LOS GATOS SALVAJES

-COMPLETE RECORDINGS-

new CD
(NO FUN)
 
Primitive and only album by Los Gatos Salvajes, recorded and released in Argentina in 1965, includes their original LP + a lot of bonus tracks & liner notes!

A groovy collection of garage-pop recordings by one of Argentina's pioneering rock bands, Los Gatos Salvajes, formed in the city of Rosario by singer-songwriter Litto Nebbia and keyboardist Ciro Fogliatta. This disc is a great historical resource, as well as a fun record to rock out to...

The CD version kicks off with the band's lone LP, a twelve-song album from 1965 and also includes tracks from a handful of singles, lo-fi live performances and hotel room demos. It's fun stuff: there's the obvious Rolling Stones influence (including a couple of songs cribbed from their repertoire) but for a band called the Wild Cats, there's also a surprisingly strong, pleasant likeness to the more harmonic Hollies, particularly in Nebbia's light, winsome vocals.

At times they are predictably stiff -- as many non-American/non-British, international cover bands were -- but on many songs they really tear it up, particularly on the many Nebbia originals. Standout tracks include the instrumental "Ruta A Go-Go" (a Fogliatta original) and a cover of the Everly Brothers' "Since You Broke My Heart."

 The Gatos pay homage to Uruguay's Los Shakers, with a cover of their version of "Ticket To Ride."

The real gems are the original songs, particularly since the Gatos sang almost exclusively in their native language (always a plus in my book) and wrote so much of their own material.

The band didn't do that well, though -- the original album sold poorly (less than 1000 copies) and in 1967 the original group broke up, then reformed as Los Gatos under the leadership of Fogliatta and Nebbia, who led the new band until 1970.

Here they are in their full youthful glory -- innocent, adorable, and totally rocking!

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