Descanso Dominical - Mecano > Reviews > Lyrical genius

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Mix of Electropop and Ballards, Ana's voice
Disadvantages:	They aren't together anymore !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

To be truthful, I was shocked that this band were here on Ciao (I'm certain that this is the right category this time!), but seeing no one else had done a review on them, I thought that I should!

---Mecano---

Mecano were formed in 1981 by the two brothers Jose and Ignacio Cano. The name was thought up as they were both big Mecano fans (the metal building game), and people called them the meCANO brothers. They wrote the music together, and they sang together too. By 1982, they realized that they needed another singer as record companies didn't want them. They advertised in Madrid for a new vocalist, and indeed, the 20 year old Ana Torroja auditioned, and they astounded by her beautiful and natural voice. By 1989, they had released 4 top 10 albums in Spain, and 3 number 1s (including a song ' Me Cuesta Tanto Olividarte', which it's English version ' I'll Never Forgot You' entered the charts in America).

---Descanso Dominical---

The album, (Restful Home) was recorded at Abbey Road Studios during the month of March in 1988. They teamed up with: the British composer Anne Dudley, who arranged the strings; and Manel Santiesteban, the famous Danish conductor, and this weird collaboration works really well. This album takes you through a journey of colour and adventure in the confort of your living room chair (this is the point of the album title). One moment you are listening to Electropop, and the next you are listening to Ana's voice being accompanied by a Chamber Orchestra.

1. El Cine (The cinema). The first song to be recorded for the album is a song about going to the cinema in Madrid. It contains beautiful rhymes, like "los olores y colores de la gran cuidad", (The smells and the colours of the big city) which makes this one of the best songs of the album. This song is a total electronic piece, with steady pulse. 8/10

2. No Hay Marcha en Nueva York (lit. Nothing Goes in New York). Now, Mecano have gone Jazz. The instruments here are : a baritone saxophone, a drumkit, 2 clarinets and finger clicks (is this an instrument!). This song achieves the brightness and chilled out atmosphere of 1950s America. 7/10

3. Mujer contra Mujer (Woman Against Woman). This is my favourite song off the album. This is the first Ballard on the album, and the second most famous song by Mecano ever probably (to Me Cuesta Tanto Olividarte). It wasn't recorded in English, but the french version Une Femme Avec Une Femme (A Woman With A Woman) topped the French chart for 6 weeks! It is about two women falling out over a love triangle, and making up. 10/10

4. Los Amantes (The Lovers). Once again, Mecano have converted back to Electro. Ana's voice is distorted, but this works. The instrumental could easily be a midi file, as there are so many fake instruments here. However, the lyrics are good : 'Y voy buscando por los balcones, bellas Julietas para mis canciones' (And I go looking for balconies, beautiful Juliets for my songs). The song is about, of course getting inspiration for songs from lovers. 9/10

5. La Fuerza del Destino (The Strength of Fate). This is my least favourite song on the album. It is a bland electro-Ballard, which doesn't work. The virtual instruments don't work at all here. 5/10

6. Quedate en Madrid (You Stay in Madrid). Mecano are talking about their love for their home city of Madrid. 'Con la nariz entre tus ojos, entre un pulmon y otra pulmon, el corazon y los congojos todos en reuinión' (with your nose between your eyes, between the lung and the other lung, my heart is in reunion). This song is beautiful, with only a guitar accompaning Ana's high voice. 8/10

7. Laika. Another one of my favourite, Laika is about a poor Russian girl who meets her lover, and dies. It is both electro and ballardy, and this creates sadness for poor Laika. The last lyrics of the song are : ' En la tierra hay una perra menos, y en el cielo una estrella más' (On the earth, there's one less pauper, but the sky there is one more star). 8/10

8. El Blues del Esclavo (The Slave Blues). Mecano have taken a new level now, with an electro-tango! It is about a slave who gets sent from Senegal to Spain as a slave. Although the subject is quite sad, the song is happily upbeat, and poppy! 7/10

9. Eungenio Salvador Dalí (Ingenious Salvador Dali). The song is about the famous painter Dalí, who had died just before the song was written. Mecano dedicate this whole song to his art. It is a Ballard, which recaps his life. However, it is moving, and a brilliant dedication, with a piano and an orchestra all the way through as the accompaniment. 8/10

10. Por La Cara (For The Expense). Now, the album has gone all mambo on us! This song is an instrumental break with maracas, electro synthesisers, and spanish guitars. I imagine they wanted just to create a break after the intensity of 'Eungenio Salvador Dalí'. 7/10

11. Un Aňo Mas (One More Year). Another one of my favourites! It has a memorable verse, and Ana even goes 'falsetto', which with her is very high! This song contains a lot of the typical 80s characteristics : drum machines, synthesisers, and clean guitars. The song is about having another chance at a relationship, quite similar to Roxette's It Must Have Been Love. 8/10

12. Heroes de la Antartida (Heroes of the Antarctic). The song starts off with Stefan Zweig, a German poet, reciting a poem he did for the Heroes of the Antartic, in Spanish. This lasts for a minute. After this, Mecano produce an upbeat song about what happened in 1912 when Captain Scott tried to reach the South Pole. There are a lot of wind noises, but the atmosphere is intense, but at the same time tacky. 7/10

13. Hermano Sol, Hermana Luna (Brother Son, Sister Moon). Apart from Mujer Contra Mujer, this is my other favourite song on the album. It is a bedtime story sung with guitars and a piano through out. It is haunting and beautiful. For the second verse, a harp is played. Ana sings with so much emotion in this song, it might even make the strongest of us weak inside. The lyrics are sweet : Luna blanca reflexión, helado corazon, sereno que me guardas del ladrón (The reflection of the moon, ice cream heart, it's serene that you'll guard me from the burglar).

UPDATE: According to the lovely Diehia, this song's french version (Frère soleil, soeur Lune') did really well in France, so it's not just 'Une Femme Avec Une Femme' which did well there!
10/10

14. Fabula (Fable). Based on a chorale by Bach, this song is the perfect and beautiful way to finish an album. The famous 'Chord Quartet' from Liverpool were asked to play this song for the album, and it is good that they did. The piece starts off with a harpsichord, and after 16 bars, the strings come in. Just after that, Ana sings. But the song only lasts 2:05, but it doesn't matter. It sums up the unpredictability of Mecano, and it works. 10/10

AVERAGE RATING : 7.5/10

This album is available at HMV for 12.99, so I recommend that you should buy this. This album was voted in the top 100 Spanish albums of all time, and they were right in choosing it. Even if you don't speak spanish, you will be able to appriciate the genius of the group.

---Over information---

ALL SONGS WRITTEN BY : THE CANO BROTHERS
PRODUCED BY : MECANO
RECORDED IN : MARCH 1988 in LONDON