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Horacio Salgán en RCA Victor vol.1 (1950-1951)

BMG 740058

AT LAST! A serious re-issue of Salgán's incredibly innovative 1950 orchestra.

This album opens with Horacio Salgán's first two recordings with his orchestra, issued on a single 78rpm disc: Recuedo of Osvaldo Pugliese, complemented by La clavada. The version of Recuedo is Salgan's inaugural declaration of his art, of his orchestral genius and the marvellous effect he produces of superimposed layers.

Track list

1. Recuerdo
2. La clavada
3. Mi refugio
4. Como abrazo a un rencor
5. Mala junta
6. Motivo de vals vals
7. Gallo ciego
8. Don Agustín Bardi
9. Sueño querido
10. Las mirlas vals
11. Tierra querida
12. Shusheta
13. Pobre colombina
14. Vieja recova
15. Ojos negros
16. La tabalda

Cantan:

Angel Diaz (4,10,14)
Horacio Deval (9,13)

El rey del compás

ECD 1100

Some years ago I cheekily remarked that you can divide D'Arienzo's recordings into even and odd numbered decades. Thirties, fifties, seventies: good Twenties, fourties, sixties: bad. Like any rule-of-thumb, it's not entirely accurate, and this one is less accurate than most. However it has a nugget of truth: after D'Arienzo's revival in 1950, he fell into a lull in the late 50s which lasted a decade. Perhaps it was the arrival of the stereo era which re-invigorated him. When they came to record their first tango stereo LP, RCA-Victor offered if to D'Arienzo, not to Troilo. The result was the seminal instrumental lp D'Arienzo for export, the first of three albums which remain sporadically in print on CD - we still sell them.

D'Arienzo's style has not remained static. The most obvious innovation is the use of sudden stops half way through a track, as for instance on Gran Hotel Victoria - curiously, the first tango he ever recorded back in 1935.

The best stereo versions from this period are gathered together on this fantastic cd which includes the tango milonga Papas calientes and the wonderful Este es el rey. Ignore the fact that the cover photo is printed back to front, this is a marvellous cd. Released as an lp in 1982 and then on cd in 1993, it's been in print ever since.

Track list

1. La cumparsita (1971)
2. Quejas de bandoneón
3. Don Juan (1951)
4. La puñalada (1962) milonga
5. Que noche! (1967)
6. El chamuyo (1965)
7. El arroyito
8. El opio
9. Gran Hotel Victoria (1966)
10. C.T.V.
11. Nueve de julio (1966)
12. Papas calientes tango-milonga
13. La chiflada
14. El pollito
15. El buey solo
16. Este es el rey

Horacio Salgán en RCA Victor vol.2 (1952-1953)

BMG 740059

The second volume of the new Salgán re-issue, covering the next and final two years, is less exciting than the first but still has some great tracks. We offer it here because we know many of you will want both!

Track list

1. Yo te bendigo
2. N.P.
3. Ilusión de mi vida vals
4. La llamo silbando
5. Los mareados
6. Alma de loca
7. Boedo
8. Una carta
9. Yo soy el mismo
10. Del 1 al 5
11. Sentimental y canyengue
12. Un momento vals
13. Siga el corso
14. Doble castigo
15. El Marne
16. Don Goyo

Cantan:

Horacio Deval (1)
Angel Díaz (2,8,14)
Roberto Goyeneche (6,9,12,13)

Archivo Odeón - Raúl Garello

EU 19001

I can never quite decide whether I like Rául Garello. One of the new generation of artists arriving in tango only at the very end of the Golden Age, like Salgán, he was not immersed in the dance culture of his forebears in quite the same way. His music reminds me of Mariano Mores: playful, joyful and inventive, with a keen and educated sense of orchestration. He is a brilliant arranger - but he and I differ in where we draw the line between brilliance and what is a little bit too much. So often in a Garello arrangement, the first minute is simply stunning, but then I feel that he just overeggs the pudding. If you like rich arrangements, this is for you, but traditionalists will find it just - just - a little bit too much.

Only two available

Track list

1. Homenaje a Troilo
2. A media luz
3. Arrabal amargo
4. Alma en pena
5. Bandoneón arrabalero
6. Tiempo imaginado
7. Canaro en París
8. Negracha
9. Buen amigo
10. Azabache
11. Ojos negros
12. Malandraca
13. Ropa blanca
14. La última cita
15. Milonguita