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LA RECENSIONE
While Bryan Ferry, his captain in Roxy Music, dabbles in old school songs, dangerously bordering on swooning oleography (beware, a swing album would be intolerable: think of Paul Anka's latest rubbish on the subject), Phil Manzanera churns out records one after the other. In just over three years, he produces a sort of Cuban trilogy of absolute level: Vozero, 6PM and, in a month, 50 Minutes Later, all on Expression Record.
Manzanera is English by birth but Cuban by adoption; this certainly has facilitated the Anglo-Hispanic pop fusion that seems to flow from his heart with no effort at all.
Let's focus now on Vozero, which is not exactly a cheerful Cuban pop album: quite the opposite. It's a cultured operation that mixes auteur pop, sickly night club jazz, Hispanic guitar-driven song (unsurprisingly featuring Enrique Bunbury from the loathed Heroes Del Silencio), the cerebral anti-pop aided by the guiding spirit, Mr. Robert Wyatt, even managing to touch upon existential ambient scenes. Simplifying the matter, this record is splendid.
You feel an air of - how to say? - heartfelt balance, as if Manzanera is summing up his long career as a guitarist and composer. The traces of his time with Roxy Music are increasingly blurred, in favor of an expressive versatility that produces masterpieces like "Tropical", a piece suitable for any kind of suffering one wishes to celebrate, featuring an almost unreal double bass (the prodigious Yaron Stavi, a musician in the klezmer jazz sphere) and Manzanera's whispered voice.
Besides Wyatt, Bunbury, and Stavi, there's a formidable lineup of session musicians: Chucho Merchan (first double bass of Everything But The Girl), Nigel Butler, Andy Mackay (another ex-Roxy)... In conclusion, Manzanera is one of the few over 50 who have improved and challenged themselves, abandoning the stereotypes of the beginnings.
Note: the second edition of the CD, recently reissued and distributed in Italy by IRD, contains additional tracks and mastering of great quality.
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Summary by Bot
Phil Manzanera’s Vozero is a sophisticated fusion of Cuban pop, jazz, and auteur influences featuring collaborations with notable artists like Robert Wyatt and Enrique Bunbury. The album showcases Manzanera’s mature versatility and expressive depth, moving beyond his Roxy Music roots. It is highlighted by standout tracks like "Tropical" and boasts excellent production quality, especially in its reissued edition.Tracklist
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera (born Philip Targett-Adams) is an English guitarist and composer best known for his work with Roxy Music and for a series of solo albums. Reviews highlight his inventive guitar work, Latin-influenced textures and collaborations with artists such as Brian Eno and Robert Wyatt.03 Reviews
