Customer Reviews

Flamenco On Fire

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album shows the virtuosity of Sabicas, unencumbered by Cante (singing) or any other accompaniment--it is solely solo guitar. The album includes traditional flamenco styles (like Guajiras, Farruca, and Verdiales) as well as some other styles (like Ritmos del Paraguay) adapted brilliantly by Sabicas for the flamenco guitar. A couple things about the recording: several tracks on this album also appear on "All the Best Spanish Flamenco", but I would recommend this album if you're interested in the guitar as I am. Also, some of the tracks on this CD are identical (like #1 and #11, #3 and #15), but I never mind listining for a second time. There is some skipping on track 1, but track 11 is the same piece and is flawless. I think this is the best solo flamenco guitar recording I own. It is technically amazing, yet deeply musical and soulful.

It is a treat to hear Sabicas' unaccompanied guitar work, but the packaging is inexplicably careless. It's more than the problem of skipping on the first track, or its repetition. The last FIVE tracks are repetitions of earlier tracks, and the insert gives no information about the songs, their traditions, or the artist, a man with a very interesting story. The insert also only has a sadly patronizing little bit about "authentic" music, but nothing on what that this authenticity means or why it is so fascinating.

Sabicas (1913-1990) was a grand master flamenco guitarist. This album features almost an hour of first rate traditional flamenco guitar music. Sabicas' old school style should appeal to traditionalists and fans of "neuevo flamenco" as well.

The only reason I didn't give this cd 5 stars is because of some "skating" on the first track. A friend's copy does the same thing in the same spot, so there might be a flaw in the master from which these were pressed.

WOW!! Legendary playing of beautifully traditional songs. It's impossible to say anything negative about this disc either from a musician or listener view point. We are lucky to have recordings of a genious in action like this. surprisingly good production as well. yeah, the 1st track has a skip - who cares. six stars. Ole!!

The Art of the Guitar, Flamenco, Flamenco on Fire*, Studio 102 Essentials, Flamenco Fiesta Gitana, Sabicas and Classical Guitar(!) are all the same album under different titles, so check which version is cheapest before you buy! "Art" is the original LP title, and the CD has the same photo on the cover. 8 of the 10 tracks also appear on Flamenco Highlights from Spain, for what it's worth.

This album is from late in Sabicas's career, without the fire of his earlier recordings but with perhaps more variety and attention to beautiful melodies: "Ritmos del Paraguay" (triple-tracked) is a version of the old Trio Los Paraguayos harp favourite, "Bell Bird" ("Pájaro campano"). Oyanguren's "Fantasía Inca" has an introduction that's not in the version Sabicas recorded for Elektra on Sabicas Vol. 2 (reissued on La Guitarra Flamenca).

It's a beautiful album even if if you just love the Spanish guitar and aren't particularly into Flamenco.

The sheet music of "Damasco" has been published (along with five other Danzas Moras) in Danzas Arabes, capably transcribed by Alain Faucher (Affedis Publications). "Fantasía Inca" is in Volume IV of Gendai Guitar's Flamenco anthologies.

*"on Fire" reportedly has a tendency to skate, so perhaps it's best to avoid that one.

1956 found me in the U.S. Navy and a fellow shipmate from Clovis, NM had two LP's of Sabicas. We listened to them for the two and a half years we spent in the USS Shangri-La. Those years made me a Sabicas fan and I was delighted to find Flamenco on Fire at Amazon. If you have never experienced Sabicas, and you love spanish quitar, then try Flamenco on Fire.

I grew up listening to Sabicas on my father's old 78 rpm record. He had Segovia and some others but Sabicas was always his favorite and mine, too!

Over the years, it has gotten misplaced so I am so excited to be able to give him Sebicas, the greatest artist for Christmas.

The Art of the Guitar, Flamenco, Flamenco on Fire*, Studio 102 Essentials, Flamenco Fiesta Gitana and Classical Guitar(!) are all the same album under different titles, so check which version is cheapest before you buy! "Art" is the original LP title, and the CD has the same photo on the cover. 8 of the 10 tracks also appear on Flamenco Highlights from Spain, for what it's worth.

This album is from late in Sabicas's career, without the fire of his earlier recordings but with perhaps more variety and attention to beautiful melodies: "Ritmos del Paraguay" (triple-tracked) is a version of the old Trio Los Paraguayos harp favourite, "Bell Bird" ("Pájaro campano"). Oyanguren's "Fantasía Inca" has an introduction that's not in the version Sabicas recorded for Elektra on Sabicas Vol. 2 (reissued on La Guitarra Flamenca).

It's a beautiful album even if if you just love the Spanish guitar and aren't particularly into Flamenco.

The sheet music of "Damasco" has been published (along with five other Danzas Moras) in Danzas Arabes, capably transcribed by Alain Faucher (Affedis Publications). "Fantasía Inca" is in Volume IV of Gendai Guitar's Flamenco anthologies.

*"on Fire" reportedly has a tendency to skate, so perhaps it's best to avoid that one.

Sabicas is a master, there is no doubt. This cd comprising mostly of solo flamenco guitar work (there is at least one duet that I can remember off the top of my head) so if you are learning guitar, I think it is a must. The songs are beautiful, powerful, and moving. The album is worth a purhcase for his version of Fantasia Inca alone.

I gave the album 5 stars because the music is easily worth 5 stars. However, the packaging is cheap and when I loaded it into my i-tunes, one song always seems to copy with some skips so there may have been some issues with the master as someone else has stated. Anyway, I would still recommend this album and flimsy packaging has never detered me since I am far more interested in the music but I can see how many would be disappointed considering there is no information whatsoever beyond song title and length.

My two cents: I bought this and The Greatest Flamenco Guitarist, which has twenty-one tracks and cost three times as much. I listen to this one much more, hands down.