Customer Reviews

Bandidos Rurales

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Gieco has been referred more than once as the Argentinian Bob Dylan, and this is quite appropriate as long as you qualify the possible reasons for such comparison. In my opinion, Dylan and Gieco share two fundamental elements: a courageous integrity and commitment to popular music, and a passionate willingness to honor a country's traditional roots while incorporating contemporary forms of it.
So here you have raunchy rock'n'roll alongside with Chamamé (a popular form in Argentina's north), South American folk and stunning contemporary ballads. The album holds a rather high level throughout, yet there are some standout tracks like Sin Querer and La Memoria, which alone deserve the purchase of this CD. If you know Spanish, these two songs' lyrics will move you immensely, whereas Sin Querer is the statement of a man accepting life and appreciating beyond judgment, La Memoria is a roll call of the injustices that Latin America has suffered during the twentieth century. Both conceived and realized completely, without falling in clichés or becoming a mere political pamphlet, which not being a coincidence at all, also award him comparisons with Bob Dylan.

This CD is one of the most amazing collections I have ever heard. Leon Gieco is rapidly rising into the top echelon of my favorite songwriters in any language. I've begun the painstaking task of translating these songs into English for myself. His facility with words and music are on a par with Bob Dylan and The Beatles. This album alternates between beautiful gentle folk pop and rock, to harder edged rock with jam band influences. Additionally, his lyrics come from and promote a world view that seems to value peace and champion the poor. This is the best CD I have heard in a long, long time.