 Laghonia Laghonia (The Agony) was the name of the Peruvian rock group that morphed into We All Together. As Laghonia, the band released two albums of fairly heavy rock stuff in the vein of Traffic and Blind Faith, and after changing their name, became more of a power pop band a la Wings and Badfinger. Etcetera was the second and final Laghonia album, and it ends with "We All," which inspired the new name. I picked this up after becoming enamored with We All Together, and though the sound is not as bright as that stuff, it's still in the same ballpark, and has many indications of the shift toward a poppier sound, with catchy harmonies dressing up some pretty cool rock music. I guess this is what people used to call "album oriented rock," though I certainly would rather listen to Laghonia than most English or American bands that sound similar. It may simply be that fringe feel that comes along with stuff that is justifiably obscure, the same feel you get watching movies from Something Weird, just like no one else is tapping into the same dimension you've stumbled across. I suppose much of my pop cultural exploits are similar to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe but instead of Narnia I usually end up in places like 1970 Peru, where a rock band is making an album. I'm not sure which is the better scenario, but I am very comfortable with the wardrobe I have, I think. The songs aren't as catchy as We All Together's, but the music is more intense and heavy. More fuzzy guitars, reverb, and husky Hammond. Saul Cornejo was the primary creative entity at this point in the group's history, while Carlos Guerrero would be more of the leader in We All Together—the rock/pop dichotomy between the two forms the major difference between the two bands. On Etcetera, the blend is cautious, with the pop elements creeping in amid the rock stuff that comprises the majority of the album. The band is definitely aiming for an edgy approach, as evidenced on the probably-trying-to-be-political-but-attaining-only-confusion "I'm a Nigger" and the probably Yes-influenced "World Full of Nuts." The prog element seeps into stuff like "Mary Ann," which bears something of a Moody Blues influence, and "Lonely People," which is very Traffic-esque. The poppier side comes out on "Someday," "Everybody on Monday" and the ponderous "It's Marvelous." Not nearly the best album ever made, but like many things you'll find hovering around the fringe, quite interesting and, even where most derivative, pretty cool in that "what planet is this from" kind of way.
Review by Emmie Poole |