Customer Reviews

Commercial

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I almost feel as if they winged it on this one. Though this CD is still good, it's just not their best work to date. I will admit that topping their previous work is challenging, but creativity was lacking here. I feel that they "recycled" a lot from their previous recordings.

But check it out and let me know if you agree or disagree with me. I still love LAI, and will see them in concert come August here in Southern California, but I only wish they would've given it their all.

Los Amigos Invisibles are funk!!! If you want into the secrets of the Venezuelan Party time gozadera, look no further. Their style encapsulates, fathoms and transcends R&B and funk. This is a band so tightly honed they make every jawbreaking funk break sounds like an effortless display of perfection!!! Jangly and percussive guitar, fever-hot organ chops, tight basslines- ever-fluid but omni-deep, and lest we forget the drums. Tighter than a fist. There is so much butter and cream on this it just makes me weak in the knees. Do yourself a favor and learn what I've know Since 1995! Los Amigos Invisibles are rhythm incarnate! Just over 50 minutes of the kind of funk usually reserved for immortals and denizens of the lower planes of funky good times. Brother please. If you buy this you need to go get "Not So Commercial" and now you've got a party.

The only LAI song I heard of prior to Commercial or Comercial was "Gorditas de Mario" thanks to the wonderful KCRW Presents: Sounds Eclectico album. I bought the track then focused my attention on another band from the album, the Mexico-based Plastilina Mosh. Fortunately, my internet radio recently decided to randomly play "Sueno Erotico" from Commercial and boy did I realize what I missed of this group. I don't think every song on Commercial is a winner--at least considering I don't understand much of the lyrics--but some of the tracks could be HUGE singles. So catchy! "Vivire Para Ti" has got to be one of the most enjoyable, poppy songs I've heard in ages...and Natalia Lafourcade's voice on the song was perfect! I'm not normally someone who likes a bubbly romantic pop song (assuming that's what it is) but the song is fantastic. I've probably listened to the song 20 times in the first month since I bought it. Interestingly, the acoustic version on YouTube is different and yet just as good as the album version.

Other good tracks besides Sueno Erotico and Vivire Para Ti are Loco Por Tu Amor and In Love With U.

The challenge for LAI is that despite their catchy music, their tracks can be all over the place on an album, and that makes it tough to give a full recommendation. They can use their funky sound well on one track and then the next song is so different and rock oriented that it's tough to listen to the album in full. For example, does the short hard rock "Merengue Killa" work well with the traditionally-sounding song "Oyeme Nina"? Yo creo que no.

That being said, lots of winners on the album and good enough to buy due to many solid tracks. I just hope LAI gets a more stable album next time. And if they or Natalia are listening, let's get Vivire Para Ti into a music video on MTV in the US. It's too good of a song not to really promote on the radio, TV, etc. Natalia's voice is just magical--hopefully her move to Ottawa won't dull her voice at all. Then again, if she can learn to sing in English like in Spanish...she can be as successful as Feist. And that's a compliment.

Refreshing and fun! The lyrics show the incomparable sense of humor of Venezuelan people! My favorite song is "Mentiras".

Over the last few years I've purchased and listened to a lot of Mexican electronica music. It's excellent and quite enjoyable. You might refer to this as Latin music, and also dance music. Evidently, the Amazon computer pegged me as someone who likes Latin dance music. Well, I do. In general, I don't particularly care for Latin music, but Latin dance music can be outstanding. In any case, I seem to be on their list and I receive recommendations for various Latin dance discs. One of the latest is a CD by Los Amigos Invisibles titled "Commercial." The act is out of Venezuela and consists of six musicians playing guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion and drums with a lead vocalist and background vocals.

The vocals are in Spanish on all of the tracks except one. As a non-Spanish speaker, I find this somewhat distracting but the music is excellent enough to overcome this minor distraction. One track is in English ("In Luv With U") and is quite well done. Four of the tracks are a minute or less long (#1,4,10, and 13) and are throwaways. The CD would be better without them. One track is only a minute long ("Merengue Killa") but is quite good and could be expanded. My favorite track is "Burrundanga," perhaps because not only is the music excellent, but it's all instrumental. All of the rest of the tracks are quite good, easy to listen to and excellent dance music.

The title of the album is "Commercial," perhaps an indication that they are trying to have a big seller. Well, these guys are good and could indeed be commercial. I'd suggest they might turn out an album with the lyrics almost totally in English and direct it to the American market.

Gary Peterson

Need some music for a warm summer's eve? Want it smooth...and funky...and danceable? Oh, and did I say fun? I love this unpretentious album from a bunch of guys who seem to be happy with their lot in life. A bit like George Clinton meets Sergio Mendez. You'll see what I mean...

Ah, Los Amigos Invisibles. Never has a group touched my musical sensibilities like these six fine gents. "Commercial" is the sextet's sixth offering, their fifth original album (their last disc, "Super Pop Venezuela," was their own versions of various past Latin hits) and as with all other LAI discs it is an eclectic mix of rock, Latin, funk, jazz and dance ... sometimes all rolled up into one! For me, the best tune is easily "Dulce," ("Sweet") a jammin' foot tappin'-head swivlin' offering that highlights songwriter/guitarist José Luís Pardo's ("Cheo") Nile Rodgers-esque funk guitar in concert with José Rafael Torres' ("Catire") thumpin' bass line. The female voices that accompany Julio Briceño's always-stellar vocals make for pure melodic glee. "Mentiras" ("Lies"), the first [video] release off the album, is next on my list of most-kickin' tunes. "Mentiras" is vintage LAI -- an extremely well-written song that accents each band members' best -- but at the same time its lyrics are as facetious and as devious as ever! "Plastic Woman" really tickles my fancy; if you know anything about LAI you'll know they're huge fans of the dance-funk bands of the 70s/early 80s, and here they make use of a classic Vocoder which accentuates the main vocals absolutely perfectly! But hey -- again, that's what LAI does best, after all: incorporate myriad genres into a sound uniquely their own!

Also worth repeated listenings are the beautiful "Loco Por Tu Amor" ("Crazy For Your Love") which features percussionist Mauricio Arcas on lead vocals and sounding possibly the best that he ever has; "Oyeme Nena" ("Listen To Me, Baby") is a very nice traditional Latin rhythm offering; and, "In Love With You," an agreeable slow rocker, demonstrates that Julio Briceño has lost virtually all his accent when singing in English.

Great job, mis panas!

El album "Commercial" de Los Amigos Invisibles sigue mas o menos la misma linea del trabajo anterior de la banda. Combinando un sonido sabroso que sirve de puente entre musica latina y acid jazz, el grupo sigue creando material para bailar y disfrutar.

El album ofrece alternativas a la voz de Julio, el cantante de siempre tales como el chileno Jorge Gonzalez, de Los Prisioneros y la mexicana Natalia Lafourcade, lo cual refresca un tanto el sonido de la banda .

Tracks memorables: los temas "Mentiras" y "Oyeme Nena", que sin duda se convertiran en nuevos clasicos de la banda.

Los Amigos Invisibles make music that is energizing, refreshing, relieving and soothing. If you need a permanent escape from everydays troubles ... they are better than any therapy. Score their latest CD and smile !!! And if you like it you're bound to like their previous albums too. Check out Arepa 2000 and The Venezuelan Zingason: masterworks in their kind. Friends for ever!

Is'true...."The new song of venezuelan Gozadera" or maybe "Arepa 3000" are amazing CD's.... but this one is as good an the other two with a kind of different twist... tri it !!!