Azteca – La Piedra Del Sol (2007 Concert/Inakustik/MVD DVD)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Concert: B-

 

 

When you remove the Pop-drenched lame version of Latin Music, you get some great music.  Azteca was a key band that did such music with heavy Rock, Soul and Blues, started by brothers Pete Escovedo (Sheila E’s dad) and Coke Escovedo (a member of the group Santana) back in 1971.  They only made a few albums and broke up only a few years later, but on September 15, 2007, they reunited and La Piedra Del Sol is the resulting DVD of that concert.

 

Songs include:

 

1)     Mamita Linda

2)     Ain’t Got No Special Woman

3)     Find Love Today

4)     Azteca

5)     Non Pacem

6)     Someday We’ll Get By

7)     Peace Everybody

8)     What’Cha Gonna Do

9)     New Day Is on The Rise

 

 

Some of this sounds familiar, whether from imitators or because I heard some of the original recordings a while ago, this is a reunion of the surviving members (minus Neil Schon) and the concert is pretty impressive, though slightly uneven.  However, after almost 35 years, it is a minor problem.  It runs about two hours and is never boring.  If you are interested, this is as good a place to start as their two studio albums and is worth a good look for serious music fans.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was shot in digital video, likely HD and has some detail limits, part of which could come from the downtrade to DVD, but otherwise is not bad for a recent taping but only a Blu-ray will show us the true nature of the image quality.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix was a bit more limited and bass-heavy than expected, but the PCM 2.0 Stereo is as good in its own way despite no surrounds, unless you try to decode in Pro Logic.  Extras include about 25 minutes of rehearsals, interviews and extras songs on the DVD and a paper pullout in the DVD case with the essay Latin Rock, pictures and some tech info on the concert.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo