Juan D'Arienzo returns from his grave refreshed and full of vigor: such is the impression I had when listening to D'Arienzo Anticrisis by Tango Bardo.
These covers explore the outermost extremes of expression that D'Arienzo's music allows, which is what Tango Bardo does to most if not all their covers. It still fits, though.
Pugliese and D'Arienzo are where Tango Bardo feel most at home. I can't tell if the old master would approve, but I certainly do - with a few reservations.
My main one, and it's been a stumbling block for a few months preventing me from writing this review, is more an emotional attachment than a judgment of this album. To Alberto Echagüe, with love - D'Arienzo's cantor from 1930s onward is irreplacable in my view.
This album is a mix of instrumental and vocal pieces, the latter accompanied by Roberto Minondi. Hey may not be Echagüe (and he can't), but he delivers.
Let's have a listen!
The music in detail
No mientas is hammered from all angles as is proper for the album's opener. It comes out faster and way more urgent than the 1938 original. And you can apply this description to the rest of the album: it's all turned up to eleven.
Jueves builds on the energy of D'Arienzo's repeat take from 1955 and doesn't actually add all that much to it, preferring rather to alter the arrangements subtly with trademark Bardo embellishments. To that point, I mean the violin, which may be the only constant in the group as other members come and go.
Humillación will hit you with a mix of emotions that are too showy to be believable. This, of course, is another installment of the "unrequited love" theme so often frequented by tango lyricists. I ran the lyrics through Google Translate to be sure, and yes, there is indeed a mismatch here.
Open the 1941 version and click near the middle of the track to get to Mauré singing "Odio este amor, que me humilló a tus antojos". I think he captured the protagonist's inner conflict with compassion whereas Minondi sounds like he's enjoying himself regardless of the topic.
Now, I'm splitting hairs here! As a piece of music for dancing, this works great! And I could say that about every other track on this album, and if I did just that, there would be no reason for this review.
Maipo cannot hide behind any later D'Arienzo's re-take from the 1950s, and so, yes, it's a bit over-the-top compared to the 1939 version but I think it might be close to what D'Arienzo would have done later on.
I remember composing a tanda with Ansiedad for my first or second DJ set ever, and twelve years later, this song still gives me shivers. Much more so than other pieces from the same period that visit the dance floor more often - like Pensalo bien.
It is primarily for this reason that I could not fully appreciate the Tango Bardo cover. It does a good job but there were no shivers. And again, we find the explanation in the lyrics: there is no anxiety in their interpretation ("anxiety" being the English translation of the Spanish title).
Even as the full lyrics don't make much sense to me (and I gave them the Google Translate treatment), there's again a mismatch here and also on purely musical terms.
If there was a cover where Tango Bardo should show some restraint, I think this was the one.
Oh well. Like I said in the preface, this is a special one for me and I don't think I could ever accept any cover of Ansiedad. Your conclusion might be different!
I have no such attachment to El cencerro. Again, it's faster and way more "out there" than the 1938 version, but so what: when you're putting together a fast rhythmical tanda, it will fit. And we almost have a full tanda here as both Maipo and Jueves would happily tag along, with Jueves most likely taking the lead.
There's one more instrumental here and we'll see whether it could complete the tanda!
Meanwhile, there are three remaining vocal covers to consider.
Amarras surprised me in that Tango Bardo decided to take a break from their relentless pursuit and did a happy, moderate cover that does justice to the 1944 original. The vibes are all rainbows and unicorns. I liked it that way, and I did not look up the lyrics this time to keep it that way!
Recall my dig above re: Pensalo bien? Here's the the full disclosure: I think it's overrated and, worse, boring!
And to their credit, Tango Bardo satisfied me way more with their theatrical presentation than what D'Arienzo recorded in 1938. It's got more beat and more oomph and I think it belongs here!
May this compensate for my inverse reaction to Ansiedad: I do, in the end, try to perform a service to the tango bands of the 21st century and spread the word such that tango can retain its claim to life.
Si supiera que la extraño rescues a song that D'Arienzo recorded with Armando Laborde in 1945. I don't know about you, but Laborde's singing always has me looking for an anti-depressant, and I don't have any.
Minondi is a better fit: he doesn't take the lyrics too seriously, thank God! The mood is dark but not over-powering. I think the outcome is better musically and won't drain the dancers' energy like the original would.
Loca is where Tango Bardo is at its best. They can go crazy with their embellishments, they can probe the phrases to see how far they can stretch them, and Loca will happily oblige. Unlike Este es el Rey which, when taken to its extremes, will have people flying out of the ronda in no time, we are still in danceable territory here.
Its usability for tanda-making purposes is somewhat questionable as it starts with a 46-seconds long intro, and you would typically want Loca to come last, and therefore without any delays.
This is not a blemish on an otherwise perfect cover but a challenge that a DJ must overcome with some clever planning.
In summary
D'Arienzo Anticrisis is a fun addition to the growing repertoire of Tango Bardo and has a ton of potential when combined with their earlier albums.
They came back to D'Arienzo for more and found material that fits their style and temperament.
It's a solid release that may not break any new ground but combined with their existing recording adds more of the same and creates new tanda opportunities. And that's something that always makes my day!