Disco de La Oreja de Van Gogh: “El Viaje De Copperpot”

Let me start with this... I do not listen to rock/pop as much as I used to. But What can I say about this band... except this is probably the most brilliantly crafted rock/pop album of last/this year with no competition except Coldplay's Parachute (Britain) and Powderfinger's Odyssey No 5 (Australia). Unlike other reviewers I have not heard Dile Al Sol. La Oreja De Van Gogh's music is so refreshing and so consistently excellent I am going to have too... I do not see much influence from the US at all in this CD at all. They owe their influences more to the Brits as well as infusing it with their own bent... I have to say quite an outstanding and different sound. I am not sure if I have ever heard anything like it. Such a pity the Anglo world refuses to listen to music not in English... they are missing out on so much. Spain has one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world today. I will definitely pass this one around to my friends like I did with Alejandro Sanz - El Alma Al Aire, Rosana - Luna Rotas, Presuntos Implicados - Version Original (which they all adored). Also, check out Estopa!

Adios

Sadly, I rarely listen to Spanish music, even though I'm from Madrid. As it often happens with most genres, it has become repetitive, monotonous, predictable and - to say it all in one single word: commercial. My musical tastes range from varied classical music (from Mozart to Schostakovich) to nowadays most contemporary sounds such as Massive Attack, Prodigy or Chemical Brothers. Without forgeting outstanding music authors impossible to find here at Spain such as Phish, oldies like Elton John, and indeed everything that is WELL DONE. Well, after this introductory info about my musical background, you'll probably better evaluate my review about LODVG.

El Viaje de Copperpot is a good example (a very good example indeed) of how to compose good pop music without falling into routine. I've read some reviews giving out little stars to this group, and often making reference to other Spanish or Latin groups. That is in my humble opinion a big mistake since LODVG, although under the pop-rock sound movement, is unique. Their lyrics are unique, and their music is unique. If listened to all of the songs' album carefully (it happens the same on their next album) it is possible to detect a big influence in each song from a different well known group. I personally found many hidden references out of Supertramp style, though when listened for the first time they're difficult to spot.

They needn't complicated - often badly chosen - synth sounds or innovative fx to create the desired athmosphere. Yes, they have keyboards, and indeed they are very very well implemented, but this group is mainly acoustic. They utilize their resources carefully achieving clean, well designed songs, easy to listen and remember, but with harmonies, themes and scores in general well, very well made, varied, non-repetitive but preserving their astounding style.

If you think this might be too much for you, then return to Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin. Otherwise, I highly recommend you give them a chance.

It is always difficult to top a first, very good CD. Dile al sol, was a brilliant album. However la Oreja de Van Gogh has suceeded admirably in realeasing this album, El viaje de Copperpot, which is as good if not better than the first one. I would try to desginate a few good songs which stick out but all the tracks are brilliant. As the previous one, this is one of those few CDs where every track is good. The music style remains identical to the first one, but fortunately is not repetative sounding music. Each song remains uniquely different to the others, and there are really no two songs which sound alike. La Oreja de Van Gogh is not your average spanish kind of music. If you are into a somewhat modern American beat, say alternative, in Spanish, there is no better band out there.

In the spring of 2003, I was in New Mexico (USA) on vacation. I had tuned the clock/radio to a Spanish-language station. One song stood out dramatically among the dozen or so songs I heard that morning. It was a definite "must have." The song was difficult to locate because all I could get from it was "cierra la puerta" (the radio wasn't exactly a top-quality item). Thanks to the Internet and Amazon.com, I finally tracked down "Cuídate," the song I had heard. I immediately ordered this CD. The rest of the CD turned out to be just as "must have" as "Cuídate." I tend to like pop/rock music, especially that of the early 1980s style, and I LOVE the Spanish language, and that's exactly where this CD excels. Amaia Montero's vocals are quite clear and energetic, and the rest of the band does a great job with the accompaniment. My favorite songs on the CD tend to be the livelier ones: "Cuídate," "París," "Dicen Que Dicen," "La Chica Del Gorro Azul," "Desde El Puerto," and the hidden "Tic Tac" (it's after "Desde El Puerto" and about four minutes of odd noises). "Tantas Cosas Que Contar" isn't as bouncy as the others, but has a very nice rhythm to it. Even after having listened to the CD repeatedly, the only song that doesn't hold my attention is "Los Amantes Del Círculo Polar," which starts out with a nice, sort of haunting intro, then goes into 6/8 time, which I tend to dislike. Still, 12 great songs out of 13 is VERY impressive. I wish I could give it more than five stars!

I now own all three currently-available LODVG CDs and highly recommend them all, especially the second (this one) and third ("Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías La Dormida"). I suppose I should mention that I'm quite a bit older than the normal audience for this group. I turned 40 several years ago. :-)

¡Y ésta es la historia del "Viaje" de mi viaje!

Their mix of music is good. The songs are original and upbeat, a hint of 80's American music, but overall good rocking. I saw the band on Musica Si several times on the TVE network when I lived in Europe. Orega de Van Gogh won the MTV Europe Award for best band in 2000. Second CD is better than the first which to me seems to be a trend for Spanish groups.