Customer Reviews

Cositas Buenas

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had to shake my head when I read one of the reviews expressing disappointment, even though the reviewer's disappointment was due to misinformed expectations. I hasten to add, however, that that misinformation is likely not the reviewer's fault.

The ultimate authority for American English, the Merriam Webster Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, defines "flamenco" as "a vigorous rhythmic dance style of the Andalusian Gypsies," or "a dance in this style," or "music or song accompanying or suitable to accompany such a dance..."

Contrast that with the ultimate authority on the Spanish language in Spain, the Diccionario de la Lengua Española, published by the Royal Spanish Academy. Among many other meanings, it gives this definition of the art: "[as an adjective] Indicating that which is Andalusian and which tends to reflect Gypsy characteristics. [as a noun] - Andalusian song or singing, the style or feeling, [of] the category FLAMENCO." (My own translation.) So note carefully: In its country of origin, "flamenco" is first and foremost a type of singing, not dance or guitar; it is "Andalusian" and not just "Gypsy" (which is included in the idea of "Andalusian"); and it literally goes without saying that dance and guitar are included.

Considering Merriam Webster's misinformation, it's no surprise that the disappointed reviewer criticized this album as showcasing the singing rather than the guitar - even though it doesn't: when the singing is up-front on an album the guitar stands well to the back, not what Paco does here. But it remains that the singing IS flamenco. That's part of what makes Paco so flamenco: He is the most "complete" guitarist in flamenco's history. He knows accompaniment backwards and forwards, both for the singing and the dance; his rhythm is always driving and flawless; his technique is complete and unexcelled; and he has incredible creativity. But what keeps that creativity so "flamenco" is Paco's thorough knowledge of the singing. In fact, there's never been a flamenco guitar soloist worth a damn who was not first an accompanist.

This album is superb, probably the finest album Paco's put out since the seventies. It combines old with new in wonderfully subtle ways, and is filled with surprises even for the most knowledgeable aficionados - but that was obviously one of Paco's goals in doing this album. For example, even though Paco has complete mastery of all the many flamenco guitar techniques, the one for which he is most noted is his powerful yet blindingly fast picado ("scale runs"). Yet on this album he hardly uses any - and it STILL rocks! The thumb technique on the first cut, one of several bulerías, is both mind-boggling and just incredibly "flamenco". It is in this first cut that the singing tells us something: The last verse says that there's an impromptu party with seven people, some to sing, some to dance, and Uh Oh! we forgot to bring a guitarist. "No problem" Paco joins in the chorus, "just play hand claps!" (The hand clapping in flamenco is an art in itself and requires a thorough knowledge of the particular rhythms - and Paco's right, you can accompany everything without guitar just using hand claps.)

The second cut, the title cut and a tangos, begins so simply but builds to explosive proportions. (The flamenco tangos are derived from Afro-Cuban rhythms brought back to Spain in the 19th century, very different from the Argentine variety.) The Gypsy singer says "for as much as you loved me, for as much as you adored me, and as much as I used to value that, now I value nothing; so the pains that you give me are not pains but good little things (`cositas buenas')".

The third is a soleá por bulería with incredible power and texture. Here Paco sings again to his own accompaniment, for as his song tells us, "Neither pain nor joy can exist without song, so that's why there's more singers than drops of water in the sea and grains of sand in the desert." The fourth and last cuts are the obligatory rumbas for the crowds - excellent but still my least favorites, and are certainly the least "flamenco" on the album. The fifth cut is my personal favorite, a meticulously metered bulería that is filled with surprises and joy - you can actually feel the smiles of Paco and his accompanists. The seventh cut is also a bulería, but with Tomatito as second guitarist (and Paco is the only guitarist for whom Tomatito will play second guitar) accompanying a previously unpublished recording of the deceased Camarón - rather spooky, and with more never before done flourishes on the guitar, this time using rasgueados. And the sixth cut is a tiento (a type of slow, slightly differently inflected tango) done in a manner that is completely different than any tiento done before. It's a revelation in itself, and the singer, El Cigala, returns to the theme of the album: "Come sit at my side because I have to tell you about an ocean of good little things."

