Customer Reviews

Reves Yosoy

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pensé que ya se había inventado todo en el rock latino: clásico, progresivo, pesado, folclórico, bailable, hip hop, etc., pero nunca que fuera a escuchar algún día un disco como "Revés". Este disco te deja con la boca abierta, las secuencias electrónicas, las de cuerdas y clarinetes, y el baile típico "zapateado" son sorprendentes y únicas. Y "Yosoy" es un disco que se aleja totalmente de lo que hicieron los Tacubos en "Re" y "Avalancha de Exitos", ya no hay instrumentos típicos y letras festivas, las canciones son reposadas y muy profundas, también con una clara influencia electrónica. Café Tacuba está ahora a años luz de cualquier otra banda latina, y estos dos discos demuestran que el rock en español está más vivo que nunca y que puede compararse tranquilamente con el rock estadounidense o inglés. Y hasta superarlo...

I thought everything was already invented in Latin Rock: classic, progressive, heavy, folklore, dance, hip hop, etc., but I never thought I'd listen an album like "Revés". This album leaves your jaws wide open, the electronic tracks, besides the classic sequences and the folkloric kicking-floor dancing are amazing and unique. And "Yosoy" falls apart from the former albums "Re" and "Avalancha de Exitos", there aren't typical instruments and groovy lyrics, now the songs are quiet and very spiritual, also with a sharp electronic influence. Cafe Tacuba is lightyears away from other Latin bands, and this double album proves that Latin Rock is more alive than ever, it can be perfectly compared with and surpass over British and States' rock.

With Reves/Yosoy, Cafe Tacuba proves that they are not only the most unique band in the world, but also the most literate. Reves has got to be the best instrumental album of the 90's. Whether it's working with Kronos Quartet to simply using the stomping feet of Mexico's Ballet Folklorico, the album oozes a mixture of spontaneity and inventiveness that is rarely seen. However, Yosoy takes Cafe Tacuba to another level. It is a truly conceptual album without the pretentiosness of being conceptual. It does not stick its nose in the air and preach to us. It only tells us simple truths. The first song tells us about a kid who has turned into the man he most hates-his father. But instead of being disgusted with himself, he learns to see the world through his father's eyes and rejoices in his new found perspective. This is the way the album goes. It's a huge puzzle and every song seems to be an intricate piece to that puzzle. El Polen talks about the 'sex life' of pollen. Why? You have to listen to the person's self- loathing for himself in the previous song. As always with Cafe Tacuba, musical styles range from the simple(El Polen) to the musically rich(the very Beatlesque El Ave). I haven't heard an album that is so completely satisfying since Sgt. Pepper. If you speak spanish, buy this album. If you don't, get someone to translate it for you. It's a much tougher listen than Re and Avalancha de Exitos but, if you have patience, you will rewarded with an album for the ages. Viva la Banda Chilanga!

The most appealing element that draws the listener in, after the first listening is its diversity of sound. The songs move in musical extremes(from tribal like drumming to short clasical pieces) with a subtle fluidity. The band simply doesn't seem to be pulled in to any particualr style for too long. Yet, each piece, regardless of its particular sound, appears to have been made with the utmost expertise within its corresponding musical structure. Overall it's just a stunning work in contemporary rock, from anywhere in the world. Ultimately Cafe Tacuba has completely redefined where pop music's full potential really lies.

Where did this band come from? Or, more importantly, where have I been? The album Reves seems to be the Mexican equivelant of TNT by tortoise, and the second album has a more mainstream, yet still pastoral to the point of sublime. Their mastery of melody is remarkable; it is rare that you hear a hook these days that is completely fresh. Some pastoral music takes you to a familiar place, somewhere special, maybe nostalgic: this band takes me somewhere, but to a place completely new and foreign. It is very rare of a band to have that kind of effect on myself. This quality was present in early 80's era Midnight Oil, King Crimson, early Pink Floyd, and Brian Eno. However, never in this context. It is quite obvious that these people know what they are doing, and they are quite capable of the execution of their ideas. A must for those who listen for the true cutting edge of contemorary music.

Few words can i use to describe one of the best double albums i have ever heard in my life, the tracks on Reves show that cafe is still progressing and evolving into something that will not be understood until a few years from now. The deep lyrics and great music, the diversity and the fact that all members of the band sing and contribute to this album sure makes it worth the wait since RE. Listen to it once you might not understand, but listen again and it will grip you and...will not let go...i am still possessed by the shear artwork and genius of reves/yo soy.

In 1999 Café Tacvba released this double album entitled `Reves/Yo soY' (both were also sold separately) Again, the graphic design is very unusual but compelling at the same time, the double cd edition didn't have any bonus at all but the two cd's in a carton box with a very suggestive design on it.

