a two minute tornado. The speed and accuracy of the pickings astounds me - as someone who never looked to learn guitar; I was a (poor) pianist in my youth - but because I am no aficionado I would not know where to rank them, nor care to do so. Instead I will just enjoy what is clearly applied talent. It does not even make me wish I could play like that, the way my favourite pianists do. I do not feel that I want to be able to play guitar; I am happy being able to enjoy when others do.
It is funny. I wrote in my last piece that long tracks with not much interest lead to longer rambling posts. This is a short album, full of ~5 minute pieces, and it seems to be going by in a whirlwind; though Sunday Neurosis calms down what had been a blistering pace it doesn't lessen the intensity because my mind is now conditioned to expecting the calm to break.
I have no frame of reference for comparisons; RyG are like nothing else I have in my library. Maybe if I like them so much I should look to expand my knowledge of guitar virtuousos? I am sceptical; I am certainly not interested in electric guitar soloists as a rule. I can never break the association that someone made way back when that it was too much like a masturbation substitute. I think the key with this music is that there are two of them, in tandem... it is not just all about one guy flaying himself to prove his awesomeness. The call/response, the intertwining, the harmonies, the spin offs are all key to my enjoyment here, as is the fact it is acoustic. I guess the flamenco appearance (to uncultured ears) also helps... it places it outside the realms of my biases and preconceptions - of which I am fully cognisant - and thus allows me to enjoy it without feeling guilty, dirty or otherwise compromised (a silly feeling, but since when are humans rational?).
I am amazed how even within regular-length songs there seem to be several pieces. The time is flying by, but it seems to have slowed down in order to allow me to notice switches between tracks that are not even there. I blame that on the awful weather. I can hear traffic slooshing along the sodden road outside whenever the full sound that is most commonly evident in this record dies or gives space to something softer and it makes it seem like they have moved on to something new when that background nuisance fades back behind the wall of twang.
The last track finishes, leaving me feeling empty, hearing the wetness outside and wondering what to do next. I could simply press play again and not be bored but it is time to get on with evening chores and getting into the right frame of mind to go back to work tomorrow after a rained-off bank holiday.
And it's straight into hooks that remind me of the moment I first saw Rodrigo y Gabriela. I was watching a BBC program on world music (yeah, I know) and they featured somewhere. I do not recall exactly where, but the clip was of them with their guitars just launching into something acoustically; from the Beeb's Glasto coverage one year. I was immediately smitten and rushed to order. Then did not really pay attention to what arrived. My bad. It will all be rectified soon, as they will be the first artists I listen to twice in this project.
A five minute track is over in what seems like a two minute tornado. The speed and accuracy of the pickings astounds me - as someone who never looked to learn guitar; I was a (poor) pianist in my youth - but because I am no aficionado I would not know where to rank them, nor care to do so. Instead I will just enjoy what is clearly applied talent. It does not even make me wish I could play like that, the way my favourite pianists do. I do not feel that I want to be able to play guitar; I am happy being able to enjoy when others do.
It is funny. I wrote in my last piece that long tracks with not much interest lead to longer rambling posts. This is a short album, full of ~5 minute pieces, and it seems to be going by in a whirlwind; though Sunday Neurosis calms down what had been a blistering pace it doesn't lessen the intensity because my mind is now conditioned to expecting the calm to break.
I have no frame of reference for comparisons; RyG are like nothing else I have in my library. Maybe if I like them so much I should look to expand my knowledge of guitar virtuousos? I am sceptical; I am certainly not interested in electric guitar soloists as a rule. I can never break the association that someone made way back when that it was too much like a masturbation substitute. I think the key with this music is that there are two of them, in tandem... it is not just all about one guy flaying himself to prove his awesomeness. The call/response, the intertwining, the harmonies, the spin offs are all key to my enjoyment here, as is the fact it is acoustic. I guess the flamenco appearance (to uncultured ears) also helps... it places it outside the realms of my biases and preconceptions - of which I am fully cognisant - and thus allows me to enjoy it without feeling guilty, dirty or otherwise compromised (a silly feeling, but since when are humans rational?).
I am amazed how even within regular-length songs there seem to be several pieces. The time is flying by, but it seems to have slowed down in order to allow me to notice switches between tracks that are not even there. I blame that on the awful weather. I can hear traffic slooshing along the sodden road outside whenever the full sound that is most commonly evident in this record dies or gives space to something softer and it makes it seem like they have moved on to something new when that background nuisance fades back behind the wall of twang.
The last track finishes, leaving me feeling empty, hearing the wetness outside and wondering what to do next. I could simply press play again and not be bored but it is time to get on with evening chores and getting into the right frame of mind to go back to work tomorrow after a rained-off bank holiday.
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