So there's nothing on this album to be disappointed about. It's filled with surprises for the die-hard aficionado - but those surprises are completely lost unless the listener has a sufficient base of knowledge against which to compare. This is not Paco with DiMeola and McLaughlin, which period in Paco's career was actually a segue for the purpose of expanding his own knowledge. Paco wanted to learn jazz and other concepts since he had done everything in flamenco and needed to be revitalized. He brought those ideas back to the fold of flamenco, refined and then reshaped them. Rhythmically, jazz and rock had little to offer flamenco - actually, quite the reverse. What jazz in particular did have to offer was a great harmonic expansion, and Paco has taken full advantage of that knowledge, transforming and tremendously enlarging flamenco's harmonic scope in the process. And now he has completely absorbed that knowledge and brings to us these wonderful, "good little things," these Cositas Buenas.

I had the great privilege of seeing Paco perform at UCLA a few months back, and it was definitely one of the greatest experiences of my life. Paco de Lucia is, indisputably, a visionary of flamenco, the guitar and music.

Cositas Buenas is a very good album. There are a few tracks that feel a little too "smooth" to me, but overall, they are what I've come to expect out of Paco--perfection. As he's gotten older, his music has gained maturity, so he's not as concerned with nonstop 128th notes as much as the overall structure of the music, and he has been going in this direction for the last decade or so.

It's a very melodic album, to be sure, and I think he utilizes vocals and compas-clapping more than in his previous albums. Listening to Paco play his guitar, it is so evident that he has long since gained a complete control over the technical aspects of it, and subsequently, can bend the will of his instrument in whatever way he sees fit to advance the music. Always a visionary, Paco's superhuman musical abilities allow him to create music that is simply impossible for most people to play (a nice aspiration for those of us who play flamenco to dream of). This kind of skillful and subtle technique is especially evident in such tracks as Antonia (a buleria por solea) and El Tesorillo (tientos) very beautiful, deep tracks that embody the essence of Paco's contribution to flamenco. I also really like Casa Bernardo (rumba), which showcases Paco's tightly-knit band working together in harmony very well. Dig that sax! It's inspiring to know that not only is the man himself amazing, but so is the rest of his group, and I can tell you, from seeing them live, that they have an almost telepathic-like connection, full of energy and spirit.

I don't think it is quite as good or solemn as his previous album, Luzia, which was dedicated to his mother, but that's pretty hard to top.

This recording is nothing less than astonishing.
Whether the listener is a flamenco guitar snob, a lover vying for seduction, a lonely adolescent, Joe lunchbox cruising down the highway, a too-cool college babe, or a hopelessly romantic cubicle rabbit like myself, this is very satisfying and inspiring music. Life getting you down? This will turn your head around, strike lightning in your soul. Shrinks should prescribe this music instead of Prozac.
An incredible vitality infuses these recordings, very upbeat. Especially track 7 (Que venga el alba, or Here comes the dawn) with Tomatito and Camaron playing with Paco (the ghost of Camaron visits, thanks to modern technology) - it made the hair stand up on my neck. Even with the little easy-listening lounge piece at the end, Paco pulls it off nicely, flamenco purists be damned.
In these tragic and cynical times (as of this writing, another bomb in Baghdad killing 21 today), it is so refreshing that wonderful and surprising things can still happen in our lives, like this latest music from Paco. How someone as good as Paco de Lucia can continue to improve is a marvel to witness. With these original pieces, the "Good Little Things" (Cositas Buenas) is a humble understatement. This is a masterpiece.

Paco's previous album LUZIA is all time favorite album of mine and is a beautiful communication of pain, loss, anguish and mortality. A masterpiece of flamenco new, old or however it's percieved. It's been about 5 or 6 years now since the release of Luzia, so what would be the result of Paco's next release? Luzia part two? Well, not really.

