Search - Astor Piazzolla :: Sur

Finally Available Again As A Unit

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Long-time fans of Astor Piazzolla will find, like I did, that they already have most or all of the songs on this CD. But with this French reissue of the soundtrack to the obscure Argentine film Sur, the songs from that soundtrack are finally available again as a unit so that they may be listened to in the spirit intended.

The first seven songs, all bandoneon-based, were issued on the widely available Love Tanguedia in the rush to cash in on the rising popularity Astor Piazzolla achieved after his death. The other nine songs are rough, folky and even primitive and were issued along with many other obscure Piazzolla recordings on a record named Todo Tango. Both of those are worth owning but even if you already own them so is this if only for the better sound quality here.

I pretty much like the whole CD except for Dando Vueltas En El Aire, a rock number which seems totally out of place with the rest of the music but which probably fits in the context of the film. Most Piazzolla fans who haven't heard this will feel comfortable listening to the first seven songs which carry his trademark sound. But the glory of the soundtrack is in some of the latter tunes. My favorites are the emotional title cut, the gritty Milonga Del Tartamudo, the morose Nocturno A Mi Barrio, and the expressive evanescence of the Roberto Goyeneche vocal on Naranjo En Flor.

The CD comes packaged in a standard jewel case with an insert that features attractive artwork with all commentary and pertinent album information only in French. Get this while it's still around, I am pleased that I did."