La Radiolina

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Editorial reviews

Product Description
Manu Chao is widely acknowledged as a pioneer of Latin alternative music, and was the leader of Mano Negra. This is his first studio release in the US since 2001's "Esperanza". He recently completed his most extensive North American tour to date, following a highly acclaimed co-headlining performance at this year's Coachella festival as well as the Bonnaroo and Sasquatch festivals.

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Amazon.com
Americans waited six years for a new studio album from one of the most exciting ambassadors of cosmopolitan party/protest music. Infusing rock fundamentals with elements of ska, reggae, punk, and Afro-pop since fronting Mano Negra ("Black Hand") in 1986, Chao's grown by continental leaps as a bandleader since then, as La Radiolina's mix of festival-rousing rock, defiant politics, and multilingual lyrics attests. Lead single "Rainin in Paradize" alone should propel Chao (née Oscar Tramor) into the kind of stateside fame he's long enjoyed in Europe and South America. Elsewhere, individual songs suggest direct antecedents--"Mundoreves," for example, recalls the Eagles' "Hotel California" with minimal subtlety--but Manu Chao is an unabashed citizen of the world, and to peg his music to specific forebears is in part to miss the point. Perhaps the most iconic of La Radiolina's songs, "The Bleedin Clown" portrays its protagonist's will to "make the children happy," but despite his sounding almost deflated by weary resignation, this sad character sketch still can't manage to drag the music away from its unrelenting, celebratory flavor. Rare is the artist who can rock a sad world so well. Chao is it. --Jason Kirk

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-03 rating:
Good album, with a slight escape into mainstream popularity
Quite a good album, traditional to Manu Chao music, with a slight escape into mainstream.
Some songs seem like reworks or versions of the same song done in different ways. Good for listening while riding in a car.
It is certainly worth listening to, but if you are not a real Manu Chao dedicated fan you might find it slighlty repetitive.
The real value of this album is that some of the widely played songs can bring Manu Chao closer to listeners who were not that familiar with his music and lead them to explore his other songs.

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review by: date: 2008-09-20 rating:
This is brilliant!!!
I heard this album a few months ago on the inflight entertainment of a long flight I was on. I'd heard most of what else was on display and wanted something new. Well, first thing I decided on listening to it was that I was going to get every other album of his. It is fantastic!

Manu Chao is of French/Spanish origin, and sings in both languages, sometimes in English also. His music is generally upbeat, party music with influences of Punk, Ska, and even Polka, and political lyrical undertones. "La Radiolina" is Italian for small radio.

Opening is the rousing Polka tinged "13 dias". "Tristeza Maleza" is a bouncy rocker with electronic flourishes and lyrics that mention George Bush (I have a hunch it's not too flattering, but it's sung in Spanish so what do I know). "Politik kills" is a slower horn sprinkled affair with English lyrics listing the ills of Politics; lies, violence, blood, jeez, this chap must have been around during the last elections here.:-)

"Rainin' in paradise" is a frenetic affair with driving synths, woozy effects and lyrics in English touching on atrocities in various parts of the world; Congo, Jerusalem, Palestine and Baghdad included. Similar in feel is very brief "The bleeding clown" with English lyrics telling the tale of a sad clown who can no longer get a laugh.

"Me llaman calle" is a beautiful ballad with Spanish guitars tumbling and cascading upon an incredible groove and gentle hand claps. It is one of my favourites. The ballad "Mundorevés" does remind me ever so faintly of "Hotel California" by The Eagles.

Other favourites of mine are the bouncy horn adorned "El hoyo" with squealing guitars in the background and a slowed Ska break, and the gently lilting Flamenco-ish "La Vida Tómbola" with nice mariachi horns and hand claps, it's apparently a tribute to the footballer Maradona.

The brief energetic "Panik panik" utilises siren effects to add to the urgency. I must mention that this song utilizes a similar backing track to "Rainin' In Paradize", "El Kitapena", "Siberia" (sung in English) and "Mama Cuchara", but each bringing out a different flavour.

"Piccola Radiolina" is a beautiful guitar/horn instrumental. The gentle Cuban sounding "A cosa" features Chao's first attempt at singing in Italian.

If I have one complaint with this album, it's that a lot of the songs are too short, fading away as you're just getting into them. It's nice to see someone can have so much fun while being so serious. Hopefully Manu Chao won't remain just a curiosity to most for much longer.

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review by: Pekaxito date: 2008-08-16 rating:
Manu Rocker , ¿ y qué ?
It seems Manu has developed a formula for pop music and life on planet earth short stories in 3 min songs . This time with a lot of J.J.Cale influences ( he may not know who J.J. is ) and more rock than usual . A good twist for him , more comercial and available ... Good for Us ...

Manu Chao Rocks a la J.J. Cale - Los Enanitos Verdes con singular alegria . Buenas y concisas canciones , comerciales y devertidas , a la tradición de una latino america que necesita más músicos con corazón y buenas intenciones , alegría y esperanza , pensando en otra cosa que no sea la fama y el dinero y las chicas fáciles ... Viva Manu Rocker Chao ...

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review by: C.H. date: 2008-08-14 rating:
disappointing
It's not a fun listening, the songs are not authentic as on his two earlier albums, but rather annoying.


review by: pappokari date: 2008-07-30 rating:
the same thing, faster... good!!
Speed...guitars to the front ... ... as same as ever but more fast, as the street that we walkin' ..... burnin' as the anguish of Latin America .... the same thing all over again, this would certainly be good !

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