I didn't buy Cositas Buenas the first time I saw it in the store. I was concerned about the "neuvo flamenco" sticker on the packaging. Curiousity was gnawing at me and I drove back to the store later that night to buy it. I'm very appreciative of Paco's works from his earliest recordings on, so I knew I'd have to hear it eventualy. While it's not quite the solo guitar showcase that many of his other albums are I find it to be nonetheless captivating and purposeful. On first few minutes of listening I thought to myself "awe, too bad, it's not the same strain and fervor as Luzia", but the more I listened the more it I understood and felt from it. I listened to it in it's entirety twice that night and a least a little bit everyday since then.
Thankfully, it's free of the jazziness or modernisisms that the "Neuvo Flamenco" sticker would've led me to believe. While it's not quite gritty and raw enough to be tagged as Flamenco Puro it is unquestionably Flamenco(!) My only beef with this release is the overuse of studio compressors in the recording process. While this may result in a strong, punchy recording it also sadly restricts some of the openess and reduces the dynamic range. But this has to do with the production, not the performances themselves.

The music here communicates (to me) not quite tranquility, peace or joy but instead, acceptence that perhaps he (as all of us) is not getting any younger and there's no need to prove otherwise.
Nearly any and all of Paco's past recordings seem to be a deep and painstaking process to create due to his artistic integrity. This album sounds much less strenuous and toiling then his albums of the past but still teems with all the integrity of an artist doing exactly what he wants.
The music is beautiful and positive without actualy sounding celebratory of festive. The guitar is a little softer in tone and in the mix compared to Paco's previous recordings, but I relate this to being a reflection of Paco's own relaxed mental and physical state... like a man and his art aging gracefuly with the aim of creating as he wishes at his own leisure/decision. The guitar playing is (still)absolutly world class just without the need-for-speed of a youngman with something to prove. The vocals (and handclaps and percussion) result in a beautiful blend.
Cositas Buenas is a gorgeous, fresh and new ablum from a master. It stands out as somewhat different in feel and form from anything he has released in the past. This is what we should expect and look forward to from an artist, is it not?
Paco is perhaps a little more at ease and accepting in his life now and this recording translates that well.

Luzia: a masterpiece of loss and sorrow.

Cositas Buenas: a masterpiece of acceptence and contentment.

With this new release, Cositas Buenas, Senor de Lucia has given us yet another aural viewpoint of the rich and infinite garden of Flamenco and beyond.

There are moments of sheer Music which have the ability
to bring a smile to your heart, and thankful tears to
many an eye. Paco de Lucia, in the time in which he has
graced the world with the wizardry of his art, has
been responsible for many such moments.
"Aires de Linares", "Percussion Flamenca", "Almoraima",
"Montesario de Sal", his stirring sextet take on "El Vito",
his deadly arrangements of Manuel de Falla, his
breathtaking embrace of CONCIERTO DE ARANJUEZ are
but a few of the precious moments by which de Lucia
has inspired the audiences of the world for over
30 years.

Truth to tell, after the captivating triumph of de Lucia's recording
from a few years ago, the incomparable LUZIA, many
wondered if, even for this master of the Flamenco guitar,
there were any more summits left.

COSITAS BUENAS answers that question with a
resounding affirmation of the man, his artistry,
and the Music which empowers all. If LUZIA was
the sunrise sweeping the waiting horizon, COSITAS
BUENAS is the becknoing twilight full of
playful allure, and spirits of renewal.

A masterpiece of both traditional sound and
transitional vision, de Lucia unleashes a beautiful
flurry of cabaret sorcery worthy of the immortal
Sabicas himself. Voices and instrumentalists join
for devout song meant only for the most intimate
celebration, and dedicated participation.

