Although the band name
801 is associated with the short-lived side project organized by ex-
Roxy Music members
Phil Manzanera and
Brian Eno that played only three concerts in 1976, one of which was recorded for the album
801 Live,
Manzanera has used the moniker for other efforts, including naming it as his backup unit on his 1977 tour supporting his solo album
Listen Now. That outfit (which
Manzanera has immortalized with live albums recorded at Hull and Manchester in the U.K.) at least played some of the repertoire of the original
801. But this album, another live collection recorded in 1999, is entirely different. Don't expect to hear "Baby's on Fire" sung in Spanish just because it's called
801 Latino. In fact, here
Manzanera is joined by an entirely Spanish lineup, his guitar mixed in with
Augusto Enriquez and
Yamile's vocals,
Aldo Lopez Gavilan's electric piano,
Chucho Merchán's bass, and
Carlos Valdez's drums. The justification for using the
801 name seems to be simply that, once again,
Manzanera organized a one-off band to do some concerts and no more. They play a set of entertaining Latin rock and pop (including
Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Corcovado," aka "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars") with
Manzanera simply fitting into the band. It's an entirely appropriate effort for a musician who is the son of a Colombian mother and grew up largely in South and Central America before relocating to England, the land of his father. Listeners will enjoy it, as long as they know what they're getting. The music here is much closer to
the Buena Vista Social Club than to
Roxy Music.