Mecano

The late-'70s and early-'80s pop scene in Spain was a mixture of different styles fighting one against the other, trying to succeed in winning the audience's affection. Madrid was the cradle of most of these movements, a wellspring of a lot of bands that were riding on the sounds swamping Europe at the moment. While Alaska y los Pegamoides, Ramoncin, and Siniestro Total were fans of new wave and post-punk bands like the Clash, the Jam, and the Buzzcocks, other groups like La Mode, Golpes Bajos, andAlphaville were more keen on pop melodies mixed with electronic textures, the type of music that the new romantics and groups like Depeche Mode were performing in those years. All these bands made up what was called la Movida Madrilena, one of the most significant European musical movements in the early '80s. In this environment, brothers Nacho and Jose Maria Cano found a friend, Ana Torroja, who accepted the invitation to sing their compositions, which elegantly mixed techno-pop music with fancy melodies. Mecano is their first record, and one of their most popular, a glamorous effort in which listeners can already appreciate Nacho Cano's brilliant mind for composition. Synths and electronic devices mixed with poppy melodies and Torroja's sweet voice are heard throughout the record, forming a style that became the group's personal trademark from then on. Mecano's lyrics tried to emphasize and represent the problems of the beautiful young people at the time. "Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar" was their first hit in Spain, while other songs on the record like "Perdido en Mi Habitacion," "Maquillaje," and "Me Cole en una Fiesta" (with a later English version, "The Uninvited Guest") became fan favorites in the years to come. Among Jose Maria Cano's three compositions on Mecano, "Solo Soy una Persona" -- a tune combining pop and singer/songwriter elements with Sartre-esque lyrics -- stands out. ~ Robert Aniento