telynor's Full Review: The Tango Saloon by The Tango Saloon
Of course, the question remains, can you dance to it?
I found this cd whilst searching through Amazon's database of tango music, and decided to give it a chance. I've gotten interested enough in the music of Tango that I'm willing to listen to any form of it, whether it is for dancing, listening to or lovesick, soulful ballads. With this self-titled collection, The Tango Saloon does fit into the listening category.
Overture
A chirpy, guitar solo that sounds rather tinny and belonging right at the begining of one of those old black and white films. Then all of sudden, there's that twang! that keeps me in mind of some of the music from that series, Twin Peaks or a B-grade western.
Tango Saloon 1
Another guitar solo here, but it has an edgy feel to it, and a very repetitive feel before the accordion kicks in -- it's pure tango, with that subtle touch of menace coupled with a strong overlay of 'don't touch if you can't buy it.' By the end, it's a fairly complicated piece, and it works well.
Upon a Time
We're back to a tinny, old style movie melodrama here before the rapid tango that sounds like clockwork -- my favourite sort -- gets rolling and then suddenly switches pace to something soulful and melancholy. This is one of the more enjoyable tracks, and one that I didn't mind listening to several times over, even in spite of the somewhat schizophrenic pace at times.
Libertango
This is still one of my favourite, basic tangos -- originally composed by Astor Piazzolla, and I've heard it in about a half-dozen different versions over the years. Ilan Kidron does a very nice vocal of this one, and the instrumentation behind her is kept simple and to the point. Yep, you can dance to it. Or go cry in your beer if you need to.
March of the Big Shoe
We're back to the fast quickly timed tango here, with a saxophone warbling to give it a counterpoint. It's definately getting odd here, but it's still listenable to if you're looking for something out of the ordinary. Besides the title is cute, even if it gets overwrought in spots. Sadly, there's too many tempo changes here to make it a decent dance tune. Too bad, as the title cries out for something unique to happen.
Carol
I'm just going to say that I didn't think much of this one, as there's just too much weirdness going on. By the time it actually starts to turn into something that's vaguely middle eastern, it's too muddled to listen to. Oh well.
Intermission
All this one really needed was the moustache twirling villain, for heaven's sake. Does it work? No. It's the worst of the cuts, and you may want to skip it and move right along to the next track. Quickly.
Man With the Bongos
Call this one the 'kitchen sink' tango. It's got every concievable instrument in it, but the bongos are what make it work. There's brasses, finger cymbals, clappers, and far too much synthesizer to really make it worthwhile. Still -- if they had cut back on some of the instruments, it could have worked out better. Frank Zappa would have loved it, as it takes startling turns and repetitive, hard to copy, riffs. Honestly, I don't know what the band was smoking at this time, but I want some. But by the end, I was starting to hate this one, as it ground on and on for more than eight minutes.
The Little Plane That Could
A muted, rather cartoonish tune that is just plain strange. Not to mention the rattling away of the xylophone next to the trumpet. Very experimental, and despite the title, not that interesting. I wanted to like it, but all too soon, I was lunging for that fast forward button on the cd player.
Scusi
Thank goodness, we're back to simple here, with just piano and trumpet here. While it does have that odd touch, it's much more listenable than the previous tracks.
La Calle 92
Finally, we're back to more traditional tango, and the band keeps it smart and stays with something that doesn't grate after thirty seconds. Then it all falls apart with some very strange noises like a choking cat in the background. Uerf.
Tango Saloon 2
Repeating the vaguely western theme from the earlier track of the same name, this one gets a bit more frenetic and out of whack. It's a jumble of themes by the end, and it just fell apart for me.
Formaggio
More silliness. By this point I was ready to chuck the cd aside, or at least, program most of it out.
Still I Cannot Do the Tango
One of the better cuts here, and kept to a more traditional sound as a slow tango. Unfortunately, for the entire effect, it was simply too little, too late to save this cd.
I have to say, this has to be the weirdest collection of tango music that I have ever listened to. It kept reminding me of the music of the late, great Frank Zappa, and what with the blend of musical styles, especially the spaghetti-western running headlong into classic tango, well -- it's certainly different. Tango purists will probably have fits over it, and decry it as ever so much trash.
In any case, I had fun listening to it, and while it would take quite a bit of imagination to be able to dance to it, it's still a worthwhile listen if you're ready for something a bit on the extreme end of things. I might not have this in my regular cycle of cds that I listen to, but I can be certain that it will wander in now and then when I want something a bit to the left of centre.
Three and a half stars, rounded down to three as so many of the tracks get a bit too strange. Somewhat recommended.
The Tango Saloon s avant-garde version of the Argentinean dance form is driven by a restless sense of experimentation, and built on a strong foundatio...More at Buy.com
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