The air is charged with the weavings of Bulerias, Tientos,
Tango and Rumba, with a touch of Solea for special measure.
We are blessed by de Lucia's earthy song and gossamer chant,
its rolling dance and uplifting romance as sobering in scope
and focus as it is exhilirating to experience, and to share.

COSITAS BUENAS. Paco de Lucia and friends, after hours,
brewing good little things which potently deliver The
Big Picture.

Only one thing is needed to fulfill this summoning.
You. Enter cleanly, and know your own will.

Come.

. . . I initially felt I wouldn't like this disc. After all, I didn't want vocals, "palmas" (handclaps), and various other distractions.

Yet what the inimitable Paco de Lucia has done here is to definitively demonstrate the absolutely essential role vocals, "palmas," and percussion play in Flamenco music.

These seemingly extraneous elements provide the rhythmic ground and metrical interest that serve to invest Flamenco music with the energy that makes is so special--even unique--among world musics.

No, we DON'T just want to hear the guitar going off; we want, instead, to hear the guitar situated in a rhythmic context that both frames it and provides it with the occasion to shine.

That is the genius of the absolutely remarkable and even revelatory disc: Paco de Lucia has completely understood and imagined the optimal setting for his spectacular music and rendered it with a faithfulness and lucidity seldom if ever encountered before.

Pass this one up at your peril.

How in your right mind can you not enjoy a Paco De Lucia album? I mean: the guy is a genius and he's helped shape Flamenco for the past 40+ years. This is his first album in a while, and one that pays tribute to the genre that he's so well known for, by sticking to the basics: his guitar, hand clapping and six different vocalists sporting heart tearing voices interpreting his bulerias, rumbas and tientos. My favorite tracks are "Patio Custodio", Antonia" and "Que Venga El Alba". By all means, get yourself a copy and chill out to the best Spanish guitar in the world.

What a striking CD this is! It is easy to stand in awe of De Lucia when you listen to him with Al De Meola, but until you get down to him in his own element, flamenco, you just don't appreciate what a compelling and passionate musicians he is.
This is not a set of fireworks, but more the smoldering intensely passionate burning of a heart and soul dedicated to a sublime expression of the human heart. Acoompanied simply by the handclapping palmas and the singing of a small chorus, this is an intimate recording, not a big production showcase, and thus comes its seductive allure.
Images of women dancing flamenco will whirl through your imagination. intercut with reflections on Spain's Sephardic and Moorish cultural vestiges. Soul music of the most sublime order! Throughout it is as though you do not even notice the craft and skill of De Lucia's fretwork, fingering and plectum; yet, in the end he has nourished your soul in ways you were unprepared for and unaware of.
If you are an afficianado of flamenco, I can't imagine that you will find a finer exposition than this CD. If you have an avocation for world music, this is a master expressing himself with such power and grace that you must pick this up.

5 stars for this album, not for regular "guitar flashing-fast riffs" addicts; more for those looking for depth on arrangement and composition, those searching for the nuevo Flamenco.
In response to "ggprep" comments, a line from Paco's Zyryab: " Si tu no tiene soniquete pa que te mete".

The first time that I saw De Lucia perform, almost a quarter of a century ago in Toronto, I didn't know who he was. I had come to see the other two guitarist on the bill, John McLaughlin and Al Demeola, and I couldn't imagine how this unknown Spanish guy could possibly share a stage with universe-class guitarists at the peak of their creative powers. What a surprise I got. It wasn't that De Lucia was more lyrical than Demeola and, mindbogglingly, faster than McLaughlin, it was that he hit every note he played dead centre all night. I had never experienced in concert the incredible mixture of beauty and technique that his playing so effortlessly displayed. I have been a big fan ever since, and it is delightful to hear him still making marvelous music with grace, imagination and originality. The inclusion of voices on this CD make it a little different from the Spanish and Catalan guitar music most people are familiar with, but the playing is a delight to listen to from the first cut to the last. This is De Lucia's first album in some time, and his skill is not in the least diminished. Anyone who loves guitar music should give this a listen.