top 100 reasons that El Gran Silencio's Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 1 is the best album of the year, #'s 70-79
70. Best picture in the booklet: two parts: a microphone in the place of the hammer and sickle: an eight-year-old Mexican girl flipping us all off.
71. "Pay attention, pay attention / Cumbia ragamuffin it's a nice combination" ("Songbomb")
72. "Con el rock steady de mi corazon / Le puse a escribir la misma cancion" ("Ayer")
73. "Watch me now, watch me now / Con el ritmo original ragamuffin style / My people fly, fly baby fly / Shalom, shalom, lord have mercy, bye bye" ("Sound System Municipal")
74. It's basically a concept album about rocking the fuck out by combining different musical styles and loving them all more than you love life itself.
75. Well, that's the upshot of most of Cano's songs, anyway. (Younger brothers!) Tony's songs are kind of about that plus other stuff too, like getting old ("Recuerdo y Lluvia") and remembering that your simple hardworking quotidian blue-collar life can be beautiful too ("Venadito Callejero"). But mostly about rocking the fuck out.
76. "No me importa la competicion / No me molesta ningun imitacion" ("Cumbiamuffin")
77. The expansion of sound they get on this record by employing Armando "Mata" Rivera on congas and La "Kalaka" on timbales really helps them out a lot. Chuntaros sounded nice and rich, like Walter Annenberg, but this one sounds almost evilly rich, like [insert name of despised billionaire here, there are a lot to choose from, dude from Tyco or something].
78. "Buenos Dias" welds Cano's beautiful slide guitar to a semi-drum'n'bass beat at the beginning, but then the beat drops down to half-speed and it turns into a pretty slow-jam where Cano is more talking than rapping, and it's all about how great their home city is: "It's a new day en mi Monterrey".
79. And then, just when you're getting used to this mellow sort of rumination, they keep doubling the beat back up for like a measure or two, then dropping it back down. At the end, it kicks back up for the outro boom boom BAP boop-ba-doop-ba-doop-BAP!
29.11.03
top 100 reasons that El Gran Silencio's Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 1 is the best album of the year, #'s 80-89
80. The scratching and programming is often done by DJ Macojazz. This is really Tony Hdz. under a fake name. He used to call himself DJ Guarachascratch or something when he did this, but DJ Macojazz is better.
81. Cano now calls himself Cano "Capricornio" Hernandez. Lotta mystique and game playing here.
82. Two more songs in Tony's "Tonta Cancion de Amor" ("Stupid Love Song") series: "Sueno" ("Dream") and "Sabes" ("You Know"). Sweetness is all part of Chuntaro style.
83. "Sueno" opens with some gawdawful noise, like Tony's being awakened from his sueno. He yells "Haaaaaaagaaaaaan silencio!" twice ("Be quiet!") through this noise, which is a play on the group's name as well as a warning to the listener to chill the hell out and not expect any of the jumpy-jumpy coming up, and then explains why: "Estoy sonando," which echoes in the mix...I'm dreaming...: Avant gardiness!
84. And then the ballad kicks in and it's so tender you wanna cry and thank Tony for believing in love, no, for living for love, for needing love so bad, for writing stupid songs about love, please more, let this series of tonta canciones de amor go on forever.
85. They've all gotten fat.
86. They all wear matching track suits with "Comando Ruffmix" stenciled on them, like the Clash.
87. They wear these suits in the "Super Riddim Internacional" video, which depicts some secret political rave in the middle of nowhere, all the sexy kids dancing and anti-war messages projected in the background and Tony's wearing some sort of weird wig and Cano busts up his own song both singing and rapping, "muevete muevete" and "sigame sigame" ("move it" and "follow me," damn I hope my Spanish is up to this), and the horn players have a little dance. This is justification enough for MTVEspanol.
88. The drum break in this song, followed by the horn players entering on the uno, the dos, the tres, "bah bah bah!" like a high school marching band.
89. At the end of the dedications: "A con todo nuestro carino y respete a Carlos Rivolta (Dusminguet), Jam Master Jay (Run-D.M.C), y a Joe Strummer (The Clash). Q.F.P.D."
80. The scratching and programming is often done by DJ Macojazz. This is really Tony Hdz. under a fake name. He used to call himself DJ Guarachascratch or something when he did this, but DJ Macojazz is better.
81. Cano now calls himself Cano "Capricornio" Hernandez. Lotta mystique and game playing here.
82. Two more songs in Tony's "Tonta Cancion de Amor" ("Stupid Love Song") series: "Sueno" ("Dream") and "Sabes" ("You Know"). Sweetness is all part of Chuntaro style.
83. "Sueno" opens with some gawdawful noise, like Tony's being awakened from his sueno. He yells "Haaaaaaagaaaaaan silencio!" twice ("Be quiet!") through this noise, which is a play on the group's name as well as a warning to the listener to chill the hell out and not expect any of the jumpy-jumpy coming up, and then explains why: "Estoy sonando," which echoes in the mix...I'm dreaming...: Avant gardiness!
84. And then the ballad kicks in and it's so tender you wanna cry and thank Tony for believing in love, no, for living for love, for needing love so bad, for writing stupid songs about love, please more, let this series of tonta canciones de amor go on forever.
85. They've all gotten fat.
86. They all wear matching track suits with "Comando Ruffmix" stenciled on them, like the Clash.
87. They wear these suits in the "Super Riddim Internacional" video, which depicts some secret political rave in the middle of nowhere, all the sexy kids dancing and anti-war messages projected in the background and Tony's wearing some sort of weird wig and Cano busts up his own song both singing and rapping, "muevete muevete" and "sigame sigame" ("move it" and "follow me," damn I hope my Spanish is up to this), and the horn players have a little dance. This is justification enough for MTVEspanol.
88. The drum break in this song, followed by the horn players entering on the uno, the dos, the tres, "bah bah bah!" like a high school marching band.
89. At the end of the dedications: "A con todo nuestro carino y respete a Carlos Rivolta (Dusminguet), Jam Master Jay (Run-D.M.C), y a Joe Strummer (The Clash). Q.F.P.D."
28.11.03
top 100 reasons that El Gran Silencio's Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 1 is the best album of the year, #'s 90-100
90. They open with a track where a whole bunch of random Mexican people talk about how they don't like El Gran Silencio: "no me gusta".
91. This track is backed by the "Rock the Bells" sample.
92. Every band where brothers take turns writing songs is automatically great, and here the songs are split evenly between Cano Hernandez and Tony Hernandez, both with seven. (Accordionist Isaac "Campa" Valdez writes one.)
93. Every band with a full-time accordion player is automatically great, especially when it's Campa, who is the greatest rock and roll accordionist of all time.
94. Proof of that: His double-tracked solo during "Ingratos Corazones," playing against himself like Bowie did on saxophone in the album version of "Let's Dance," along with the great saxophone of Luis Rosales.
95. Further proof: The way Campa wails right before another Rosales solo during "Super Riddim Internacional," both of 'em wailing high and free.
96. Best packaging of the year: great shiny cover, generous photo/art/lyric/track info booklet that slides into a little slot. Design is Russian Futurist crossed with Trad Mex Stylee.
97. Stylee: these dudes LOVE reggae and hip-hop and cumbia, and see the automatic and deep connection between the three, but they might just love reggae or ska most of all. Their rapping was more rappy on Chuntaros Radio Poder but now it's more dancehall.
98. A lot of the credit for the riddim part needs to go to ace drummer Ezequiel Alvarado and bassist "Vulgar" Hernandez.
99. Every band with a bass player named "Vulgar" is automatically great.
100. I've heard that "Vulgar" has left the band. If this is true (and please let it NOT be true, oh please por favor), then they should replace him with another bass player and call HIM "Vulgar" (or HER "Vulgar," no sexism here). It should be like the Ramones and stuff.
90. They open with a track where a whole bunch of random Mexican people talk about how they don't like El Gran Silencio: "no me gusta".
91. This track is backed by the "Rock the Bells" sample.
92. Every band where brothers take turns writing songs is automatically great, and here the songs are split evenly between Cano Hernandez and Tony Hernandez, both with seven. (Accordionist Isaac "Campa" Valdez writes one.)
93. Every band with a full-time accordion player is automatically great, especially when it's Campa, who is the greatest rock and roll accordionist of all time.
94. Proof of that: His double-tracked solo during "Ingratos Corazones," playing against himself like Bowie did on saxophone in the album version of "Let's Dance," along with the great saxophone of Luis Rosales.
95. Further proof: The way Campa wails right before another Rosales solo during "Super Riddim Internacional," both of 'em wailing high and free.
96. Best packaging of the year: great shiny cover, generous photo/art/lyric/track info booklet that slides into a little slot. Design is Russian Futurist crossed with Trad Mex Stylee.
