By José Gandue @Gandour – Archive photos
Perhaps due to the turbulence of our last few weeks or simply through oversight, we had missed reviewing this archive material released in August., and originally recorded on February 9, 2002 at the National Auditorium in Mexico City. We had overlooked dedicating a few words to this fine record of Gustavo Cerati in orchestral format, the album 14 symphonic episodes.
A year earlier Cerati had released 11 Symphonic Episodes, a live album recorded at the Teatro Avenida in Buenos Aires. On that occasion, Cerati performed Some of his best songs originally performed with his band, Soda Stereo, and other compositions taken from his solo album Puff. That album had originally been received as a moment of experimentation for the artist, perhaps a luxury that only established idols can afford, a stage that some great world stars manage to take on with varying degrees of success, not always the best. In this case, the compilation became a notable moment in his career, a collector's item for his biggest fans, but not the closest he came to his peak. Looking back two decades later, it's interesting to note that the overall concept and execution needed time to mature before achieving their full potential. And brilliance was found in Mexico.
At this point, without falling into excessive complacency and admiration for this icon, We dare say it was appropriate and correct to have retrieved this recording from the archives and made it available to the public. How does this edition differ from the original recording? Well, let's start with the obvious: There are 3 more songs: Man overboard, Was (from their group stage) and Lisa, a track included on his album Amor Amarillo, and that, in the long run, turned out to be the most moving moment of this concert.
Another point to distinguish is Cerati It was the participation of the Camerata de las Américas orchestra, which makes possible in the interpretation that palpable aroma of "Mexicanness" that each of the performances has, always under the direction of Alejandro Terán. There is an additional texture compared to the original material that enhances the live sound, making each of the included tracks precious. It's noticeable that the artist feels more confident in his vocals and therefore manages to give striking twists to the singing of his lyrics. This is the consolidation of a project that was initially presented under the premise of an exercise full of curiosity and resounding tests and that did not completely convince the listener in its initial presentation.
New to this presentation is audiovisual content that adds to the product's appeal: a Extended Reality Video specially designed to accompany each tune in a different way. Depending on the device used, it provides the user with a different immersive experience: on a mobile device, it's AR (augmented reality); on any computer, a 360° video; and with Oculus glasses, it's VR (virtual reality). However, until they gain access to these devices, Close your eyes and enjoy once again the sound work of this remembered genius, who, at this stage of the game, would be 63 years old if he were physically among us.
