Clics modernos (pronounced[kliɣsmoˈðeɾnos]; Spanish for "modern clicks") is the second solo studio album by the Argentine musician Charly García, released on November 5, 1983, on SG Discos and Interdisc. It was a decisive work to consolidate the modern trends that would mark the profile of Argentine rock during the 1980s and saw García heralded as a "revolutionary" for his musical and lyrical boldness.[1] It was ranked at number two in the Argentine edition of Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Albums of Argentine Rock. In Los 600 de Latinoamérica, a 2024 ranking of the 600 greatest Latin American albums by music critics and academics, it was ranked No. 6, with critic José Juan Zapata calling it a "a way of understanding Latin American rock, where the tension between the political and the personal, and between Anglo sounds and local color, achieves a balance and a language of its own.."[2]
Overview
After his first solo tour of Argentina in 1982, García began a new project with his manager Daniel Grinbank. García went to New York to record his next album, with Pedro Aznar, who was living there while playing in the Pat Metheny band. The black silhouette figure on the cover photo for the album is by Conceptual Artist Richard Hambleton who is known as the Shadowman.[3][4]
Composition
The album has a strong new wave influence, with a significant use of synthesizers and samplers.[5]
The album used a Roland TR-808 drum machine instead of a human drummer (even though Casey Scheuerell played drums on some of the songs), resulting in a more poppy and rhythm-heavy sound than in García's previous work.[6]
Release and promotion
Clics modernos was released on November 5, 1983, on Interdisc and SG Discos.
García presented the album between December 15 and 18, 1983 at the Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires.[5] The concerts featured keyboardist Fito Páez, backing vocalist Fabiana Cantilo, drummer Willy Iturri, bassist Alfredo Toth, guitarist Pablo Guyot and saxophonists Gonzalo Palacios and Daniel Melingo.[7] The performance was acclaimed by specialized magazine Pelo, describing it as "captivating" and considering it one of the greatest shows of the year.[7]
Songs such as "Plateado sobre plateado (huellas en el mar)" were debuted live in early 1983 during a series of concerts at the Estadio Obras Sanitarias.[8]
Reception
In 2008, Rolling Stone Argentina stated that "for many, [it is] Charly's best album, a record that found him on a superlative level".[9]
Credits adapted from Clics modernos' liner notes.[10]
Charly García – writer, producer, mixer, vocals, keyboards, sampler, groovebox, effects, rhythm box, electric guitar
Larry Carlton – guitar on "No Soy Un Extraño", "Los Dinosaurios", "Plateado Sobre Plateado (Huellas En El Mar)"
Pedro Aznar – fretless bass guitar (all tracks except "Nuevos Trapos"), vocals and guitar on "Nos Siguen Pegando Abajo"
Casey Scheuerell – drums on "Bancate Ese Defecto", "No Me Dejan Salir", "Plateado Sobre Plateado", Simmons drums on "Nos Siguen Pegando Abajo", "No Me Dejan Salir", tabla on "Dos Cero Uno"
^Clics modernos (CD album, reissue). Charly García. Universal Music. 2004. 9800215.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Bibliography
Ortelli, Juan (2016). "Charly Garía: La guía definitiva". Rolling Stone (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Buenos Aires, Argentina: S.A. La Nación. ISBN978-987-4089-01-4.
Plotkin, Pablo (2010). "Capítulo 1: Charly García". Leyendas del rock nacional (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Buenos Aires, Argentina: S.A. La Nación. pp. 9–16. ISBN978-987-1690-01-5.
