Cuban singer/songwriter Silvio Rodriguez established himself as one of the pioneers of the
nueva trova in the early '70s alongside
Pablo Milanes,
Eduardo Ramos,
Noel Nicola, and
Sara Gonzalez, fellow members of the state-sponsored
Grupo de Experimentacion Sonora. Dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, 1979's
Rabo de Nube shows continuity with
Rodriguez's previous albums, its melodic
folk-pop arrangements accompanying poignant, poetic lyrics sung in a fragile tenor. Simpler acoustic compositions like the title track (subsequently covered by
the Pretenders on
Viva el Amor) and the catchy
"Fabula de los Tres Hermanos" are especially strong. However, only
"Que Ya Vivi, Que Te Vas" and
"Con Diez Anos de Menos" rise to the high standards set by earlier
Rodriguez classics, such as
"Playa Giron" and
"Sueno con Serpientes" from his 1975 debut
Dias y Flores. Unfortunately,
Rabo de Nube foregrounds the inconsistencies that have occasionally marred
Rodriguez's work. It's not simply a case of the hit-and-miss nature of the tracks -- the misses being those numbers like
"Te Amare y Despues" and
"Imaginate" that find
Rodriguez bogged down in saccharine territory -- at times, he manages to combine his best and worst tendencies within the same song, much to the frustration of the listener. Whereas the more effective numbers are almost wholly acoustic or strike a subtle, effective balance between acoustic and electronic instrumentation, elsewhere, potentially brilliant tracks end up sounding immediately dated and clumsy, owing to the ill-advised and unnecessary introduction of synthesizers.
"Testamento," for instance, builds to a stirring, strum-along climax, only to be derailed by a campy sci-fi soundtrack synth; similar problems undermine the otherwise excellent
"Vamos a Andar." Its flaws notwithstanding,
Rabo de Nube still attests to
Rodriguez's considerable talent and does little to diminish his status as one of Cuba's premier
singer/songwriters. ~ Wilson Neate
