THE SPANISH PURPORTED CANON META-LIST. RANK 45: SOLERA

Style: Pop, soft rock, folk rock
They're in the list because... Efe Eme magazine rewarded them with a whopping #11 out of 200.

In my mind, this rank is the crux of the criticism that one could leverage at this attempt of canonizations. Because a list that excludes Barón Rojo, Siniestro Total or Mecano while including this - a somewhat minor hit from a one-album folk rock band only remembered largely by vindicators of the 70s - would probably get urges to shout "INVALID!".

That one album is excellent, though.

Solera were Jose Antonio Martín, Manolo Martín (they were brothers and had already recorded under the name Juan y Manuel), Rodrigo García and José María Guzmán (session guitarist and bassist, respectively, who could also sing). The last two would left after that only album to form Cánovas, Rodrigo, Adolfo y Guzmán, and since CRAG have frequently been referred to as "the Spanish CSNY", it would be tempting to call Solera the Spanish Buffalo Springfield, but actually their music were closer to, say, Left Banke or the Association.

The album, named after the group, was recorded by Hispavox (later fused with EMI in the 80s), one of the labels of the era who had an identifiable sound, in this case the "Torrelaguna sound" (after the name of the street in Madrid in which the record company was located), manned by the Italian producer Rafael Trabucchelli, whose trademark was clear production, carefully recorded vocals and acoustic guitars, the typical emphasis of Italian producers on integrating the bass and drums into the larger ensemble, orchestrations (subtle in this album), and lead instruments like harpsichords, recorders and xylophones weaved into the arrangements.

Although Solera (1973) seems nowadays simply a cult record, the truth is that the album was actively promoted by Hispavox, and they appeared in TV promoting the two songs that were released in the single, as we can see in the two following clips.

"Linda prima" (Pretty cousin) was the "important" number, sung by Rodrigo; Guzmán tackles the other song, "Las calles del viejo París".

(As a curiosity, if one looks around in Youtube there's another TV clip for "Linda prima", more dramatized,  but the weird thing is that although the Solera track is used, the band appearing in the clip is CRAG!)

And from the album tracks the most famous one is the opener - perfect sunshine pop. The album was quite varied and had some other songs fore in a folk rock vein, and Guzmán was an interesting and subtle electric guitarist. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending the whole thing.

My verdict: Great, but as I said, an example of bias induced by a small reference pool. I bet if this "metalist" had taken into consideration more than 4 lists, they would not be included. Thanks to this small accident, though, I've had the excuse to share my thoughts on an album that certainly deserves recognition.

THE SPANISH PURPORTED CANON META-LIST. RANK 46: QUIQUE GONZÁLEZ

Style: Rock, singer-songwriter
He's in the list because... Rolling Stone magazine listed Avería y redención #7 as the 14th best Spanish album. I don't even think it's the best album by Quique, but that slight overrating at least saved him from meta-list oblivion, as he's the perennial guy loved by critics but always bubbling under the mid-to-low ranks in every list.

Quique González is the kind of artist that critics and fans rave about but who is almost never mentioned in the mainstream channels. For someone who was more interested in artistic expression than fame, however, he had quite a lucky start: his guitar teacher was Carlos Raya, an ex-guitarist with Sangre Azul and future M-Clan, and the club he used to play in frequently billed Enrique Urquijo y Los Problemas, a side project of Enrique Urquijo, the leader of Los Secretos, who recorded one of Quique's songs and played it with him on national TV. Those contacts lead him to be signed by Universal, which began one of the strangest record deal stories ever...

Quique's following was pretty much word of mouth. For example, I discovered him with his first album, but not through radio, but because of a glowing review of one of his shows by a reporter from the Spanish edition of "Total Guitar", and the magazine was kind enough to include the album's title track in the CD. Personal is what the name suggests: meaningful, personal lyrics, over a classic rock background. Think American rock a la Tom Petty, Springsteen, etc. But the album was not a big hit - a sin in 1998, when music productions were still done by the "old" rules, budgets were big and returns were expected to be bigger. So Universal drops him.

Instead of the title track, since this is Quique's most guitar-heavy album, I will link to the rockiest single:

So, without a record label, Quique records his second album independently, in a softer, acoustic style, more in the vein of the neo-singer-songwriters that are blooming at the time. He offers the demo to Polygram, which is in the process of merging with Universal. Universal honchos listen to it and sign Quique again!

Salitre 48 had a couple of fast and midtempo songs, but its remembered by songs like this:

But corporate decisions in the Universal / Polygram merger make them include Quique in the artists-to-be-dropped list, only for Universal to sign him AGAIN. It's no wonder that, sick of it, after the release of his third album, Quique is the one who asks for leave and walks out.

Tired of the record industry, Quique González decides to go the craft way. He plays small venues, many times only with acoustic guitar and harmonica, and self-produces his albums. Once a little known acclaimed artisan, now that he's an "outsider", paradoxically his name starts to circulate as he becomes the poster boy of the do-it-yourself aesthetic. Meanwhile his freedom to do what he likes means that he now can record backed only by piano, guitar and violin for a full album if he so likes. So he does.

And it means that he can do a 180º and do a record of pure American rock taste just afterwards. From La noche americana comes "Vidas cruzadas", the song that Rolling Stone chose as his best in his 200 songs list (which didn't influence the meta-list, as it was not in the top 50), but I present here "Justin y Britney". I bet neither he nor she ever thought they were going to be namechecked in a Southern rock inspired song.

Okay, yes, I should put "Vidas cruzadas" here, but I thought I'd use the live collaboration with Iván Ferreiro he released in his first live album - with which he returned to usual recording deals, and which was a minor hit.

The return to the record industry means the return to a more mainstream rock format. Avería y redención #7 is a good album, maybe a bit more faceless than before, but it is hyped by Rolling Stone to high heavens, and in fact it's this album which makes him to be included in the meta-list. He probably senses there is something missing - so he returns to self-producing. His latest two albums have been recorded in Nashville (with the very good collaboration of Al Perkins on pedal steel)

My verdict: interesting auteur with several really great moments and good lyrics. Never got the fame he might have deserved, but he got the respect - and, given that his most interesting projects have been those he wrote when not signed into the corporate machine (including his two first albums, which he composed while unsigned), maybe we are all better off for it. Like!