Corazones

Corazones is the fourth studio album by the Chilean band Los Prisioneros, released in 1990. Produced by the Argentine Gustavo Santaolalla, in conjunction with Anibal Kerpel on the EMI Odeón Chilena label, it was recorded, mixed and mastered in Los Angeles, California. What's more, the album was distributed overseas by the Capitol label, and it was the first album by Los Prisioneros recorded outside of Chile,^[1]

The album after its release was certified with four platinum records and what's more,^[2] in 2006 was chosen in the 54 position from the list "Los 250 mejores discos de rock latinoamericano" (The 250 best Latin American rock albums) by American magazine Al Borde, and in April 2008 it ranked ninth in the list of "Los 50 Mejores Discos Chilenos" (The 50 Best Chilean albums), by the Chilean edition of the American magazine Rolling Stone.^[3]

Background[]

Between July and August 1989, the group Los Prisioneros recorded at the Konstantinopla Studios, owned by Carlos Cabezas Rocuant, whose name is due to the musician's home address Jorge González, where the songs on the album that would welcome 1990s were composed the vast majority. This demo for years it circulated from hand to hand among fans, «A part of these subjects were known in 1996 with the edition Ni Por La Razon, Ni Por La Fuerza, and the other remain in public knowledge with Internet»,^[4] however would be discarded by Jorge González and it was never officially released. González would travel in October of that same year to Los Angeles, accompanied only by the manager of the band Carlos Fonseca, with a handful of his own compositions of tone plus personal, profound and with a dark sound, which contrasts completely with the optimism that was lived in the country due to the decline of the Chilean Military dictatorship. At first he had not planned to publish, to record the new album with a handful of songs composed exclusively by Jorge, thanks to the "monetary support" of EMI (15 dollars per day, according to Jorge in a subsequent self-interview) who sought to market the group abroad.

Production[]

With this work, the band practically put aside the social criticism of the first two albums of Los Prisioneros, to begin a new stage, much more sentimental and of cut electronic, with a couple of danceable tunes. The romantic, intimate and melancholic lyrics that predominate on the album were influenced by the relationship that Jorge González had with Claudia Carvajal, the wife of the band's guitarist, . Although was aware of the affair since February 1989, he remained in the band for financial reasons. However, during a rehearsal in January 1990, was forced by González to listen to the songs on the new album over and over again, obviously dedicated to his wife, which led to his departure from the band two months before the publication of "Corazones". For this reason, this was the first album by Los Prisioneros without Narea, which he had contributed to the initial recordings of "Beaucheff 1435" and continued to be a member of the band while Jorge recorded the album, but is not listed as a performer in the finished work. He was replaced for live performances by keyboardist and bassist Robert Rodríguez, going Jorge González to be the guitarist.

Once the promotion process for "Corazones" was concluded with two presentations in the 1991 version of the Viña del Mar Festival, the band disbanded, to return to the stage ten years later with their original lineup. González stated in a 1990 interview with the magazine Rock & Pop that "" and "Esto es demasiado triste" he wrote them «in a slight state of intoxication».^[5]

Cover[]

The album cover was photographed by Alejandro Barruel and designed by Vicente Vargas,^[1] also author of La voz de los '80 cover and star of the video clip of "El nuevo baile" by ,^[6] shows a González wearing a white bloody shirt supposedly in the heart, although in fact the "blood" stain is on the opposite side (In the first Chilean edition in 1995, corrected this error by inverting the image). "We just knew that had left. It was very strange to take photos without him", recalled manager Fonseca, the shirt was bought especially for the occasion by Fonseca in the Paris stores on Lyon avenue with New Providence.^[7]

Legacy and influence[]

Some of the album tracks were covered by some singers like: "Amiga mía", covered by Javiera Mena for the 2012 movie Joven y Alocada,^[8] , covered the song "Cuentame una historia original". Produced by Vicente Sanfuentes and Lego Mustache, the song "Estrechez de corazón" was covered by Carlos Cabezas, Francisca Valenzuela, and the group Villa Cariño. Being recorded in Triana studios by the famous engineer Gonzalo González, with a music video directed by Felipe Foncea. In the tribute album to Jorge González, "Nada es para Siempre", the musicians Gepe and Javiera Mena, accompanied by Cecilia Aguayo, Uwe Schmidt, Felipe Carbone, and Gonzalo Yáñez performed a version of "Cuentame una historia original". In 2020 David Eidelstein, the bassist of Los Tetas known as "Rulo", covered the song "Estrechez de corazón".^[9]

Track listing[]

Side A

All tracks are written by Jorge González.

Side B

References[]