97. Stylee: these dudes LOVE reggae and hip-hop and cumbia, and see the automatic and deep connection between the three, but they might just love reggae or ska most of all. Their rapping was more rappy on Chuntaros Radio Poder but now it's more dancehall.
98. A lot of the credit for the riddim part needs to go to ace drummer Ezequiel Alvarado and bassist "Vulgar" Hernandez.
99. Every band with a bass player named "Vulgar" is automatically great.
100. I've heard that "Vulgar" has left the band. If this is true (and please let it NOT be true, oh please por favor), then they should replace him with another bass player and call HIM "Vulgar" (or HER "Vulgar," no sexism here). It should be like the Ramones and stuff.
27.11.03
To: emilatin@emicap.com
From: cibula@ku.com
Re: news about Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 2?
I am a music writer who thinks that El Gran Silencio’s Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 1 is the best record of the year, maybe even of the decade so far. But there has been no news about Vol. 2, and your website has no information whatsoever, and it is impossible to find out information about the band anywhere, and it’s all very frustrating. Can you tell me what’s up with Volume 2, or the band, or anything at all? This lack of information and publicity is what kills any momentum that Mexican music has in the U.S. The Cuban/Miami groups are much better at building up buzz—why can’t EMI support their acts?
I don’t really expect a reply, but I’d appreciate one nonetheless.
Matt Cibula
haibun.blogspot.com
cibula@ku.com
Your message
To: ‘emilatin@emicap.com’
Subject: news about Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 2?
Sent: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 10:35:37 -0500
did not reach the following recipient(s):
c=US;a= ;p=EMIGRP;o=HUB-AMR;dda:SMTP=EMILATIN@EMICAP.COM; on Thu, 27 Nov
2003 10:31:27 -0500
The recipient name is not recognized
The MTS-ID of the original message is: c=us;a=
;p=emigrp;l=SNYCD04E0311271531XVXRX850
MSEXCH:IMS:EMIGRP:HUB-AMR:SNYCD04E 0 (000C05A6) Unknown Recipient
From: cibula@ku.com
Re: news about Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 2?
I am a music writer who thinks that El Gran Silencio’s Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 1 is the best record of the year, maybe even of the decade so far. But there has been no news about Vol. 2, and your website has no information whatsoever, and it is impossible to find out information about the band anywhere, and it’s all very frustrating. Can you tell me what’s up with Volume 2, or the band, or anything at all? This lack of information and publicity is what kills any momentum that Mexican music has in the U.S. The Cuban/Miami groups are much better at building up buzz—why can’t EMI support their acts?
I don’t really expect a reply, but I’d appreciate one nonetheless.
Matt Cibula
haibun.blogspot.com
cibula@ku.com
Your message
To: ‘emilatin@emicap.com’
Subject: news about Super Riddim Internacional Vol. 2?
Sent: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 10:35:37 -0500
did not reach the following recipient(s):
c=US;a= ;p=EMIGRP;o=HUB-AMR;dda:SMTP=EMILATIN@EMICAP.COM; on Thu, 27 Nov
2003 10:31:27 -0500
The recipient name is not recognized
The MTS-ID of the original message is: c=us;a=
;p=emigrp;l=SNYCD04E0311271531XVXRX850
MSEXCH:IMS:EMIGRP:HUB-AMR:SNYCD04E 0 (000C05A6) Unknown Recipient
26.11.03
some stuff you should know about me I
Born: Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California, 1966
Schools: St. John Fisher School, Portland, Oregon; William Knight Elementary School, Canby, Oregon; Paul R. Ackerman Junior High School, Canby, Oregon; Canby Union High School, Canby, Oregon; Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Married: one wife. A hot babe.
Father to: two children, aged eight and five. Cool as hell.
Currently live: Madison, Wisconsin. Probably moving to Durham, North Carolina, next year. Maybe. Possibly. Man, I don't know. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep.
Born: Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California, 1966
Schools: St. John Fisher School, Portland, Oregon; William Knight Elementary School, Canby, Oregon; Paul R. Ackerman Junior High School, Canby, Oregon; Canby Union High School, Canby, Oregon; Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Married: one wife. A hot babe.
Father to: two children, aged eight and five. Cool as hell.
Currently live: Madison, Wisconsin. Probably moving to Durham, North Carolina, next year. Maybe. Possibly. Man, I don't know. I'm tired. I'm going to sleep.
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