The idea behind this double album seemed interesting but odd at the same time: `Yo soy' would include 52 new tracks (they are actually 15, but two of them are divided into many) from the band and `Reves' would include 12 instrumental themes original from the band and performed by themselves and other artists, such as Kronos Quartet, Arghul and Compañia Nacional de Danza Folklorica.

Yo soY

This album is different from its antecessors, we listen to a more mature and calm band, the vocal style of Nru has obviously improved from last album (listen to `El rio' and you will know what I'm talking about) and the mature ness of the band is present in the entire album. This album may not contain their most famous pieces but I believe what happened is that a lot of people got so caught with `Re' that they were expecting something similar.

Songs like `El rio', `El polen' (sung again by Emmanuel) are pieces that didn't transcend as much as `La locomotora' for example, but that are very interesting pieces, the piano and the vocals in `El polen' are something like never before shown in their albums, `Bicicleta' is another very interesting piece from this disc.

Reves

Among all the Café Tacvba albums this is the one I find the most experimental. It contains 9 instrumental songs performed by the band in a variety of styles that are hard to define. One of the highlights of these is track 9, that would later be entitled `Reves'.

The most interesting pieces from this album are tracks 7, 8 and 10. `10' is a musical piece made with the sound of people dancing, what you actually listen to is people stomping their feet on the ground directed by Nieves Paniagua, this track gives you a sense of emptiness on the performance but it definitely is one of a kind song. `5.1' performed by `Arghul' is a classical type piece performed with `clarinetes'. The last piece is `M.C.' performed by none other that the `Kronos Quartet', this song is just beautifully played and well executed.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable album for any Café Tacvba fan interested in the evolution of the band and not in having another `Re'. It shows an evolution and mature ness, but it is not definitely the ideal album if you are going to listen to them for the first time, you had better buy their first two albums, enjoy them, understand them and then listen to how they evolved in these two interesting pieces that are `Reves/Yo soY'

If you just listen to this album once, you will be impressed by its fresh sound and by the amount of thought and experience that obviously went into its creation. Some songs are catchier than others. But if you listen several times, you will begin to see a pattern in the album that proves without a doubt that the Tacubanos are one of a kind. The lyrics, the instrumentals, the structures, the silent moments, even the credits- they all all support the main theme of the album which is in the title "Reverse"- opposites, reversals, complements. With each listening, I feel more refreshed and introspective. One of the best albums I have ever found.

Café Tacuba ha hecho de este, su cuarto album, un jardín de sonido completamente experimental y llegando a un nivel más allá de las entrañas del rock latino conocido. REVES es puramente hecho al gusto de los integrantes del grupo, el mismo una composición interesante de diferentes mezclas de ritmos y sonido, creado al gusto de todos en mente. YOSOY evoca al sonido tradicional de la banda, pero a la vez hecho con más articulación que trabajos como RE, el cual a veces resultaba caótico en su contraste de sonidos de selección en selección. Melancólica a veces pero poco enérgico en general, esta es una salida completa de lo general conocido dentro del género del rock latino. En conclusión: Si le gustó RE, especialmente canciones como "Pez", "Verde", "El Tatloani del Barrio" y "Las Flores"... esta nueva composición será extremadamente satisfactoria para Usted.

These guys are re-inventing music!! It is such a refreshing CD!! After years of being bombarded with the boy bands and the britney spears, and the limp biscuits this album is an oasis of beauty, creativity, talent, and courage! Once you listen to this album you will get hooked forever! It is like nothing you have heard in your life! Buy it!

On this album Cafe Tacuba departs strongly from many other Latin rock bands by minimalizing their sound. This may have something to do with Mexico's culture - much less African than many other Latin American countries, Mexican music has always de-emphasized polyrhythm to focus instead on lyricism and melody, which is probably one reason that Mexican rock bands do so well in the U.S., comparatively. Cafe Tacuba take this tradition further, paring down their arrangements to the essentials, particularly on the instrumental disc. Certain influences are nevertheless suggested - New Wave, various Mexican styles, dub, electronica, and New Tango, particularly. Each disc has a couple of throwaway tracks - "REVES" has one or two songs that sound like academic rock exercises, and "YOSOY" has a couple that would not sound out-of-place on VH1. This is problematic, but ultimately saved by the uniqueness of the conception, and also by the lyrics, which like the music deal with fundamental elements of life -growing up, growing old, hunger, the search for identity, etc - but in a manner that's often rich with images and metaphors. This is not a great double-album - sometimes it's so self-conscious as to drain away the enjoyment of listening to it - but the band deserve some respect for their efforts and for making some memorable, provocative music.