Agnus - 1980 - Pinturas Y Expresiones

Agnus
1980
Pinturas y Expresiones

 

01.    Pinturas y expresiones        
02.    Historia de un rey        
03.    Siglo XXI        
04.    Nace el dia                  

- Archie Basílico / guitar, vocals
- Luis Sáez / guitar, vocals
- Ricardo Tersse / banjo, vocals
- Cecilia Glariá / flute
- Ricardo Bonetto / drums, vocals
- Enrique Schussler / violin
- Laura Fazzio / keyboards, flute, vocals
- Alejandra Bernie, Graciela Girotti, Marcela Canaus & Graciela Cassano / vocals

It was the year 1973 a group of kids from Santa Fé, a province located 475 kilometers from Buenos Aires in the low mountains decided to form a Progressive Rock band inspired mostly in the Italian Symphonic bands like PFM and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

They were leaded by the excellent guitar player Luis Saéz who had already been member of a straight Rock band called Dapalu. Soon they started to gain fame with their own effort and almost with no sponsors, it's said that they promoted their concerts using only the telephone, so one fan called another one until they had sold the tickets.

But this system worked for them because this fan base was so loyal that they followed AGNUS wherever they played, mostly in Buenos Aires, the center of the cultural and artistic scenario.

They tried to release a cassette in the mid 70's with their own label "Marvus" and even when they didn't succeeded, the experience gained was valuable for their career. After almost seven years and with only one original member (Luis Sáez) AGNUS was able to release their first and only LP called "Pinturas y Expresiones".

Despite they were not as famous as "LA MAQUINA DE HACER PÁJAROS" or "MIA", the album deserved more success, the delicate Italian Symphonic style works perfectly with Sáez atmospheric guitar clearly influenced by the sound of Pink Floyd, but that's not all, the additional flutes (Cacilia Glaria and Laura Fazzio) plus the violin played with great skills by Enrique Shussler, gave a touch of Folk reminiscent of Jethro Tull.

The keyboard, correctly played by also by Laura Fazzio is not the lead instrument but contributes to add that unique and dreamy atmosphere characteristic of the Italian and early Argentinean bands.

It's also important to mention that the vocal work mixing male and female voices is simply delightful.

After the release of "Pinturas y Expresiones", AGNUS made some tours and disbanded, but Luis Sáez formed a couple of short living bands "AGNUS VERDE" y "EL BANDO" but in 1984 he forms "LA NARANJA" a Latin music project with which he is still involved.


One and only album by Argentine progressive rock band AGNUS is a rarely known little gem within the rich South American prog scene. They used to have a close relationship to great and more famous band MIA and although their compositions might be a bit less intricate than MIA's ones I think they were really not inferior to them. As my fellow reviewer Marcelo stated already, their music was heavily influenced by 70's Italian Prog and maybe as well a bit by CAMEL. The album consists of four long compositions performed very well on guitar, keyboard and flute with occasional very beautiful vocals (male and female) quite often in a pastoral vein.

XXI Century is built around a very nice flute motif with awesome guitar and flute interplay and many shifts between themes. The pastoral sounding female choir is fitting perfectly to the music and delivers a touch of Renaissance era. Flute is obviously the dominating instrument on this record together with guitar as the title track Paintings And Expressions is demonstrating. As already the opener this one is as well a terrific one. The only slight criticism that might be put on this album actually is that the rhythmic work is not very versatile but the otherwise high skill shown by guitarists Archie Basílico and Luis Sáez and flautists Cecilia Glariá and Laura Fazzio let this minor flaw be forgotten immediately. I'd like to mention as well that the vocals provided by eight members all together are very pleasant and beautiful. Born The Day has some more heavy sections but contrasted very well by pastoral choirs in between. Again an awesome guitar playing here (sorry that I've to repeat myself, I can't say it often enough) and for the first time the drummer moves more into the focus with quite a good solo. The album closes with King's History which is a nice up-beat folksy tune played on flute, violin and acoustic guitar with beautiful vocal harmonies.

One and only album by Argentine progressive rock band AGNUS is a rarely known little gem within the rich South American prog scene. They used to have a close relationship to great and more famous band M.I.A. (Músicos Independientes Asociados) and although their compositions might be a bit less intricate than those ones I think they were really not inferior to them. Their music was heavily
influenced by 70’s Italian Prog and maybe as well a bit by Camel. The album consists of four long compositions performed very well on guitar, keyboard and flute with occasional very beautiful vocals (male and female) quite often in a pastoral
vein.

"XXI Century" is built around a very nice flute motif with awesome guitar and flute interplay and many shifts between themes. The pastoral sounding female choir is fitting perfectly to the music and delivers a touch of Renaissance era. Flute is obviously the dominating instrument on this record together with guitar as the title track "Paintings And Expressions" is demonstrating. As already the opener this one is as well a terrific one. The only slight criticism that might be put on this album actually is that the rhythmic work is not very versatile but the otherwise high skill shown by guitarists Archie Basílico and Luis Sáez and flautists Cecilia Glariá and Laura Fazzio let this minor flaw be forgotten immediately. I’d like to mention as well that the vocals provided by eight members all together are very pleasant and beautiful. "Born The Day" has some more heavy sections but contrasted very well by pastoral choirs in between. Again an awesome guitar playing here (sorry that I’ve to repeat myself, I can’t say it often enough) and for the first time the drummer moves more into the focus with quite a good solo. The album closes with "King’s History" which is a nice up-beat folksy tune played on flute, violin and acoustic guitar with beautiful vocal harmonies.

AGNUS’ Pinturas y Expresiones is by no way a very original or innovative album and might be not an essential one seen from a general view. But nevertheless it’s an excellent one and I’d like to recommend it to any lover of 70’s symphonic rock in the Italian style.